“That still doesn’t change the fact that she can’t pay her taxes or her mortgage. That’s what I need her to see.”
“That’s the last thing you need her to see. There’s a psychological aspect to convincing someone to part with their property you need to take into account here. In my experience, people are much more likely to cooperate if the buyer is sympathetic to their plight.”
“I don’t see what difference that will make. It still won’t make over a half-million dollars magically appear in her bank account.”
“If you want this piece of land, you need to act like someone who gives a shit. And you can’t do that by sitting in your office several hundred miles away. You need to be on the front lines. Immerse yourself in her life. Understand why she does what she does. Fair warning, though. You may just have to act like a human being and be friendly. Hold a regular conversation. And if that still doesn’t work, I’ll be back in a little over two weeks to smooth things over.”
“This is becoming much more difficult than I thought it would be,” I groan.
“I thought you loved a challenge,” Daniel throws back at me.
“I’ve never backed down from one before. And I have no intention of backing down from this one, either.”
“Good. Just do me one favor.”
“What’s that?”
“Try to act like less of a grumpy old man around this woman, especially if you want her to like you.”
“Likeme?” I scoff dismissively. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“She’s not going to sell to someone she doesn’t like.”
“Fine,” I grind out through a tight jaw. “I’ll endeavor to be on my best behavior.”
“This ought to be good,” he mumbles. “Keep me posted.”
“Will do.”
After we say our goodbyes, I relax into my chair, trying to ignore the sudden fluttering in my chest. I refuse to consider it has anything to do with the prospect of seeing Parker Holley again, blaming it on an internal arrhythmia instead.
I’d rather admit to having heart issues than actually feel something for another woman.
I learned that lesson the hard way years ago. I refuse to make the same mistake again. Not with millions of dollars on the line. I can’t afford to lose focus now.
And I refuse to lose focus because of a woman as infuriating as Parker Holley.
CHAPTERFOUR
PARKER
“Are you ever going to tell me about the handsome man in a suit from the other day?” Grandma Estelle asks as I wrap garland around one of the columns abutting the archway leading into the formal sitting room of the lobby.
A few guests sit by the fire and take in the transformation this place has made over the past few days. Oversized German glass ornaments hang from the beams of the high ceiling. Poinsettias adorn the coffee table and side tables. To complete the look, mistletoe dangles from every single doorway.
It may be cheesy, but I love this time of year.
So do all the guests who stay here in order to fully immerse themselves in the season.
“There’s nothing to tell,” I insist, keeping my eyes focused on the task at hand, if for no other reason than to push down the blush building on my cheeks from the mere thought of Callum Reed.
Since his visit, I’ve thought about those deep, penetrating eyes, sinful mouth, and unshaven jawline more times than I care to admit.
Just because he wore a suit so well it should be illegal doesn’t matter. Callum Reed is still a prick. An egotistical, pompous, man-splaining prick who thinks all he has to do is show me the numbers on this property and I’ll agree to sell.
Stupid ass.
He probably assumed that just because I’m a woman, I’ll go along with whatever he tells me. Maybe even thank him for making me realize how much money I owe.
