Page 53 of Saltwater Memories
Chapter 19
The latest property added to the DGG portfolio on San Juan Island was an impressively sprawling, though neglected, estate. There were two enormous houses settled on twenty-two acres of beachfront property. The previous owner got into trouble for tax evasion, and somehow DGG was able to snag the entire thing for a cool $2.2 million.
Will estimated that it was worth closer to $7 million, all told. The houses were both impressive, over six thousand square feet each. They were planning to convert both of the homes into lavish vacation rentals, while also squeezing in a few more homes and cabins on the property for the lower budget guests.
Will had the idea to add a building in the center to act as a sort of community center for all of the properties, with an indoor pool, gym, and movie theater; he was determined to make it an entrancing place to stay regardless of budget.
He’d walked through the property briefly before, but today was his first chance to take his time and brainstorm. There were some obvious problems – the landscaping was overgrown, there were fallen trees obstructing walkways and one of the driveways, and worst of all, the homes had both been left uninhabited for years.
It was nothing that he couldn’t manage – their inspections revealed nomajorissues. And truth be told, Will knew who to hire for all of this work.
No, that wasn’t exactly true – he wasn’t happy with the landscaping crew he’d hired for another project. They showed up four days late, overcharged him on mulch, and then had the audacity to bill him for overtime weekend hours.
So his appeal to Amanda wasn’t a lie. It just wasn’t entirely innocent, either. Ever since the night of the ball, he’d been telling himself that he needed to give her some space. She made it clear that she was in a relationship – orsomething– with her ex.
But why had she called him her ex? Why didn’t she just say that she had a boyfriend? Maybe since they’d broken up once, they’d break up again…
Was it Amanda taking things slow? Or the ex-boyfriend? Because if it was him who was dragging his feet in getting back together with Amanda, then he was an idiot.
That might not be the story, though. The questions ran around and around Will’s head until he was able to rationalize seeing Amanda again.
He needed a new landscaper. She probably knew all the reliable ones. It was as easy as that.
Plus, this estate was stunning – she’d want to see it. He’d texted her some pictures and she was intrigued.
She’d written, “I knew that these kinds of places existed on the island, but I’ve never actually been inside one of them. This is really interesting.”
“I have some pictures of it back in its heyday too – they’re a good comparison as we plan the renovations.” He sent those pictures along as well, and Amanda said she was looking forward to the before-and-after pictures.
Will smiled to himself. There – she was hinting that she’d like to hear from him again, months from now, when the renovation was done. Even if Amanda had a boyfriend, she was still his only friend on the island. He valued her for her friendship alone, and he’d leave it at that. He wouldn’t bring up his unwanted feelings again.
They agreed to meet on Sunday at noon. As he stood on the property, feeling overly hot in the sun despite the cool breeze, he wondered if maybe she would back out of coming. This was a much lower-key hang out than the ball, though; she wouldn’t have to worry about prying eyes or his unsavory boss. It was just the two of them.
A few minutes after twelve, he spotted her car creeping up the long driveway. He waved, trying to keep his smile from being overly enthusiastic, as she parked and opened her door.
“Hey! You made it!”
Amanda stumbled over some debris as she stepped out of her car. “I did. This is…something. I didn’t realize that this driveway would go back so far.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. The GPS just takes you to the tip of the property. When they say it’s an estate, they mean it’s anestate,” Will said with a laugh.
“They really do,” Amanda replied, looking around.
“As you can see, it’s gotten a bit overgrown here. What used to be a well-maintained garden turned into a sort of jungle.”
She nodded. “When I was coming in, the grass was almost as tall as me. I wanted to get out and check, actually. Was that intentional? Is it supposed to get that tall? Why would they plant that kind of grass?”
Will shrugged. “I have no idea. That’s actually what I wanted to ask you about – if you knew anyone who could help tame it. My landscaper turned out to be a dud.”
“Hm. I might. It seems like half of the guys from my high school tried their hand in the landscaping business. I can ask around from some friends and neighbors and see which company is worth hiring?”
“That would begreat, I really appreciate it.”
She smiled, then slowly turned in a circle, taking in the surroundings.
Will stood there, watching her. She was all buttoned up now – her black coat zipped to her chin, a puffy scarf around her neck. There was no long gown, no mysterious, sparkling mask. But she looked just as beautiful as she had the last time that he’d seen her; just more closed off. He let out a sigh.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, turning toward him.
