Ginny let her breath out. It was just south of full ask. And it was the first offer after mere days on the market. Candace would take it, she was sure. Her parents were going to flip. She cleared her throat, willing her tone to remain professional. “Very good. I will share this with my client and get back to you.”
“One more thing. It’s a twenty-four-hour turnaround.”
Ginny glanced at her watch. “No problem. You’ll hear from us by then.”
As soon as she hung up, she spun around in her towel and shrieked. Birds from a nearby maple took off. She called Candace first.
“Are you free to discuss this?” Candace asked. She didn’t mean over the phone.
Ginny began gathering her clothes from the deck and hurried inside. “I can be there in half an hour.”
Ginny didn’t know if Geoffrey Banks had other clients besides Candace, though she suspected he did. But there he was again, sitting in the home office next to her. He stood when he saw Ginny.
“Ginny. I hear you have good news!” He smiled and shook her hand.
Candace’s greeting was cool. “Let’s take a look at it,” she said, gesturing to the wing chair across from her.
Ginny shared copies of the offer and walked them through it. “It’s a solid offer. Twenty percent down in cash, thirty-day standard closing. But if permits come through before then, he can close as soon as two weeks.”
Geoffrey nodded approvingly, pointing out certain clauses to Candace as they ran through it.
“What about other offers?” Candace asked.
Ginny was dumbstruck. They had almost full asking price in under a week on the market. Hadn’t Candace said she wanted this deal done quickly? “Well, I have another developer lined up for tomorrow afternoon. That is, if you don’t want to accept this offer. It’s a twenty-four-hour-only.”
“Is the other developer available sooner? Perhaps you should check.”
Geoffrey shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Candace, you have that option, of course. But I would caution against it. This is an excellent offer and in good time. Is there something about it you object to?”
Ginny could feel her nostrils flare, something she’d done when stressed or upset when she was in second grade. Her mother used to tell her to stop it. She couldn’t remember the last time it had happened. She rubbed her nose now, then caught herself. “I can reply to Mr. Dunham with changes, if you’ve any in mind?”
Candace shrugged. “Well, if this offer is this good and this soon, why isn’t there reason to think there will be better?” She turned to Ginny. “Surely you’ve handled a bidding war before?”
Ginny exchanged a look with Geoffrey. “I have, yes. A few resulted in over-offer asks. But others resulted in my buyer accepting a higher offer with more risk, and that resulted in the deal falling apart. Unfortunately, by then the remaining bidders were turned off or had found other properties. I’m not sure you want to risk that, given the time sensitivity of your situation.”
They were the magic words. Candace sat up straighter. “Very well. As long as Geoffrey thinks these contingencies are standard and acceptable.”
If Ginny wasn’t mistaken, a flash of concern flickered across his face. But he recovered quickly. “Why don’t I review this with Candace, and we can get back to you later this afternoon. Let’s say three o’clock?”
Ginny sensed a shift in the room; clearly they wanted to discuss this alone. She stood up. “I’ll have my cell phone on, whenever you’re ready.”
Candace nodded. “I’ll walk you out.”
“No bother, I’ll leave you two to discuss things. Thank you for meeting on such short notice.” Ginny gathered her files and stuffed them in her leather bag, feeling the slightest unease. She’d been fully expecting them to sign the offer to purchase right there. No matter. It was a big deal, after all. And she wouldn’t rush them.
Outside, the sun was high and hot, and she shielded her eyes as she walked to the car. Two little voices caught her attention. Down the yard, under a big tree, sat Julia and her little sister. “Hello!” Ginny called, waving.
Julia recognized her and smiled. “Oh, hi. This is my sister, Pippa.”
“Hello, Pippa!”
Pippa came right over. She was holding flowers in her hand.
“What’s that?” Ginny asked, kneeling. If Julia was beautiful, her little sister was a smaller version. Same gold-spun hair and blue eyes but cute as a sprite.
Pippa smiled shyly. “A daisy chain.” She stared at Ginny. “You’re pretty.”
“Oh!” Ginny laughed. “Well, thank you. You’re creative. May I?”
