Free The Cottage by Danielle Steel Page A

They shared a lot of information like that about their clients.
    “Are you married, Mr. Friedman?” the realtor asked him politely. She wanted to make sure that he didn'thave ten children, but that looked unlikely. And the fact that Coop's own accountant had brought him there meant that he didn't need any intense scrutiny in the screening process, which was simpler for all concerned.
    “I…
uh…no…I'm getting divorced.” It nearly choked him to say it.
    “Do your children live with you?”
    “No, they live in New York.” It broke his heart to say that too. “I'm going to be going back to see them as often as possible. They can only come out here during their vacations. And you know how kids are, they want to stay close to their friends. I'll be lucky if they come out once a year,” he said sadly. But the realtor was relieved, after Liz's warning that Coop wasn't anxious for tenants with children. He was a perfect candidate, a single man, with children who weren't even in the same city, and would hardly ever come to visit. You couldn't ask for better. And he was obviously solvent, if Abe had brought him. And then, as he walked back into the living room, he blurted out, “I'll take it.” Even Abe looked startled, but Mark was beaming, and the realtor was delighted. In the two first days on the market, she had rented both of Coop's properties, and at a very decent price. She thought ten thousand was fair for each of them, and Liz had said Coop would be satisfied if she got that much for them. She hadn't wanted to push any higher. And Mark looked ecstatic. Suddenly, he couldn't wait to get out of the hotel, and move in. The realtor told him he could occupy it within a few days, as soon as the credit check was complete, they got his check, and she gavehim the keys. Liz had told her she wanted to have both facilities professionally cleaned for the tenants, which she mentioned to him.
    “I think I'll move in this weekend,” he said happily, as he and the realtor shook hands on the deal, and he thanked Abe profusely for bringing him to see it.
    “That was a lot easier and more productive than I expected it to be, and faster.” Abe smiled happily as they drove back down the driveway. He had expected him to agonize and have a tougher time making the decision.
    “It's probably the craziest thing I've ever done, but maybe I need to be a little crazy once in a while,” Mark volunteered. He was always so serious and so responsible, so measured in everything he did. He wondered now if that was why he had lost Janet to another man, who was probably more exciting. “Thanks, Abe. I love the place, and I think my kids will too. We're going to get awfully spoiled living here for a year.”
    “It'll do you good for a while,” Abe said compassionately.
    That night Mark called Jessica and Jason in New York, and told them about the guest wing he'd rented from Coop.
    “Who's he?” Jason asked, sounding blank.
    “I think he's some really old guy who was in movies when Dad was a kid,” Jessica explained.
    “That's about right,” Mark said, sounding pleased. “But the main thing is it's a great house, and we have our own wing, on beautiful grounds, with a tennis court and a pool. I think it'll be fun for you two whenyou come out.” All three of them were on the phone at the same time.
    “I miss our old house,” Jason said, sounding glum.
    “I hate my school,” Jessica chimed in. “All the girls are mean, and all the boys are geeks.”
    “Give it time,” Mark said diplomatically. It hadn't been his idea to end the marriage, or move the kids to New York. But he didn't want to say anything critical about their mother. He preferred to keep whatever animosity they felt toward each other between them. It seemed better for the kids. “It takes time to get used to a new school. And I'm going to see you soon.” He was flying to New York for a weekend, in February. They had reservations in Saint Bart's in March for their