Small Town Christmas (Blue Harbor #4) - Olivia Miles Page 0,43

maybe Phil was starting to see the charm in this small town, after all. Maybe, a long holiday visit would lead to something more.

*

Phil walked into the local real estate office for the appointment he’d scheduled with Lanie Thompson. She hadn’t been shy about the fact that she was happy he had pushed back the meeting from Thanksgiving weekend to today.

“The holidays are a big thing around here,” she said again now as she led him down the hall and into a small office. She closed the door and gestured to a chair.

“I’ve noticed,” he said as he took a seat opposite her desk. “My daughter is certainly enjoying the experience.”

“And you’re from Chicago,” she said, reviewing her notes. She glanced at his ring finger, and he stifled a grin.

“Only here for the holidays,” he said firmly.

His gut tightened on the words though. It was easy to get caught up in the way of life here. It had happened before and it was happening again. But his days were numbered, and there was no sense in leading anyone to believe otherwise.

Lanie gave a look of disappointment. “A shame.” Catching herself, she said, “I mean, about your grandparents not coming back to town. They loved it here so much. They were such a big part of the community.”

Phil didn’t deny this, and he pushed aside the guilt he felt over what his grandparents had lost.

“My grandfather requires around-the-clock care and it’s easier for them both to be where they are.”

Lanie nodded. “Well, they’re certainly missed.”

Yes, Phil was beginning to see that. He was also beginning to see why, despite what his father had always said about this town being too quiet and slow-paced, his grandparents saw something more in it, even if more was less in their minds.

“So you’re the executor of your grandparents’ estate,” Lanie said, looking at him expectantly.

“Yes,” Phil assured her. He had full legal authority to do what he wished with the properties.

The question he was starting to ask himself was, what would they wish? They’d come to love the cottage just as much as the house on Main, but even after they’d downsized, they couldn’t part with the big Victorian. What made him think it would be any easier now?

Nonsense, he told himself. They were past that point in life, and they wouldn’t be coming back to town. Holding onto the Main Street property would be sentimental, and that was bad business as far as he was concerned. It wasn’t about what he wished. It was about what was best, logically speaking, and doing what needed to be done.

“And you wish to sell both properties?” Lanie clarified.

There was that word again. Was it just him, or did she raise an eyebrow?

Silence stretched. Phil wasn’t stupid enough to think that in a town this small, word wouldn’t travel. And Lanie looked to be around Cora’s age, or close enough that they would know each other. Chances were high that like everyone else in town, Lanie had attended the tree-lighting ceremony as well as the gingerbread event and had seen them together.

Still, this was a professional meeting, and he was a client. In his experience, that meant this discussion didn’t leave these four walls.

“There’s no reason to hold onto them, as far as I am aware, unless you think there is financial incentive to renting them both out long term?”

Gathering all the facts, he told himself, just like he would in any business transaction. Still, he held his breath as he waited for an answer to the question.

“Well, I don’t know how much the holiday shop is paying for rent…” Lanie shuffled some papers on her desk.

Phil did. And he knew it wasn’t worth his while to collect that amount if he could sell for more. The small apartment upstairs was a poor use of the space. To his understanding, the remainder of the second-floor space was vacant.

“But here are some sales comps for both properties.” Lanie slid two sheets of paper across to him. “As you can see, the property on Main Street has a lot of potential. I always have people looking for a prime location for a small inn.”

“And the cottage?” he asked, trying not to place too much importance on the commercial property, even though he knew he was just kidding himself.

“It’s waterfront, which helps. I’d need to see the condition, if there are any upgrades that would make sense, but to answer your question, both will sell quickly. The cottage will likely sell