Page 71 of Someone to Have
“I think so.” He turns off the truck and massages the back of his neck. “She liked shopping at thrift stores when we were younger. And not just because we couldn’t afford the mall. She was into the whole vibe of it, you know.”
“I know.”
We both stare through the front windshield at the house. Snow dusts the roofline and clings to the bare branches of the oak trees in the front yard, making the property look cute and cozy despite the home’s obvious need for repairs.
“Is it for sale?” I ask, my voice rough with emotion I can’t quite disguise.
“Not officially, but the owner recently moved to assisted living, so her son is planning to put it on the market.” He pulls a key out of his jacket pocket. “I found out about it from your brother. He was considering buying the house as an investment property or flipping it. When I mentioned that Rhett wants to stay inSkylark, and if that’s going to happen, I need to find a place for them to live, he offered it to me.”
“Do we get to go in?” I rub my hands together. “I’ve always had a thing for old houses. You can’t build character from scratch these days. Even the quirks that drive my dad crazy during a renovation.”
“Your brother says it needs some TLC.”
I think about asking whether he would stay to fix up the house for her, but I don’t—because it shouldn’t matter to me. I shouldn’t care.
We walk up the porch steps, and he unlocks the front door.
“Damn, she must have been a smoker,” he says as the scent of stale cigarettes hits us.
“And a fan of wood paneling,” I add with a laugh. The entire front living room and entryway is covered with dark planks.
Eric shakes his head. “It’s too much work, right?”
His uncertainty is abnormal, and oddly appealing. It makes him seem less confident hockey stud and more regular human. More at my level, which I like a lot.
“So far it’s just cosmetic. We need to see the kitchen.” I take his hand without thinking about it, but don’t let go, even when I realize I probably should.
“Wow.” I smile as we come around the corner. The kitchen isn’t big, but it’s been remodeled recently in the ubiquitous farmhouse style. The cabinets are white with dark metal pulls, and the counters are marbled gray granite.
“So she likes wood paneling but also HGTV. This update is right out of a home improvement show.”
He runs a hand over the smooth surface. “Jen doesn’t cook.”
“I don’t cook,” I say, walking forward. “This is still my dream kitchen. Stainless steel appliances. A gas range. I’m kind of in love.”
He flashes a self-satisfied smile as if my approval means something to him. “What would you use a gas range for?”
“Boiling water,” I answer without a shred of embarrassment. That’s the nice thing about how Eric and I started. I don’t feel the need to impress him.
Or maybe he’s just made it clear that he likes me for who I am.
I’m sure it will be the same with Bryan once I get to know him. Once I’m comfortable enough to let him know me. Which is the whole point of me and Eric being together, although sometimes I have to mentally smack myself as a reminder that this isn’t real and I’m interested in somebody else. Why do I need to remind myself of this?
“How many bedrooms?” I ask.
“Three. Two upstairs and one in the basement,” he says.
“Perfect for a teenage boy. Let’s look around the rest of it,” I suggest.
We do, and while both bathrooms need updating, they aren’t horrible.
“There’s the backyard,” he says, pointing out a bedroom window. “It’s fenced. Jen always liked animals, so maybe...I don’t know, she could get a dog or something.”
“My friend Sadie is a dog trainer in town, so she could help.”
He turns and looks at me for a long moment. “We probably shouldn’t be planning my sister’s post-rehab life. I’m not exactly an expert on setting down roots.”
I tilt my head. “You came when she needed you most. You bought a truck, clearly overcompensating by buying the biggest one on the lot. You’re helping Rhett feel settled and secure. All of that speaks to?—”
