‌ It only took two days after the attic incident for Cal to schedule a meeting with the appraiser. I didn’t have the option to say no, especially when Cal went out of his way to plan it around my school schedule. ‌

Cami promised to stay upstairs in her room and play with her toys, as long as she orders pizza for dinner tonight. It’s a fair price to pay for her cooperation. I’m not prepared for him to ask me questions about the house, especially when there is a risk that my plan will fail.

Doubts about Violet’s idea sink in, eating away at my confidence as I approach the front door.

All you have to do is stop Cal from selling the house.

Easier said than done , responds the antagonistic voice that always speaks at the most inopportune moments.

I throw my shoulders back and open the door. “Hello.”

“Hello. I’m Mr. Thomas,” the older man introduces himself. From the horn-rimmed glasses to the suspenders, I’m not sure where Cal found this man. Based on the striped suit and his pointe shoes in black and white, I suspect it is from the 1920s.

Mr. Thomas pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Are you Mrs. Castillo?”

“That’s me.”

He looks at his clipboard with a raised eyebrow. Is Mr. Kane here?

I haven’t seen him since he disappeared into the attic an hour ago. I have an idea.

I pout. “Actually, Cal can’t make it today, so it would be best if we reschedule.”

“Wow. Okay then. When are you thinking? “Does December work for you?”

Look at the calendar on your phone. “Of this year?” I shake my head. “The next.”

One of Mr. Thomas’s eyebrows raises in question. “I’m still not going to book that far away.”

“A shame then. Then I’ll make sure Cal calls you in a year.

Speaking of the devil, his footsteps echo off the vaulted ceiling as he takes the stairs two at a time. “Ignore her. She’s just joking. He stops in front of Mr. Thomas and offers his hand. “Please call me Cal.” “Nice to finally meet you.” Mr. Thomas gives Cal’s hand a good squeeze. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get started.”

“No problem.” Cal closes the door behind him and gestures toward the double staircase. “Would you like to start up or down?”

“Down works for me.” Mr. Thomas takes a pen from the inside pocket of his suit.

As he writes something on his clipboard, Cal makes sure to lean in and whisper in my ear, “Behave or else.” His sensual voice makes my heart race.

I turn to look at him. “Or else what ?”

“Do not make fun of me”. She tries her best to look intimidating and fails. You’d think that after growing up with a brother like Declan, Cal would have mastered the art of appearing unapproachable by now.

I laugh to myself, which earns another look from Cal.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll go take a quick look on my own.” Mr. Thomas looks at us with a raised eyebrow.

“By all means.” She shot him a tight smile.

Mr. Thomas disappears down a hallway, leaving Cal and me looking down.

He crosses his arms, drawing my eyes to his rolled up sleeves. Her golden forearms have always been a weakness of mine. “What is your problem?”

“It is not obvious? I told you I don’t want to sell the house. “And I told you it’s happening whether you want it or not.”

“We’ll see.” I smile

His eyes drop to my lips, making them tingle with just one look. “What are you planning?”

“Why ruin all the fun by spoiling the surprise?”

“You know how I feel about that.”

“Almost the same thing clowns do. Fascinated.”

I have never been able to throw away the photo I have of Cal crying at the circus. It’s one of the few things that brings me joy on a shitty day, right after Cami’s hugs and fresh baked goods.

“You know me so well,” he responds dryly.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d better go check on dear Mr. Thomas. He would hate for him to get lost somewhere between the conservatory and the hall.

I spin on my heel, only to be stopped by Cal grabbing my elbow. His grip is gentle, though his words come out sharp. “Whatever you are doing has to stop now. It’s just going to prolong the process.”

Now that’s an idea…

His head tilts as his eyes scan my face. “Don’t even try.”

I rock on my heels. “I do not know what you’re talking about”.

He approaches. His scent envelops me like an aromatic hug, making my head swim with pheromones. You are scheming. I can tell by the little sparkle in your eyes. It’s the same one you always got right before urging me to do something I knew I would regret.

“It’s not my fault you couldn’t turn down a challenge.”

That’s what I made you think. She was just miserably trying to impress you, even if it meant risking some broken bones and a criminal record to do it.

My mouth opens. “You…” Any response is lost in the mess of my mind as I try to process Cal’s admission.

Cal curses under his breath. “Forget I said anything.”

Right. As if I had the opportunity to erase the mark that her words left on my heart full of scars.

That’s exactly how you got in trouble the first time.

He disappears down the hallway Mr. Thomas left without giving me another glance.

I take a moment to collect myself before joining Cal and Mr. Thomas on a tour of the property. Instead of focusing on my conversation with Cal, I spend the entire meeting asking the appraiser questions about the house and surrounding land. I try to keep my face neutral and avoid gloomy eyes or furtive smiles. Cal gives me strange looks throughout the entire exchange, most likely because he suspects something is wrong with my interest.

You should have kept your mouth shut. There is no turning back now.

According to the appraiser’s notes, the house has many problems. From the leaky roof to some termite damage in the basement, the property needs a serious overhaul. The only place that seems somewhat decent is the house

of guests, but mainly because it was built only ten years ago.

I always knew the house needed work, but I didn’t realize how much

until now. It could take me my whole life to get to all the problems.

The appraiser scribbles a few more notes on his clipboard before looking at us. “The bottom line is, I doubt you’ll get more than a million for the house.”

Cal shrugs. “That’s more than my grandfather paid for the place when he bought it.”

Looked at him. “There’s no way we’re only going to get a million for that.” “You have serious termite damage, a roof that needs to be completely redone, windows that are fifty years old and desperately need to be replaced, and enough small renovation jobs to keep a general contractor busy for an entire year.”

“How much would it cost to fix all that?” Asked.

I guess two hundred thousand dollars, more or less for the finishes. Prices may vary if you know some contracting people who can give you a good deal.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem. I know some people who would do the job for the cost of supplies if I asked them to.” And they would be willing to drag out the entire process for as long as I wanted, which is a win in my playbook.

Cal’s gaze fixes on the side of my face. “We are not going to remodel the house.”

I turn to face him. “Well, we’re not going to put it on the market for a million when most of the houses around the lake are selling for three times that.”

“Those look like the Ritz compared to this.” “Then we give this one a little facelift.” “With what money?”

I shoot him a look. “Are you pressed for cash all of a sudden?”

He lets out a laugh. “So you expect me to give you the money? Of course.”

The appraiser’s eyes bounce between the two of us as if he were following a tennis match.

“We can split the costs,” I offer. “Where are you going to get that kind of funding?”

“You can deduct it from my profits once we sell the place.” Which never is.

If it were anyone else, I would feel guilty for convincing them of this crazy plan, but this is Callahan Kane. His trust fund is filled with enough money to turn his great-great-grandchildren into minor billionaires one day. Two hundred thousand dollars is nothing to him.

The appraiser shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “In theory, she’s right.” Don’t we love hearing it? “The more she invests in a property, the more justified a higher listing price is. Remodeling a unique home like this would significantly increase the profit margin. Especially since there are a lot of people looking for turnkey holiday homes in the surrounding towns.”

I gesture toward the appraiser. “See?”

Cal rubs his stubbly jaw. “Since when do you care about profits? I thought you didn’t even want to sell the place.

“I’m thinking about the future, Callahan. “I know it’s hard, but try to keep up with me.”

His nostrils flare. “ I’m thinking about the future. It’s just that my version turns out to be realistic.”

“Can we sell the house for more than suggested?” Asked.

Mr. Thomas’s gaze flickers between the two of us. “Technically speaking, yes. Since the house is paid for and there is no mortgage, you can sell it for any price.”

“That’s not a real answer,” Cal complains.

“Just because it’s not the answer you want to hear doesn’t make it any less real.” I put my hands on my hips and stare at him.

Cal ignores me as he turns to the appraiser. “How much increase are we talking about?”

The man flips through the pages attached to his clipboard. “If you fix the obvious problems I found there, then you can possibly get an extra million.”

I shake my head. “I want to sell for three.” The appraiser’s face pales. “Million?”

“Of course. If the next-door neighbor who had less land could sell his property for that price, why not us?”

“Because his house was new and had all the latest technology,” Cal responds to the man standing in front of me, looking at me like I’m lost.

Maybe I have

I look out the window overlooking the serene lake. “We have more land and a better view of the lake. “I’m sure someone will be willing to pay three million for it.”

The appraiser tugs at his tie, loosening the knot as if he were choking him. “Well…it’s your choice to sell the place for whatever price you think is best.”

I lift my chin. “Perfect.”

Cal’s eyes narrow. “You can’t seriously think we’ll find someone to buy this place for that much money.”

“Of course we can. All it takes is finding the right buyer. Isn’t it? I face the appraiser again.

“Technically yes. Although setting the price too high might convert some buyers…

I cut it. “Great. That’s all I needed to hear.”

He readjusts his glasses with a huff. In any other scenario, I wouldn’t be so blunt and rude, but letting him speak out of turn could backfire on me.

Cal rubs his chin. “Now everything makes sense.” Looked at him. “That?”

“All your questions to the appraiser, your insistence on giving the place a facelift, and the reason why you want to price it so high.”

Damn. She discovered me sooner than I expected.