Page 10 of Taking a Chance on Charlevoix
“Met some folks from work for drinks. Wanted to talk to Landon about something. Went straight to bed as soon as I got home,” her sister said. Never a complainer, Marlowe hadn’t said much about her job over the holidays. Sam pictured everything to be perfect. Apparently not.
“Who the heck is London?” Sam was trying to keep things straight.
“Landon,” Marlowe said. “Landon Hardy. He owns the company.”
“Hmm. Quite a name.”
A tired giggle was the response. “Tonight one of the other realtors told me his name used to be Harold Hardy. Harry. But he changed it when he took over the firm from his father.”
“That’s kind of crazy to just change your name like that.”
“That would be Landon. Believe it or not, names count in Naples.”
Marlowe sounded more discouraged than tired. Maybe this wasn’t the time for Sam to air her own problems. “You know you should get some rest, right?”
“I'm in bed right now so if I fall asleep and start to snore, just yell, “Wake up, Marlowe!’” That brought another fit of giggles. After the day she’d had, it felt so good to laugh. And there was no one she’d rather laugh with than her sister.
“You're still thinking of relocating, right?” Sam sure hoped that Marlowe hadn't changed her mind. She listened to her sister blow out a big sigh.
“I guess tonight confirmed our plans.”
“Good to hear it.” Relief flooded Sam’s body and she relaxed into the chaise. Noting some empty shelves, Sam's eyes traveled around the room. How would she ever tally up all the things that Kurt had taken from this house? She was so angry that Kurt had done this while she was away. A month ago she’d asked him about the house but he’d wanted nothing. Had the new woman in his life changed his mind? “Do you think Kurt’s new girlfriend helped him when he came over to steal things from the house?”
Her cat Bogart had entered the room. Leaping onto the chaise, he snuggled down next to her. Feeling his comfortable purring against her always calmed Sam.
“Why go there?” Marlowe said. “It'll just upset you more. We have to take a methodical approach to this life change we’re considering. We can’t be side-tracked. Did Kurt take anything you wanted to bring with you to Charlevoix?”
“You’re right. Probably not.” Sam skimmed one hand over Bogart’s soft fur. What use was it to get angry over furniture and dishes? All the way home to Chicago Sam had been wondering how she was going to downsize. Maybe Kurt had unknowingly made things easier. Bogart lifted her eyes to her as if troubled by Sam's thoughts. But then he settled back, flicking his tail around himself and closing his eyes.
“Tomorrow I’m going to check the client accounts. See if he made any changes there.” The thought sent Sam into a panic. If he contacted clients again with changes, she’d wring his neck. She was trying to make the impact of their divorce as seamless as possible to preserve those relationships. Her entire body froze. Bogart arched his back and leapt down onto the carpet.
“Don't think about that tonight,” Marlowe said. “Give yourself a chance to relax.”
“You’re right.” She settled back again. By the time Sam hit Chicago on the drive back, the Eisenhower was jammed. And as she drove west, it didn't get any better. “I can always buy another rowing machine.”
“He took your rowing machine?” Marlowe said with a snort. “The big spender couldn't afford to buy himself another one?”
“Mine was probably more convenient, although he hardly ever used it. Probably trying to impress the girlfriend. You're right. I'll check that client list tomorrow. He chose some of the plum accounts when we were divvying up the business. Wasn’t that enough? I didn't expect him to take things like the wok. I don't ever remember him using it.”
“Maybe his girlfriend likes to stir fry.”
What a depressing thought. On the other hand, Sam was relieved that someone else was in charge of providing Kurt's meals. He’d become picky over the years. His idea of helping with dinner was picking up a pizza on the way home.
“I wanted to tell you,” Marlowe said. “On the first flight of my trip back to Florida, I sat next to the most fascinating woman.”
“Aren't we all fascinating?” Sam grinned, happy to change the subject.
“Gabby has a decorating business with her husband,” Marlowe continued.
“Her name is Gabby?”
“I think it's short for Gabrielle. I'll have to check her business card. After hearing about her real estate agency and her interest in decorating, I asked if she could recommend an architect. She's going to send me some names.”
“That's great. We’re on a roll.” Marlowe's news was reassuring. She was still on track, so no need to worry. The sooner they began renovating Sunnycrest, the better Sam would feel. After Kurt's behavior, she wanted the project to begin. Once they were involved in bringing the old family home up to date, none of them would get cold feet.
“We definitely need an architect, not just a contractor,” Marlowe said. “I also think it would be good to involve a decorator too. We might each have different opinions about things. We need someone objective to guide us.”
“Excellent point. Some of us can be very set in our ways.”
