Page 13 of Finding Home
I can’t help but cover my mouth and giggle before my gaze lands on the driver.
The same stormy eyes bore into me.
All the excitement I had looking forward to making friends with my one and only neighbor is gone with the wind. Kicked up like the dirt behind his truck. Because nothing about the way he’s scowling at me, screams that he’s a friendly neighbor.
He looks like…he hates me?
Already?
Jesus Christ, I just got here.
Reginald continues to bark at the truck, but his butt wiggles rapidly in true corgi fashion. Which tells me he’s happy. He’s usually a fantastic judge of character. So maybe I’m seriously overthinking this and reading his face all wrong.
The man has a pretty face. Is that a thing for men? I don’t think so, but there’s no denying that he has a pretty one even with the scowl currently plastered all over it. His sharp jawline is adorned with a thick, dark scruff, and his deep brown hair is neatly tucked under a backward baseball cap. He’s wearing a black and white checkered flannel, which seems to be a popular choice in this area as I noticed a similar theme among people walking along the sidewalk when I first met Nan.
Despite the vibes I’m getting, I lift my arm in a friendly wave.
Forget what I just said.
With one greeting from me, he’s peeling off down the road and disappears around the bend.
I sigh as I grab my last box.
“Let’s get unpacked,” I tell Reginald.
He barks in response and bolts through the front door ahead of me.
I enter the tiny house for the third time already and I’m still in shock that this is my place. The inside is even more perfect than the outside. Nan wasn’t lying about it being kept up nicely while it remained vacant. In contrast to the dark blue siding on the outside, the inside is all light and neutral colors, allowing natural light to radiate through every inch.
The first thing I noticed upon walking into the home is how you can see from the front to the back easily with the open concept. That’s the moment I knew it was perfect, which is weird, but I love the rustic yet contemporary feel of the space. The white cabinets, paired with the natural light through the windows only enhance the clean feel. The countertops are made of light-colored wood, extending into a small L-shaped counter that separates the living room with a single black stool placed at the counter.
I can’t wait to decorate and really make this a home.
My phone rings on the counter and I realize I never called Kodi when I got here.
“Hello?” I answer.
“Oh good, you’re alive. I thought you were lying in a ditch somewhere in the middle of nowhere,” Kodi says, her tone laced with sarcasm.
“In the middle of nowhere, but not in a ditch.”
“Hilarious,” she deadpans. “Are you there or not?”
“I am. This place is seriously so cute and perfect, Kodi. You would truly have a field day decorating it. Every single wall is covered with shiplap. Your favorite.”
“Oh my god, that’s amazing. But get to the good stuff. What’sthe town like? Have you met anyone yet? Made any friends?” She rattles off the questions in rapid succession.
I roll my eyes even though she can’t see me. “I’ve been in town for, like, less than an hour, so I don’t have answers for you. I met with Nan, and she brought me to my place, and now I’m unpacking.”
“That’s boring.”
I ignore her comment. “Nan is a riot. She reminds me of an older version of you.”
“Is that really her name? This is still so weird to me, Blair. You’re like states away now, with a random lady namedNanshowing you your new home, and”—she draws out the word—“you’re in the middle of nowhere!”
I sigh. I know my sister doesn’t understand it. Hell, I don’t either. This was a scary but exciting adventure for me. Crossing the town entrance did something to me. For the first time in as long as I can remember, a piece of mefeltat home. I don’t know why I feel that way just yet, but I’m eager to find out.
It feels right.
