Read Online Sweetheart Cottage (Cranberry Bay #1) by Mindy Hardwick - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mindy Hardwick
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his finger over the edge of a manila folder on his desk. His chest ached with the unfilled longing for children, his children, running around his home.
“You never know how things will work out,” Dennis said. “Mrs. Perkins and I didn’t have our kids until late in life. There’s plenty of time left.”
“Yes, well…” Bryan reached into his desk and pulled out a thick sheaf of papers. Before he could even think about a family, he needed to focus on making an income. “Let me get some information from you. I’ll have the cottages up on the multiple listings by this evening and add a few photos tomorrow.”
Dennis cleared his throat. “Allison thinks the cottages would sell better if they were fixed up a bit. I told her fishing cottages were always popular. But she seemed to think otherwise.”
“Houses do sell better if they are staged.” Bryan twirled his pen between his fingers. “The market isn’t exactly booming in Cranberry Bay and staging them to be vacation cottages would help the sale. They’re sold as a single listing, yes?”
“Yes. All six cottages are one lot.”
“Is the staging something Mrs. Perkins wants to do?”
“No.” Dennis lowered his voice as a shadow crossed his face. “I’m afraid not. She doesn’t want this to get around town, so please don’t say anything.” Dennis swallowed. “She’s been sick lately. The doctors aren’t sure what’s wrong. We’ve taken a lot of trips to see doctors in Portland, and they’re doing some tests.”
Bryan’s heart contracted. He adored his teacher. As a first-grader, he was slow to catch on to reading. Instead of allowing him to slip behind, Mrs. Perkins spent long afternoons teaching him how to sound out letters. By the end of the year, he had advanced into second grade as a reader.
“I’m so sorry to hear. I’ll take care of the staging. We’ll work it on a commission basis and take the payment from the sale of the cottages.”
“Thank you.” Dennis nodded to him and stood. “I know your Dad would be proud of you.”
Bryan lowered his eyes and fiddled with his pen. He doubted his Dad would be proud of him. He’d become exactly what Dad had always suspected he would—someone who didn’t have a direction or a strong focus but instead floated from low-paying job to low-paying job.
“Of course he’d be proud,” Dennis said, his voice echoing off the empty office walls. “Your Dad always talked about how proud he was of all of you.”
“Of course,” Bryan said. He clenched his jaw and bit back the shame he’d known all his life. Dad hadn’t been proud of him. Unlike his brothers and sister, he’d been a disappointment to his father. He didn’t excel at baseball like Sawyer. He didn’t excel at basketball like Adam. He didn’t like sports at all. Instead, all he wanted to do was play his guitar. His father lectured him on how music would never get him anywhere besides a tavern at the beach. And, Bryan’s chest tightened, his father had been right. He’d tried to make a living as a musician and quickly discovered playing nightly gigs at the beach taverns wouldn’t cover the rent. Seasonal work never paid enough, and most people had to juggle multiple jobs in order to live full time in the small beach communities surrounding Cranberry Bay.
Bryan pushed the painful memories aside. He stood and leaned over the desk to shake Dennis’s hand. “We’ll be in touch soon. Please tell Mrs. Perkins I said hello.”
After Dennis left, the silence in the small office chilled him. He’d never worked well by himself, preferring instead to be surrounded by life and activity. Bryan grabbed his black leather over-the-shoulder bag and shoved a couple of folders inside. He slipped his small laptop computer into the largest compartment of the bag and pulled his jacket from a small nail behind the door. Outside, the air smelled of fires crackling in wood-burning stoves. Bryan made a mental note to make sure Mom had
“You never know how things will work out,” Dennis said. “Mrs. Perkins and I didn’t have our kids until late in life. There’s plenty of time left.”
“Yes, well…” Bryan reached into his desk and pulled out a thick sheaf of papers. Before he could even think about a family, he needed to focus on making an income. “Let me get some information from you. I’ll have the cottages up on the multiple listings by this evening and add a few photos tomorrow.”
Dennis cleared his throat. “Allison thinks the cottages would sell better if they were fixed up a bit. I told her fishing cottages were always popular. But she seemed to think otherwise.”
“Houses do sell better if they are staged.” Bryan twirled his pen between his fingers. “The market isn’t exactly booming in Cranberry Bay and staging them to be vacation cottages would help the sale. They’re sold as a single listing, yes?”
“Yes. All six cottages are one lot.”
“Is the staging something Mrs. Perkins wants to do?”
“No.” Dennis lowered his voice as a shadow crossed his face. “I’m afraid not. She doesn’t want this to get around town, so please don’t say anything.” Dennis swallowed. “She’s been sick lately. The doctors aren’t sure what’s wrong. We’ve taken a lot of trips to see doctors in Portland, and they’re doing some tests.”
Bryan’s heart contracted. He adored his teacher. As a first-grader, he was slow to catch on to reading. Instead of allowing him to slip behind, Mrs. Perkins spent long afternoons teaching him how to sound out letters. By the end of the year, he had advanced into second grade as a reader.
“I’m so sorry to hear. I’ll take care of the staging. We’ll work it on a commission basis and take the payment from the sale of the cottages.”
“Thank you.” Dennis nodded to him and stood. “I know your Dad would be proud of you.”
Bryan lowered his eyes and fiddled with his pen. He doubted his Dad would be proud of him. He’d become exactly what Dad had always suspected he would—someone who didn’t have a direction or a strong focus but instead floated from low-paying job to low-paying job.
“Of course he’d be proud,” Dennis said, his voice echoing off the empty office walls. “Your Dad always talked about how proud he was of all of you.”
“Of course,” Bryan said. He clenched his jaw and bit back the shame he’d known all his life. Dad hadn’t been proud of him. Unlike his brothers and sister, he’d been a disappointment to his father. He didn’t excel at baseball like Sawyer. He didn’t excel at basketball like Adam. He didn’t like sports at all. Instead, all he wanted to do was play his guitar. His father lectured him on how music would never get him anywhere besides a tavern at the beach. And, Bryan’s chest tightened, his father had been right. He’d tried to make a living as a musician and quickly discovered playing nightly gigs at the beach taverns wouldn’t cover the rent. Seasonal work never paid enough, and most people had to juggle multiple jobs in order to live full time in the small beach communities surrounding Cranberry Bay.
Bryan pushed the painful memories aside. He stood and leaned over the desk to shake Dennis’s hand. “We’ll be in touch soon. Please tell Mrs. Perkins I said hello.”
After Dennis left, the silence in the small office chilled him. He’d never worked well by himself, preferring instead to be surrounded by life and activity. Bryan grabbed his black leather over-the-shoulder bag and shoved a couple of folders inside. He slipped his small laptop computer into the largest compartment of the bag and pulled his jacket from a small nail behind the door. Outside, the air smelled of fires crackling in wood-burning stoves. Bryan made a mental note to make sure Mom had
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