“Fine if you're making them for yourself. Otherwise, don't bother.” Marlowe wasn't used to someone else cooking for her. But on this cold morning, it sure felt good.
“Glad to have you back. The place felt empty after you girls left,” her aunt told her, cracking eggs into the iron frying pan.
“I’ll admit that coming home to my own place felt different.” Marlowe was still turning that over in her head. She slid into one of the chairs around their circular wooden table.
“What do you mean? Different how?”
Leaning back, Marlowe stretched out her long legs. “When I bought that condo a few years back, it was my dream home. I thought I'd be there forever.”
Her aunt laughed and flipped the eggs. “That's ridiculous. You're way too young to be settling into someplace forever.”
Marlowe thought she knew where her aunt was going with that comment. “You mean as a single, right? But maybe marriage won't happen for me.”
“Are you trying to tell me something?” After scooping the eggs from the pan, Aunt Cate added slices of tomato and buttered toast to their plates before sliding them onto the table.
“No, I just don't have an answer. And thank you. This looks wonderful.” Since she lived alone, having someone cook for her was a treat. Marlowe reached for the salt and pepper as her aunt sat down, rolling back the sleeves of her kimono. Although Aunt Cate was growing older, she was still attractive, even without makeup.
“In all the years since college, hasn't there been anyone you cared about?”
“No, not really. No one who was available anyway.”
“You're still thinking of relocating here, right?” Her aunt darted her a nervous glance. “Maybe that's what you're thinking about. It might be hard to give up your condo.”
“You know what? I think it's time to move on from the condo. One of the properties I sold recently in that historic part of Naples was the cutest cottage you'd ever want to see. It would have been perfect for me a few years ago.”
“And now?...” Her aunt spooned orange marmalade onto her toast.
“I wasn’t even tempted. Good thing because a woman I work with went crazy over that house. She quickly put her condo on the market, and I’m handling it. She couldn’t wait to have thatdarling house with the garden and pool in the back. Shari’s single and very independent, but I don't want to be her in twenty years.”
“You won't be, dear.” Her aunt bit into her toast, and Marlowe did the same. For a couple of minutes they both munched contentedly. But her aunt’s mind must have been working the entire time. “Did you ever concentrate on finding the right man? Apply the same dedication you use in your work with online dating apps, that kind of thing?”
“Guess I never had time. My career came first.” That was putting it mildly. Realtors didn't have a day off, not if they wanted to succeed. “I'll probably do the same thing here to ramp up my business. Tomorrow I have an appointment with Gabby, the woman I met on the plane. She and her husband sell properties in the Petoskey area. I think the name was Bay Harbor.”
Her aunt’s eyes lit up. “I've driven over there. Looks very luxurious. And in the summer I'm sure it's very sought after. Did you say tomorrow afternoon?”
“Right. Noon or something like that.”
“The contractor is coming with some drawings in the late morning. I hope you can meet him.”
“I can't wait to see some of his ideas.” Marlowe paused.
“Oh, I think you'll like him.”
Marlowe had been lifting her coffee mug to her lips, but something in her aunt’s voice made her choke. Coffee shot up her nose. Grabbing a napkin she dabbed at it. “What are you talking about? I want to see the sketches and you seem to be talking about the man.” Her aunt could be such a minx.
“You'll see when he shows up.” Her aunt looked very mysterious, and Marlowe dug in her heels. She had a lot on her plate and didn’t want her aunt complicating things with any matchmaking.
“Aunt Cate, I'm not desperate. Let's not be making plans for me, okay?” Marlowe had enough on her mind. “If you want to do some matchmaking, concentrate on Sam. I think she has a date with Josh.”
“I know. Dinner at his house. That sounds serious, doesn't it? Can we expect some kind of a romantic announcement?” Aunt Cate batted her eyes.
Sam would throw a fit if she heard this. “Since their reunion was only a few weeks ago, I doubt if Josh is going to drop to one knee with a ring,” Marlowe said dryly.
“I don't know about that. Not the way that man looks at her.”
Her aunt had a point. Marlowe had been with the two of them. The way Josh had tended her sister’s sprained ankle was straight from a romcom movie. “That could very well be. But I think she's still getting over her divorce. She might need some time.”
Springing up, Aunt Cate swished over to the ancient refrigerator and took out more gingerbread creamer for her coffee.
