She turned to her mom and smiled. “That would be lovely.”
Kathleen tilted her head to the side. “You know, you could go and speak to him.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“If he’s okay, there’s no point worrying about him.”
Her mom had a point. Except Natalie knew he wasn’t okay. But if she asked him what was wrong, she’d have to deal with what he said. And she wasn’t sure if she was ready for that.
“I had a call from our lawyer today.”
“What did she want?”
“Someone is interested in buying the cottage. They’ve approached our neighbors as well.”
“Why would they want…” Natalie frowned. “Don’t tell me they want to build a resort or an apartment complex?”
“Nearly. A retirement village. Our lawyer emailed me the plans. It would have croquet lawns, an indoor pool, restaurants, and an events center.”
“You’re not seriously considering it, are you?”
Kathleen sat beside Natalie. “It’s not only my decision to make. Your grandma and granddad left the cottage to both of us.” She stared across the back yard. “It would be a huge boost for the local economy.”
“But what about all the things that have happened here? The cottage is more than a house, it’s part of who we are.”
“Those memories will still be with us, regardless of where we live. The money they’re offering is four times what we would get on the open market.”
“Money isn’t everything.”
Kathleen nodded. “You’re right. But it does help. I’ll forward the plans to you so that you can see what the developers want to do.” She stood and smiled. “I’ll be back soon with your tea.”
“Mom?”
Kathleen looked over her shoulder.
“Do you want to sell the cottage?”
“I’ll tell you after you’re ready to share your final decision. The lawyer needs an answer by the end of next week.”
Natalie leaned against the wooden post. Why did life have to be so complicated?
“That’s a big sigh.”
Gabe walked toward her. The rings under his eyes weren’t quite so dark, but the frown lines around his mouth and forehead were still there.
“Mom just told me that someone wants to buy the cottage. They want to build a retirement village on our property and our neighbors’.”
Gabe’s eyebrows rose. “How do you feel about that?”
“If it were just me making the decision, I’d say no. But mom and I are joint owners. If she wants to sell, I don’t know what we’ll do.”
“Did you ask her?”
“She’s not going to tell me until I’ve told her my decision.”
“What would you do if you did sell?”
Natalie studied his face. Would Gabe be happy if she wanted to leave or would he be disappointed? “I’d buy another property in Sapphire Bay.”
