Page 10 of An Engagement for Erica

“It should go to you,” his mother said. “I know you don’t want to live there.”

“Nope,” he said of his childhood home. Too many horrible memories of low self-esteem, fights between his parents, and his father falling down drunk and screaming at him as if he’d caused it.

The place could burn for all he cared.

Shit, he might even light the match if it’d burn his memories.

“But you received everything else as your father’s only heir. That means half the house.”

“No,” he said.

“Tucker, do you think I want it any more than you? No, I don’t. But if you put it in my account, I’m going to just give you half of it. Save yourself the headache and take it all or split it. Try to compromise for once in your life.”

He growled and turned his back on the computer screen to toss his chicken and vegetables into the pan before he shut the burner off.

He thought he was pretty good at compromising in life.

Why else would he have picked up what he thought was a damn good career and life to come back to this small area knowing everyone was going to look at him and think he’d be just like his father?

He turned back to look at his mother.

“I’ll split it, but it's the best I’ll do.”

“Good,” his mother said. “Take it and buy yourself a place. Don’t live in that apartment much longer.”

He laughed. “It was the quickest place I could find.”

The thousand square feet was bigger than his last place. Almost double, but in terms of style and quality, not even close.

Tucker needed a place to live and it wasn’t going to be with his grandfather.

“But you need something better and nicer than that,” his mother said. “Or you’re going to regret even more having to move back.”

He put his food on a plate and sat at the table. His mother and her live-in boyfriend of ten years probably ate hours ago, but he didn’t get home until after seven. Eating close to eight had become his norm.

At least it was still daylight out, being mid-August, but that would start to change. It felt like he never got any daylight when he was outside.

“I put an offer in on a house,” he said.

“You did?” his mother said excitedly. “Why didn’t you lead with that?”

“Because you asked me how today went,” he said. “I put the offer in yesterday. They have forty-eight hours to counter or accept. It’s been over twenty-four so I’m not holding my breath at this point.”

He put in a full-price offer, no contingency. He had no idea why they wouldn’t jump on it unless they were holding out for a higher offer or a bidding war.

He wasn’t begging anyone for anything. He’d walk away if they were greedy. He was paying cash because his grandfather opened up his trust last year and he was going to use some of it.

The house on the water might be just what he needed to come home to each night.

“It will work out if it’s meant,” his mother said. “Just like everything else in life. How is your grandfather doing?”

“The same,” he said. “I told him I’d stop over tomorrow for dinner. Today was just too crazy.”

“Does he know you hired this consultant?”

“He does,” he said. “He was all for it.”

His grandfather told him to do what he needed. There was no reason to pass information on.

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