Page 95 of The Only Purple House in Town

“Iris Summerhouse?” She laughed and shook her head. “Never mind, I’ll figure it out.”

Rain gazed at Iris, their expression tenderly troubled. “We didn’t expect to find you already grown. No need for us at all.”

“She’s still a baby,” Fen protested.

“Byourstandards. But she’s developed as a human. You’ll excuse us, we have some mental adjustments to make,” Rain added.

“So do I,” Iris mumbled. “The biggest issue is, what does all this mean?”

Eli dropped Rowan and Henry Dale off at Violet Gables.

The house stood out from the rest, an upright botanical marvel, as the wind ruffled lightly through the purple blossoms.I wonder if anything else has changed.As he pulled away, it struck him as heartbreaking that something so major happened after he left. The worst part of all this was, he couldn’t check in with Iris to see if she needed anything, He’d lost that privilege when he lost sight of the fact that he was part of her life because she allowed him to be.

Those thoughts would break him, so he forced himself to drive away.It’s not about me. It’s about her and what she needs.Knowing that he was doing the right thing didn’t make it less painful as he drove across town. At least he had an appointment this afternoon, signing the closing paperwork to make somebody else’s dreams a reality.

Eli went straight to Keshonda’s office, and even though he was early, the newlyweds who’d offered first were already on site, happy as two summer days, and nudging each other in excitement. Their joy put a smile on his face. Everyone settled at the table in the conference room as Keshonda passed around the perfectly organized packets.

“Thank you for agreeing to let us move in right away,” Natalie Moreno said.

Her husband, Ruben, echoed the sentiment. “Yes, thank you! Keshonda told us you had other offers, so we were on pins and needles until you confirmed.”

“It’s what my grandmother wanted,” he told them. “She likes the idea of another family finding happiness in the house.”

“The yard will be perfect for a playset,” Natalie said.

“Yep, I’ll build one next summer.”

“The baby won’t even be old enough to play on it,” his wife protested.

He hadn’t known they were expecting. “Congratulations!”

Keshonda sat at the head of the table and interrupted their chitchat with instructions on how to proceed. Really, it didn’t take long at all to sign the forms, finalize everything, and get the funds released from escrow. They went straight to Gamma’s account, and it made Eli happy knowing she was set financially. And if she ran into trouble down the line, he could afford to help out.

He shook hands with the Morenos, then waited for them to head out because he had a question for Keshonda. “I have a condo in Cleveland. High-end with amenities like climate-controlled parking and on-site fitness center. It’s two bedroom, two bath, hardwood floors, view of the river, walking distance to everything, and a private rooftop deck accessible from the loft.”

“It sounds gorgeous,” Keshonda said. “But why are you telling me this?”

“Because I’m looking to sell it, and I might be interested inproperty in or around St. Claire. I don’t expect you to help me with the first thing, but—”

“Oh, I can find you a place here,” she cut in.

He nodded. “I’ll be in touch once I get the ball rolling.”

As he turned to go, Keshonda said, “Actually, I do know somebody in Cleveland. I met her at an expo in Florida. Let me see if I can find her contact info.”

“That would be great.”

Soon, she shot him a text with a name and a link to the real estate agent’s website. “You can find everything you need to know about Maribel on there.”

“Thanks.”

Keshonda nodded briskly. “When you get time, shoot me an email with your must-haves in writing and your price point. Also whether you’re looking for single-family, condo, how much you’re willing to pay for an HOA, whether a duplex or multiple-dwelling structure might work. Some people like to buy a building, live in one unit, and rent the others. Well, provided they can afford it, but I already know you can.”

At this point, what he wanted was to move back into Violet Gables, but the next best thing was making plans to stay in St. Claire, proving to himself that he wouldn’t run away just because things got tough. He’d come a long way from the person with no close ties, inches away from retreating from society entirely.

“Understood. You’ll hear from me tomorrow, probably.”

Once I get my thoughts in order.

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