Page 29 of Summer Nights

She sat on the cushioned couch, and I sat next to her, placing the glasses on the coffee table.

"This is perfection."

"Can you imagine coming home to this every night?"

Something flashed in her eyes, and I wondered what she was thinking. She had to make great commissions with her record and have a nice stockpile of cash from her successes.

"I can."

I handed her a glass and took one for myself. Lifting it, I said, "To your beach house."

She clinked her glass with mine. "To my beach house."

I smiled before sipping the wine. I preferred beer, but she was my guest, and I wanted her to be comfortable. "Is it weird to be alone without our friends here?"

"I don't get much time for socializing. I hang out with the group occasionally and do other networking events."

"Do you spend a lot of time on Captiva?" I asked her.

"I wish. The properties there are massive."

I leaned back in the chair, pleased to see that she seemed relaxed. "You can't break into the market?"

"Those realtors have been around forever. The families come from old money, and they use the same realtors their parents did."

"You'll get there."

Ivy sighed. "Just one commission from one of those properties would let me start my dream of generational wealth."

That was impressive. "I didn't know that was your aspiration."

"I want to ensure that my family never has to worry about money again. Mom's doomed to repeat her patterns. If I gave her money, it would be gone, or she'd run off with one of her boyfriends, leaving behind my siblings. Then again, maybe that would be a good thing."

"You want custody of your brother and sister?"

Ivy sighed. "I shouldn't have said anything."

I waited for her to continue. I had a feeling this was something she wanted to get off her chest but didn't talk to many people about it.

"I've spoken to a lawyer, and I have all the documents written up for guardianship or custody, depending on the circumstances. I'm ready to move quickly if I must. But I don't anticipate anything changing. I'm trying to help as much as I can from my position as the big sister."

Ivy was a good person. She cared about her family. She wanted a better life, not only for herself but for her siblings. "Is that why you haven't bought a beach house? You want to be prepared in case you become their guardian?"

"Well, under that assumption I should have a bigger place for them to move into."

"Yeah." I hadn't even thought about that aspect.

"I should start looking more seriously. This place is divine."

It wasn't the same when I came home alone and crashed in the bed by myself. There was something infinitely more attractive about having Ivy here on my deck.

"You only wanted me to see your house and share a glass of wine?" Ivy asked.

I glanced over at her. "No expectations, remember?"

She raised a brow. "What if I have a few?"

"I'm a man of my word. I told you I wouldn't make a move on you tonight." I wouldn't make any promises about the future though.

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