Page 71 of Butterfly Sisters
“It doesn’t have to be like this,” she said, stopping in front of him. “Can’t we just talk?”
Leon came up again with more wood and fumbled it into Colton’s arms. Without saying anything, Colton nodded for her to exit and then followed her to the rental car where Smash stood. She popped the trunk open and both men dumped the wood into it. Colton turned away, heading for Smash’s truck.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Leigh called after him. “Can we discuss this like two rational people?”
“I don’t think so,” he said, climbing into the passenger side of Smash’s truck and leaning across to address her through the open window. “That would taketworational people.”
Smash shut the trunk of her car. “See ya, Leigh.”
“Bye,” she said, looking back at Colton, the set of his jaw clear in his profile as he stared forward, thoughts in his eyes.
Smash got into his truck and started the engine. Then they pulled away. As they did, she could’ve sworn she’d seen Colton finally look at her once in the sideview mirror, but maybe that was just wishful thinking.
Leigh arranged the Adirondack chair, putting the lake in the background and the fire pit in front of her to take her video call with Pamela Lyons. The sunshine was in full force and a few boats drove by, pushing the water onto the shore in lapping waves, but the air was still cool enough to need the heat from the fire to keep her warm. Leigh straightened her cotton shirt and rubbed her lips together to be sure her lipstick was even, feeling so much like herself as she set up for the call. While her surroundings were different from what she was used to, the act of preparation and the mindset of business etiquette came easily for her.
Her phone went off and she answered the call, the screen showing a brunette woman about her age, sitting alone at a table in what looked to be a coffee shop.
She smiled. “Leigh?”
“Yes,” Leigh said. “How are you?”
“I’m well,” the woman said. “Pamela. Nice to meet you.” The picture wobbled as she scooted her chair where she was sitting.
“So, you know Jimbo?” Leigh asked, putting her hands into her lap and getting right to it.
“Well, not exactly. I ran into an acquaintance of his, who introduced us.”
Leigh felt relieved already, her interest now piqued.
“I’m head project manager for my family’s construction company and we build retail. In conversation, Jimbo mentioned what you did for him, and it took some work, but I finally got him to hand over your number.”
“Oh?”
“I was wondering if you could do the same for a development we have in South Carolina.”
With her interview back in New York and her trip coming to an end, Leigh wasn’t sure how she could help the woman. She opened her mouth to turn her down when Pamela added, “I need someone to research the market and find us tenants, and then I need a superstar to sell it to them, because we just can’t get this one off the ground.”
Leigh considered the idea. “I’m not sure about traveling…” She trailed off, not having really given the possibility of being anywhere but New York any thought at all.
“You could work remotely. We have a bit in our budget to offer you a small salary while you’re working for us, and if you can fill this location, we might consider using your services for other projects.” On the screen, Pamela sipped her coffee, while Leigh thought it over. “I was hoping to find your rates online. I tried to locate your website, but nothing came up when I searched. Do you have one?”
“It’s currently under construction,” Leigh said, thinking quickly and having no idea at all where that response had come from. “It’ll be ready shortly.” She suddenly hoped that Meredith could use that artistic ability for web design…
“Excellent.” Pamela folded her hands as if she were praying and leaned her chin on them, a smile on her face. “So, what do you think?”
“I’ll definitely consider it,” Leigh replied, wondering if something like this would be worth her time.
“Well, I can send you the details of the property through email and we’d be happy to have you out to see it firsthand, if you feel that would be helpful. Just let me know.”
“Yes, thank you,” Leigh said, her mind whirring.
“I hope to hear from you soon.”
Suddenly, Leigh had a completely different career option in front of her. But could she do anything with it?
“Meredith, I need your help,” Leigh said, rushing into Nan’s studio and tugging on Meredith’s arm, pulling her toward the door. Her sister set her paintbrush down and they left the butterfly painting that she’d been finishing. “I need to get yours and Mama’s opinions on something.”
Leigh led Meredith into the kitchen where she’d rounded up her mother, the three of them sitting around the table, and she filled them in on her call with Pamela, and her idea.
