Fortune's Dream House
highlight_author
Nina Crespo
highlight_reads
17.5K
highlight_chapters
22
Chapter One
The Chatelaine Report: No one would have guessed that GreatStore manager Linc Maloney would turn out to be the mastermind behind last month’s epic New Year’s bash at the LC Club on Lake Chatelaine! Now we have learned that his true name is Linc Fortune Maloney and he is a suddenly a very rich man. But what’s his secret? How did Linc come into all this money? And why won’t he share with the rest of us? All kidding aside, we are investigating a lead that suggests Linc may not be the only new millionaire in town...
Eliza Henry entered the corner restaurant near a strip of small shops outside San Antonio. As the door closed, a chilly breeze blew over her, and she hurried into the cozy lobby, grateful for the warmth in the wood-floored space.
After spending the past three days sitting in a hotel conference room downtown, fresh air, sunshine and the less crowded street had lured her out of her car without a coat. While the white blouse, black cardigan, jeans and boots she wore were a great fashion statement, they weren’t a match for the chilly February weather. Still, she’d enjoyed the chance to stretch her legs.
She was looking forward to Sunday brunch with her friend Tess Lawford, but during the short walk to the restaurant, she’d envisioned the fields near her home dotted with mesquite and oak trees covered by an endless canopy of blue sky.
Some viewed Chatelaine as a small dusty town where time stood still. She saw it as a place where potential and progress would meet up someday. And she would be there, welcoming the excitement of change.
Eliza peeked from the lobby into the brightly lit dining area with blue chairs, wood tables, and green plants draping from colorful pots built into the walls. Spotting her auburn-haired friend of over five years seated at a four-top, she returned Tess’s wave and walked in.
The chime of a familiar ringtone brought her to a halt.
Sharon, the office manager for Vale Real Estate Group, knew she was out of town. If she was calling her now, it must be important.
Eliza stepped back into the lobby and answered her phone. As she smoothed her dark, shoulder-length hair behind her ear, her silver-and-turquoise earring grazed her tawny-brown cheek. “Hi, Sharon.”
“Hello, Eliza. Sorry to bother you, but I thought you would want to know, Max Fortune Maloney called to stop the paperwork. He’s decided not to put in an offer for the house on Sandview after all.”
“What? He backed out again?”
A few weeks ago, Max had shown up at the Chatelaine real estate office where she worked as an agent requesting the moon and the stars—a large house with a swimming pool, a basketball court and a horse barn. Not an easy ask considering new homes hadn’t been built in Chatelaine since ranchers had flocked there in the eighties, happy to have large pastures for grazing cattle.
But she’d risen to the challenge and come close to giving him the moon...three times.
First, she’d found him a two-story house with plenty of room to build everything he’d wanted. He’d claimed he was interested in the place, but he didn’t get back to her in time with a bid and someone else had scooped it up. A week after that, Max had made an offer on a sprawling ranch-style home she’d shown him near Lake Chatelaine that had a large, premium stable and acres of land. He’d rescinded it the next day.
But out of all the properties she’d shown him so far, the house on Sandview Road that they’d looked at before she’d left for the conference had come the closest to his dream home. It wasn’t officially on the market yet, and she had called in a favor for them to see the place before anyone else.
The property didn’t have a horse barn, but it did have a pool and his unicorn-level requirement—a full-size basketball court. The owners had built it for their son who’d been a high school basketball star destined for bigger athletic opportunities in college.
As Eliza recalled the way Max’s blue eyes had lit up when he’d walked into the air-conditioned, indoor court, confusion pushed out a breath. “Did he say why he changed his mind?”
“Not really. He just said he needed to take a pass.”
“Well, I guess that’s it, then. Thanks for the update.”
“No problem. Sorry I didn’t have better news. When you get a chance, check your schedule. I just added meetings with prospective buyers tomorrow morning and afternoon. And the open house on Fox Creek Trail has been moved to Tuesday. You had that one down as a possibility for Max along with other places near that area. Would you like for me to see if he’s free that day?”
“No. I’ve decided not to take him to that open house after all. I don’t think that property will suit his needs. I’ll contact him myself about setting up a time to view other houses.”
“Okay. If anything else changes, I’ll update your schedule. And Eliza...about Max. He really did sound disappointed about declining to put an offer on the house.”
“That’s good to know. Thanks, Sharon. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Eliza put her phone away.
She appreciated Sharon’s take on Max’s situation, but his behavior was bizarre. Take a pass? What did that mean? The other times Max had walked away from an offer, she’d empathized with him and given him the benefit of the doubt. It wasn’t uncommon for first-time home buyers to feel enthusiastic while viewing a house only to have second thoughts about it later. But now, his indecision was creeping toward the dreaded level of a difficult client.
Maybe he wasn’t ready for home ownership. If that was the issue, she was fine with that. She just needed him to be clear about his intentions.
Dismissing the frustrating news, Eliza switched her focus to having some much-needed girl-time with her friend.
Inside the dining room, Tess stood as she reached the table. She was dressed in a camel-colored pantsuit, and the nude stiletto-heel pumps Tess wore added at least another three inches to her runway model height.
Tess beamed a huge smile and a hint of rosiness flushed in her cheeks. “Hey you.” She came in for a hug.
“Hi.” Eliza returned her friend’s tight embrace.
After hanging her purse on the back of the chair, Eliza sat down and spread the cloth napkin folded in front of her on her lap. “Sorry I kept you waiting. I got a call from the office.”
“No need to apologize. I’m just glad we were able to do this. A year is way too long for us not to get together in person.”
“I know. Phone calls just aren’t the same. I missed seeing you at the conference.”
“I tried to pop in, but my schedule was insane. At least my new people got a chance to attend.”
Two years ago, Tess had gone out on her own as a Realtor. She’d established herself in San Antonio and was now leading a team.
“How many agents are working for you?”
“Five, but I’m hiring more. New subdivisions and developments are going up, and I want us to be prepared to handle the expansion.”
“That sounds exciting.”
“It is.”
They paused as a dark-haired server poured coffee, dropped off a basket of warm mini sweet rolls and pastries, and assured them she’d return to take their orders.
Tess snagged a Danish. “What about you? Things must be jumping in Chatelaine if you’re receiving calls from the office on a Sunday.”
“Jumping?” Eliza laughed. “No, not quite. And that call I just received wasn’t good news. One of my clients backed out on making an offer on a house. Again.”
“Again? How many times have they done it?”
“This makes three.” Eliza put a glazed cinnamon roll on her plate. “Every time he expressed interest in a home, he seemed serious about it. I honestly don’t know why he keeps changing his mind.”
“Is there a significant other pulling the strings?”
“He’s single. And there’s no significant other that I know of.”
“Is he cute?”
As Eliza sucked a drop of glaze from her thumb, a vision of blond-haired, blue-eyed Max came into her mind. He usually dressed business casual. But with his athletic build, he had the type of appealing, rugged good looks that had her wanting to trek through the great outdoors with him.
A close-fitting jacket, jeans and hiking boots. She could definitely see him out of his work clothes and wearing that ensemble. Wait. She shouldn’t be picturing him in or out of his clothes. They had a business relationship, that was it.
Tess smirked. “You don’t need to answer my question. The fact that you’re almost drooling says everything.”
Eliza dabbed the corner of her mouth with her napkin as warmth crept into her face. “If I am almost drooling, it’s because of how good this roll is. And so what if he’s cute?”
“Because the hotter they are, the more trouble they cause. This one client I had—I swear he thought his face was a form of currency.”
Eliza released a breezy chuckle. “Oh, I know the type.”
But Max wasn’t aloof or full of himself. He had an ease and confidence about him that was genuine. And so was his laughter. Just before it rumbled out of his chest, amusement would bloom in his eyes.
“If he’s unattached, the problem could be financial then. He might need to scale down his expectations to fit his bank account.”
Actually, Max was financially solid. Or at least he should have been. The Maloney brothers had inherited money from a relative. A Fortune relative. If the rumors were true about the amount of the estate, it had a lot of zeroes at the end of it.
His brother Linc had received the money. Everyone was wondering which brother would be next to inherit their share.
Eliza held back on telling Tess the inside scoop. Dishing up gossip wasn’t her style. “He’s an accountant, and he also does financial planning so I don’t believe lack of money is the issue. Maybe he’s not ready to buy a house. He’s just in his early thirties. Home ownership is a huge investment. You know how that can freak some people out.”
“You’re being too generous. How old were you when you bought your first home here in San Antonio three years ago? Twenty-three?”
“Twenty-four. But because I worked in real estate, I understood the risks. And you were guiding me through the process all the way.” With five more years of life experience under her stilettos than Eliza, Tess had taken her under her wing.
The vision of the back deck at her old home, shaded under a canopy of trees and surrounded by flowering bushes, came into Eliza’s thoughts. That had been her favorite place in the house. It had been the perfect spot to enjoy coffee in the morning and entertain friends on a rare free weekend.
She and Tess had also spent plenty of hours there drinking glasses of wine. They’d commiserated over their busy schedules, and their latest swipe-right dates that hadn’t worked out. And they’d also found reasons to laugh.
Three years ago, she’d sold the house and moved back to Chatelaine. Selling the home she’d loved and stretching her and Tess’s sisterlike bond to a long-distance friendship had been hard. But her dad had been sick, and her parents had needed her. Family always came first.
“Whatever the reason is for him backing out, I know it’s frustrating. Especially since there probably aren’t a whole lot of properties to choose from in Chatelaine.”
“Exactly.”
“The two things we aren’t worried about here in San Antonio are inventory and clients.”
Eliza nibbled on her roll. Appreciation for the flavors of cinnamon and orange bursting in her mouth as well as envy over Tess’s situation brought out a moan. “That sounds like real estate nirvana.”
“You could be enjoying nirvana along with me.” Tess gave Eliza a prolonged stare. “In case you missed it, that was a job offer.”
Caught off guard, Eliza rearranged the napkin on her lap as she grappled with a response. “I’m flattered...and surprised.”
“You shouldn’t be. You’re tenacious and a problem solver, which are qualities I want in my team members. And with your past experience working in San Antonio, I know you’re more than capable of swimming in a bigger pond.”
“I’m doing well in Chatelaine. I appreciate the offer, but—”
Tess briefly laid her hand on Eliza’s. “Before you say no, hear me out. I have prospects waiting to buy property, and you have the skills to close the deals. Bottom line, there’s money to be made. Why settle for just doing well when you could level up to really great? I’m finishing interviews for my team positions in three or four weeks. I don’t need an answer until then. Will you just think about it?”
The sincerity in Tess’s eyes stalled Eliza from turning her down. Agreeing to think about it wasn’t a commitment. “All right. I will.”
Eliza sipped her coffee. More money wasn’t everything. She was content with her position and being close to family. Why would she leave Chatelaine?
