The real estate broker held out his hand. Walt Murphy. What can I do for you?
Nothing, Celia said. Mr. Quinn doesnt need your help anymore. She cleared her throat. As I was saying, Mr. Quinn, I have a lovely little spot that I might be interested in leasing. To the right person.
Since when do you have land to lease, Miss Celia? Walt asked.
Never you mind. She gave Jamie a coy smile. Come along, Mr. Quinn, we have business to discuss. She handed the package of glue to Walt. Walter, say hello to your mother for me. And get yourself a haircut!
Miss Celia, I seem to recall that your property is held in a trust. You arent authorized to lease it to a third party, Walt said. Maybe Mr. Quinn should talk to your granddaughter before you make any decisions. Miss Regan knows best.
Dont be ridiculous, Celia said. I can make these decisions on my own. I dont need Regans help. And I do have property of my own. I have Maple Point.
Walt frowned. Youd consider selling the point? But I thought youd
Walt, you know theres no decent property left on the lake. Unless you were going to try to sell that raggedy little piece of swampland that you own over on the western shore. Celia turned to Jamie. Why dont we go look at my property?
All right, Jamie said.
As they started toward the door, Walt grabbed Jamies arm. Everyone around town loves Miss Celia. We look out for each other here in Pickett Lake. If you do anything to hurt her, if you take advantage of her, the whole town will kick your ass.
I appreciate the warning, Jamie said. I have a grandmother who I care very much for and if it were her, I would have the same concerns as you do.
Though his grandmother had appeared in their lives too late to save them from most of their troubles, she had provided a steadying influence to Jamie, as the youngest in the family, during his high school years.
Well, good, Im glad we got that cleared up, Walt said.
Jamie followed Celia out to the street. She withdrew a pair of leather gloves from her pocket, then pointed to a pale yellow Mercedes parked down the street. Tell me, Mr. Quinn, what do you intend to build on my land? A nice little summer cottage for your wife and children?
Jamie chuckled. No, he said. I dont have a wife. Or children.
Really? She smiled. Im surprised. Why is that? You seem like a very nice man. Handsome. Successful.
How do you know that?
Youre dressed well. And youre interested in my property, which wont come cheap.
Im planning to build a model home, a modular design that my company produces. Well use the home for photos and to show investors. And when we dont need it any longer, in three or four years, well take it down and return the land to its original state.
I could lease you the land, she said. But what if I wanted to keep the cottage? Maybe you could just leave it where it was?
Youre a very shrewd woman, Miss Celia.
I am.
Jamie helped her into her car, then jogged across the street to his pickup. He made a U-turn and tucked his truck in behind the Mercedes, following her down the main street and along to Shore Road, where they maintained a lazy pace through the tight curves that cut through the thick woods.
He recognized the route. It had been the same path hed taken that morning on his jog. His mind flashed back to his encounter with the brash but beautiful photographer.
Hed meant to ask about her around town, see if anyone knew who she was. But until now, he hadnt been sure hed be staying in Pickett Lake. The resort community was quite close to Minneapolis, which made it an ideal location to build the model quickly. But it was also a small town, and hed been aware that the chances of finding available and affordable land he could lease would be small. Running into Celia had been a godsend. And if he did secure a piece of property here, maybe he could get to know the intriguing photographer.
He remembered that she was beautiful, and that the color of her eyes had been mesmerizinga deep, emerald green. And her voice had been soft and melodic, as if she could persuade anyone she met to do her bidding.
Even now, he could imagine that voice, teasing at his ear, saying his name, convincing him to let down his guard, to surrender to his
Jamie stopped himself. This was crazy. He hadnt asked the womans name because hed thought he was leaving town. Besides, he was the kind of guy who didnt like to be tied down. He made it a point to avoid messy romances. He preferred women who wanted nothing more than a night or two of physical pleasure with long intervals between. But this woman was far too beautiful to settle for no-strings sex. He could imagine that she had men hanging on her every word, men lining up to date her. Men ready to pledge their lives to her.
Hell, she was probably married. Or involved. Why hadnt he lingered a bit longer and introduced himself?
The brake lights on the old Mercedes flashed and Celia quickly slowed the car and pulled it into a narrow paved driveway, not far from where hed met the photographer. Maybe Celia knew who she was. Jamie made a mental note to ask her just as soon as it wouldnt seem strange.
The house, or more accurately, the lodge, was made of logs and set in a wide clearing that overlooked the lake. Though he knew there were neighbors around, the trees were so thick that it gave the illusion of complete solitude and privacy.
Celia pulled to a stop in the wide circle drive, then elegantly stepped from the car, smoothing her hands over her hair. Jamie had noticed her air of wealth in the hardware store, but after seeing her house, it was clear that Celia didnt need the income from her land to be financially secure.
Jamie hopped out of the truck and strolled over to stand next to her. This is quite a place, he said.
My late husband, Kenneth, built it so we could have the whole family here during the summers, she explained. But everyone has gone off in different directions, and my husband passed two years ago. The only time the house is full is at Thanksgiving, Christmas and on my birthday in July.
How many children do you have? Jamie asked.
I have five children and seventeen grandchildren, Celia said. Lets walk out to the point first, and Ill show you the land.
They walked around the house to a wide stone terrace that offered a picturesque view of the lake. A second-story deck surrounded the back of the house and stairs led up to a wall of windows. This is beautiful, Jamie said. Like paradise.
I used to think so. Now its just a big, empty house filled with memories.
Jamie pointed to a small building close to the lake. Is that a boathouse?
No, thats a guest cabin. It was on the property when we bought it. My husband and I lived there while we were building the lodge.
I need a place to stay while Im building the model, he said. Would you consider renting the cabin?
I suppose I could. The furnace isnt working and the plumbing is turned off. But I could probably get it ready. When would you want to move in?
Well, I have to get the permits to start building, and that could take a few weeks. But I have to finish before the end of October, or the weather is going to get bad and our investors might get antsy. So Id probably be back in mid-October? He laughed. But I havent even seen the point yet. Maybe we should start with that.
Well, I have to get the permits to start building, and that could take a few weeks. But I have to finish before the end of October, or the weather is going to get bad and our investors might get antsy. So Id probably be back in mid-October? He laughed. But I havent even seen the point yet. Maybe we should start with that.
As they walked along the lakeshore, Jamie explained the goals of his company, the need for simple ways to provide housing for the homeless and how lake cottages would help fund their altruistic aims.
Celia listened intently, asking questions along the way. As he explained, her enthusiasm for the project seemed to grow.
Once they arrived at the point, Jamie could tell it would be perfect. Now all they needed to do was come to terms and hope her family didnt object.
2
REGAN FUSSED WITH the folds of the pretty crocheted baby blanket, then stepped back to check the composition of the photo.
A local family had booked her new baby package and shed spent the afternoon shooting the young couple and their infant daughter. Theyd begun outdoors among the bright colors of fall, and now she was finishing up with mother and baby relaxing in a rocking chair in the nursery.
There, she whispered. Now, just turn your head slightly and look out the window.
Regan focused on the sleeping baby, her gaze taking in the precious details of the little girls featuresthe long lashes, the tiny nose, the Cupids bow lips. She swallowed hard as the usual flood of emotion hit her. It always did in moments like these, whenever she was shooting a baby.
After Jake, shed given up her dreams of a fairy-tale marriage. And she was content with the decision. She couldnt imagine ever allowing herself to be that vulnerable again. But along with giving up on marriage, shed also given up on children of her own in the near future. And occasionally that still stung.
Someday, if she still wanted a baby, shed have one. She didnt need a husband, though she would have to find someone to donate the genetic material. But how hard could that be?
As she peered through the camera, her mind drifted back to the man shed met on the road a few weeks ago. Whenever she had a spare moment, she couldnt help but think about him. Hed been just about the most exciting thing to happen in her life in the past year.
Shed asked around town, a few discreet questions here and there, but no one had heard of any strangers staying in town. Shed thought he might be the new owner of the Hamill cottage, about a quarter mile down the road from her grandmothers. The place had sold recently and hed come from that direction. Her grandmother would have known the man if hed been her new neighbor. She made it a point to acquaint herself with everyone who lived in Pickett Lake.
But it was sometimes best for Regan to keep her personal life to herself. Ceci had a tendency to become too invested in whomever she saw as potential husband material for Regan. The moment Regan showed interest in a man, her grandmother began preparing the guest list for the wedding. No matter how many times shed explained that she wasnt planning on ever getting engaged again, Ceci tried to convince her to give love just one more chance.
She snapped off a few more shots of the mother and child, then moved to a new angle, clicking the shutter until she was satisfied she had what she needed. Were done, Regan said. as she placed the lens cap back on her camera.
Amy Farrell slowly stood, taking care not to wake her baby. Wont you please give me a peek?
Regan shook her head, moving around the nursery and searching for items that would make good still-life shots. No. I never let anyone look. Its why you hired me. I find the best shots and Ill make them beautiful. I promise you wont be disappointed.
Amy smiled. All right. Well, thank you. And call me when theyre ready. We want to pick one for our Christmas card.
Amy wandered out of the nursery, her daughter still asleep in her arms, and Regan packed up her things. As she hauled her gear out to her car, she pulled her phone from her jacket pocket.
Her grandmother had called twice over the last few days to invite Regan to dinner. Shed texted her grandmother that she was too busy editing recent wedding shoots, but would come just as soon as she had a free evening.
Though she had a small apartment above her storefront in town, Regan spent about a third of her nights at her grandmothers. She knew how lonely Ceci got and how much she enjoyed cooking for her, so whenever she had a break from work, shed make the short drive to the lodge.
Regan usually tried to have dinner with her grandmother at least twice a week, but with her fall wedding schedule and a trip to New York a couple weeks ago for an industry show, it had been nearly three weeks. When she got inside her car, she dialed her grandmothers number.
She had a few days before she needed to go through the photos from the baby shoot. And the wedding shed been scheduled to photograph on the weekend had been canceled last month.
Cecis voice mail picked up and Regan waited to speak.
Hi, Nana, its Regan. I just wanted to say that Im finally free for dinner tonight. I just have to make a quick stop at the hardware store to pick up batteries for my camera and then Ill be right over. Call me back if you need anything from the store and I can grab it. See you soon. Love you.
Regan turned the car in the direction of the hardware store. She was cutting it close; Walt Murphy closed his doors at exactly 5:00 p.m. and she had three minutes to get the special batteries he carried for her equipment.
She pulled up in front of the store just as he was coming out. Thank God youre still open, she cried.
Walt chuckled and pointed to the door hed just closed. Well be open at eight tomorrow morning.
I just need a few of those cadmium batteries. They dont carry them at the grocery store and I wanted to get some sunrise shots tomorrow for the fire department calendar.
Well, as a volunteer fireman, I suppose Ill have to make an exception. Walt reopened the door. Im glad you stopped by. I wanted to talk to you about your grandmother.
My grandmother?
Yes, Walt said, holding the door open for her. She was in the store a few weeks ago and she happened to meet this stranger named Quinn. Hed stopped by to see me, looking for a piece of land to build on. Next thing I know, shes offering him Maple Point.
Regan gasped. Our Maple Point?
Yep. I figured she cant go leasing or selling land thats in a trust, but then I found out that piece of land belongs to her. She bought it herself way back when. I was gonna call you, but then I figured it wasnt my place to butt into family business.
Regan grabbed the batteries shed come for and handed Walt enough money to cover the bill. Thanks for telling me. I appreciate it.
If she wants to sell Maple Point, I know I can get her top dollar if shell let me list it.
She wont be selling that land, she assured him.
Regan cursed beneath her breath. Since her grandfather had died, two years ago, her grandmother had been at loose ends. The family had urged Celia to sell the lodge and buy something smaller, but Celia had insisted on keeping it for the family, hoping to recreate those perfect summers of the past, the house packed full of three generations of the Macintosh family.