Page 62 of New Day at the Beach House

He nodded solemnly. “I promise.”

“Good. But if I do end up with a tattoo, just make sure it’s someplace no one else can see it.”

Margo paced the length of Conrad’s office. The lanai was too warm this afternoon, even with the fans on, for them to work comfortably out there, so they’d come back to his office and the air conditioning.

But her mind was not on the book. Instead, it was on what she’d done. She couldn’t believe she’d said yes to buying the Clarkes’ house. Now it was hard to think of anything else and Conrad had obviously noticed, because he kept giving her a certain look. Eyes narrowed but still shining with that knowing gleam, mouth tightly closed, his nose in the air like he could practically smell what she was thinking about.

Finally, he sighed. “You’re doubting your decision.”

She exhaled and sat down next to him. Pacing was getting her nowhere and they hadn’t added any new words to the book in the last ten minutes. “I’m not doubting it, exactly. The Clarkes gave me a great price. I’d be a fool not to buy that house. Even with the work it needs. It’s just…it’s a big decision.”

The largest one she’d ever made on her own.

“It is. You’re right. But you can always walk away.”

She shook her head. “No. I don’t want to.” The house, despite its outdated décor, was about as perfect as a house could get. About ten minutes from the beach house, walking distance to Conrad’s. And in a safe community with good schools, which would be great for resale when that day came for her daughters, who’d inherit the house. Not far from the police or fire station. “I just need time to settle into the idea.”

“You have a month.”

“I can’t take a whole month to decide if I’m going to buy the house or not. I already told them yes!” She got up and started pacing again. “Besides that, I need to get my own house sold. And my things moved out. Which means I also need to figure out where those things are going to go.”

She groaned softly. There was so much to do. It felt overwhelming.

He spun his chair to face her. “All you need is a storage unit for a month or two. You said so yourself. I’d offer you my garage but I don’t think I can fit an entire household in there.”

“That’s nice of you, but I’m sure you’re right. I need to bring most of my furnishings, too, since I’ll have a lot of space to fill.” Should she be buying a condo instead? That probably made more sense. Condos had very little maintenance. Just a fee that took care of it all.

She shook her head. “I’ll have to find a lawn service and a pool service, too.” She pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Maybe you should go home and talk to your family about it. Their reassurances might make you feel better. Or are you afraid to tell them?”

She stopped pacing to stand by the window, looking out. The mature trees in this neighborhood were another great feature. “I’m not afraid. I told them I’d be looking for my own place. My daughters and granddaughter don’t need me living with them. Not that they act like they’d mind, but they need their own space.” And she was rather looking forward to being so close to Conrad.

“Then what’s bothering you? Is it the work that needs to be done at the house? Because I promise I’ll help you in whatever way I can.”

She sat back down again. “I know you will, and I appreciate that. I think it’s just…” She thought about what was really bothering her and the truth came to her, but it was difficult to say out loud.

“What is it?” Conrad asked softly.

“It’s everything that needs to be done. It’s starting to feel overwhelming. And…I’ve never done this without a man. My house in Landry was purchased with my second husband. My house before that was purchased with my first. Now I’m buying a place all on my own and it’s daunting. Maybe it’s more than I can handle. I’m not a young woman anymore, Conrad.”

“No, you’re not.” Conrad nodded. “But you are a very capable woman.”

“I appreciate that you think so but what if I make a mistake? What if I forget to do something?”

“What kind of mistake could you make that would be so terrible? What could you forget that couldn’t still get done?” He smiled kindly. “And just FYI, you’re not alone in this, you know.”

He really was the sweetest man. “I understand that, Conrad, but I can’t expect you to hold my hand. We aren’t married. You have your own things to take care of. Your own life and responsibilities. I cannot dump all of this on you.”

He winked at her. “Not that I’m not willing to help—I am, very much so, as I’ve said—but I meant that you have two grown daughters. Why not ask them to help you? I bet they would love to be needed in that way. Love to know that you value their input.”

Margo exhaled a gentle breath. “I can’t ask them. They’re busy with their own lives. Jules has an album to write and record and Claire is in the midst of developing recipes for the new bakery she’s helping to open. They already have so much on their plates.”

“Margo.” He shot her another of those looks. “Your daughters aren’t the kind of women who will be too busy for their mother. You raised them better than that.”

“True.” She couldn’t argue that. Her girls were remarkable women. She wanted to think he was right, that they’d have time. That they’d want to be involved. But would they really? They were very busy. And the idea of them turning her down…it hurt just to think about. “But I don’t want their own endeavors to suffer because of me.”

“You need to give them credit that they’ll have enough discernment to know just how much they can help.”

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