fell open as realization dawned in her eyes.
“Is this about...?” Val made circles with her hands, as if she were indicating something that was too big to put into words.
“I think so,” Maddie said. “I hope so. I guess I’ll find out in about—” She glanced at the time again. “Four minutes.”
Maddie stood and gathered her leather folio and her lucky Montblanc fountain pen. It had been a gift from her father when he’d promoted her to vice president.
“I’m sorry I can’t talk right now. Unless it’s super quick and you want to walk and talk. Or we could meet later?”
“Oh, my gosh, don’t you worry one bit.” Val reached out and gave Maddie’s arm a little squeeze. “My questions can wait. This is much more important. This...” She made the all-encompassing hand circles again. “This is our future. Fortunado Real Estate’s future. And I am thrilled that I know about your promotion before anyone else.”
Maddie shrugged. “It isn’t official just yet.”
“We all know it’s coming.” Valene pulled Maddie into a hug. “Okay, chief. Go in there and show him who’s boss.”
Val let go and grimaced, shaking her head as if trying to erase the words. “Well, you probably don’t need to show Dad you’re the boss. He already knows. Oh, you know what I mean.”
Sweet Val. She was young and a little naive, but her heart was in the right place and she had such good instincts. It would be a great morale booster for her if Maddie could find some way to reward her—maybe a token promotion—after things settled down. Maddie filed that thought away to revisit soon. Right now, she had a meeting to attend.
She and Val chatted as they walked down the office’s main hall toward the formidable double doors at the end of the passageway.
“The long and short of it is the McKinneys and I are wrangling on the listing price for their house,” Val said. “They think we should ask $200,000 more than what I’m recommending for the property.”
“Did you base the price on comps in the area?” Maddie asked.
Valene shrugged. “Really, there’s nothing quite like it in the neighborhood. That’s why I need your advice. They say their home is special—”
“Everyone thinks their home is special,” Maddie said. “And I’m sure it is, to them. But at that price, we’re edging close to $185 per square foot. It would be a record for that neighborhood.”
By that time, they’d reached their dad’s office and his assistant spoke before Val could. “Your father is expecting you, Ms. Fortunado. Please go in when you’re ready.”
“Thank you, Rae,” Maddie said and turned her attention back to Val. “I’m sure they don’t want to price themselves out of the market. I’ll stop by your desk after I’m finished and we can figure it out. But I need to go. I don’t want to be late.”
She hated to leave Valene hanging, but of all people, Val knew it wasn’t a good idea to keep their father waiting. Especially not today. Besides, this was a good exercise for Val. If she was going to succeed, and Maddie had all the confidence in the world that she would, her sister needed to learn how to steer the client toward a reasonable listing price. It took practice, but she’d get the hang of it.
“No, you certainly don’t want to keep him waiting.” Val said the words with a lilting songlike quality. “Not today. Not for this meeting. Good luck.”
Maddie breathed through a hitch of anticipation that had become almost Pavlovian since her father had allowed himself to introduce the R word into his vocabulary.
Retirement.
He’d committed to it yesterday when he’d made the big announcement. Now he was about to seal the deal by putting the rest of the plan in place.
Lately, her parents had been talking about spending more time together. They wanted to travel; her father had been promising he would cut his hours. But even after the barbecue, when he hadn’t named Maddie as his successor, she wondered if he’d really go through with it. Something felt a little off. One step at a time, she’d reminded herself last night as she’d tossed and turned while reliving the announcement.
She’d never seen her mother as serious as she’d been when she’d said the cruise around the world would sail with or without him. Barbara didn’t draw lines in the sand very often, but when she did, she didn’t play. That boat was leaving on June 4, and she would be on it with or without him.
Barbara Fortunado was possibly the only thing Kenneth loved more than Fortunado Real Estate. Sure, he loved his kids, but he’d go insane if his wife was away for four months. Still, he was an all-or-nothing man. There would be no semiretirement for him. There was no way he could stay away from the office that long without making a clean break.
Even if he had sealed the deal on his retirement yesterday, this meeting made the slim chance that he might change his mind seem less likely.
“Are you free for lunch?” Val asked. “We could talk about it then.”
Maddie glanced at her watch. It was edging on 11:00. Even if Rae hadn’t specifically mentioned lunch when she’d called about the meeting, she’d said clear your schedule.
“I’m not sure, Val. You know how Dad is. He may just want to meet, but he may want to go to lunch afterward.”
To celebrate.
Her stomach did a triple gainer at the thought.
Finally.
She would insist they get a bottle of champagne. The very best vintage in the cellar. And when he reminded her it was the middle of the day, that they had work to do, she would put her hand on his arm and tell him that he had earned this champagne. It was as much to celebrate his life-changing decision as to celebrate her promotion.
She’d pick up the tab. It would be symbolic of his passing the mantle.
“I don’t have anything scheduled this afternoon,” Val said. “Let me know when you’re free. I’d really like to get back to the McKinneys before the end of the day.”
“Of course. Of course.” Maddie smiled her most benevolent smile. “I’ll see you as soon as I’m free.”
After all, Val was Maddie’s protégé. Just as their father had trained her, it was up to her to pay it forward and teach Valene everything she knew about the Houston real estate market. Since they were so close in age, it was unlikely that Val would ever head up Fortunado. After all, the company only had room for one president. But Maddie would make sure that Val’s hard work was rewarded.
Once Val got more experience, maybe Maddie could make her a vice president? Or CFO?
Val nodded. “Sounds good. Thanks, Maddie. Good luck.” She mouthed the words and congratulations.
As Maddie turned, she smiled at Rae and walked toward her father’s office. All the hard work she’d poured into her job was about to pay off. All the long days and weekends dedicated to business rather than dating
