Page 87 of Delicious Surrender
“The first was gaining access to dig a trench from the main road down to the shoreline. And second, he said she gave him the first right of refusal to purchase the property. He learned of her death on the weekend and sought me out.”
Brynne’s stomach dropped, and she felt lightheaded. “Does he have any proof of these so-called promises? She meant for me to have the house, that’s why she put me on the title. Doesn’t that mean it’s my decision whether to sell it?”
“Yes. It’s totally your decision. And I don’t believe he has written proof. He said they had discussed it at length but never got the agreements signed.”
“Wow. That’s crazy. She mentioned nothing about selling—or this trench thing.”
Alister pulled pages off his printer and stacked them neatly in front of Brynne. “After a rather heated discussion, he asked that I present an offer to purchase the whole parcel.”
She scanned the paperwork and noticed they made it out toThe Estate of Josephine Lamond. She stopped and frowned at Alistair. “I don’t want to sell right now. Josie took steps so I would own it, knowing how much I love it.”
“I believe that too, Brynne. When you moved to London and began pursuing your dream of writing, she knew one day you would need a place away from the city. Like she did.”
She scanned the rest of the document. When her eyeslanded on the numbers, her mouth dropped open in shock. “Five hundred thousand pounds! That’s crazy, isn’t it?”
“Not that crazy. It sits on two and a half acres, which includes the beach. I don’t think the buyer wants the house, they want the land and access to the water. Something about running underground pipes or cables.”
“Christ, that’s a lot of money.” She stared at it and shook her head. “I can’t decide this right now. My whole life has turned upside down and this is the only place I feel safe.”
“I understand. I will convey your decision not to sell—understanding that if you change your mind, they will be the first to know.”
“Okay. Thanks Alistair.” She stared at the paper.Magnus MacCallum.“Who is this guy? What do you know about him?”
“I believe he owns a communications company and has purchased land on Skye, Rum, Eigg, and Uist, and you know he bought all the land around your place and just finished building the house at the top of the hill.”
She wrinkled her nose. “He probably wants to tear down Josie’s house so he has a clear view of the water.”
One gray brow lifted. “Funny thing is, Josie really liked him. He was always very kind to her. So, I don’t think he’s all bad.”
Brynne wasn’t buying it. “If he was sonice, why didn’t she tell me about him?”
“That, I’m afraid I cannot answer, dear. But it’s good to know that if you decide to sell, you have a buyer ready.”
“I suppose that’s true, but right now, it needs serious repairs. The contractor came on the weekend to survey the water damage. I need to know what I can borrow from the estate.”
Alistair took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “There was money set aside for your travel and such. We can immediately access 3,500 pounds. And I can stretch it to another 1,500 pounds. Just bring me the written estimate on the repairs and send me any receipts.”
“Okay, that’s a good start. I’ll get that for you as soon as possible. Thanks, Alistair.”
Brynne left his office and walked to the hotel, mumbling to herself about the mystery neighbor.Who the hell does this guy think he is?
Brynne quickly changed into her white dress shirt, tartan bow tie, and matching apron. Declan used the green Hunting tartan of Clan Fraser throughout the hotel. The uniform was simple, and she could wear her own jeans and comfortable black combat boots.
An hour later, the dinner crowd filtered in. It was steady, but nothing she couldn’t keep up with. She hit her stride, serving several customers sitting at the bar and filling the orders for the servers. It kept her from focusing on her neighbor and his outrageous offer.
It was after one a.m. when she collected her purse from her locker. Jared had texted to say he got reinstated at the club and he was staying at a friend’s tonight, so he would call her tomorrow. That sounded promising! Brynne hoped thefriendwas John.
Another surprise was a text message from her father. He and his new wife were in Prince Edward Island and had just picked up her message about Josie’s death.
Once home, she dialed him on FaceTime. When she told him Josie committed suicide, he was speechless. For as long as she could remember, he had avoided all difficult subjects and swept them under the rug. After her mother left, he never mentioned her name again. Today was no exception. He changed the subject and asked about her job and thatnice boy, Ross.Oh geez.
“Uh, I guess we haven’t talked since last month, Dad. Ross and I broke up, and I left my job at the paper to come to Skye. Josie left me the house, and I’m going to spend the summer here.”
He looked surprised; his brow creased with worry. “Oh, sweetie, are you sure you’re okay? I thought you and Ross were serious?”
“He was not the man for me, and it’s good I figured it out. I’m doing great, and I’ve got a job at a hotel in Portree. I’m going to take my time before deciding where I want to work next—plus I’m almost finished with my first novel.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful. I always thought you had a special way with words.”