Page 46 of When Cardinals Appear

“Fine.” I finished packing up the pile of clothes on the bed before I removed another armful from the dresser. Talking about Nate almost sounded worse than discussing my complicated relationship with my mother. Almost.

“This may all be for nothing,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. “Who says Nate still feels anything for me? It could all be in my head.”

She gave me a dubious look. “Anyone who saw the two of you at karaoke wouldn’t believe that for a second.”

“But—“

“Well, you can always ask him,” Rose cut me off. Her face brightened. “At the Valentine’s Day dance!”

“You’re relentless,” I growled, but deep down, I knew she was right. Nate and I had been dancing around the elephant between us for long enough. Even if it turned out he felt nothing for me, it was better to know, wasn’t it? And if that was the case, it would be good for me to have a shoulder to cry on, even if I was paying for that shoulder.

After the house went on the market, the real estate agent suggested we hold an open house. I thought the idea came rather last-minute, but Steven agreed. So I spent the week vacuuming the downstairs and clearing away the dust that had gathered. I also forced myself to finish packing my room. I couldn’t put it off any longer.

Saturday morning, I woke early and checked to ensure the pamphlets the real estate agent had dropped off the day before were set out on the table in the hall. Steven was bringing muffins, scones, and coffee to be served to potential buyers, and I threw a tray of cookies into the oven for good measure. No one could resist the smell of freshly baked goods, and it might entice someone to make an offer on the spot. At any rate, it couldn’t hurt.

My cardinal friend appeared, and I hoped that meant Nate would be at the dance that evening. After the conversation with Rose, I thought it was the best venue to have the talk we needed, though a part of me hoped he would show up at the open house. Either way, I felt that seeing the cardinal was a good omen. Maybe that night, I would finally make some sense of all the conflicting feelings I’d been having lately.

Steven arrived promptly at eight, his arms filled with bags of goodies and a box of freshly brewed coffee. I opened the door for him, and he sniffed the air appreciatively.

“Are you baking in here?” He moved toward the kitchen.

I followed close behind. “I thought it might help add to the appeal.”

He smiled and grabbed some paper plates from the cabinet before setting out the various muffins on the counter. Should we have kept the kitchen table until after the house sold? I hadn’t minded eating while standing up or carrying food to my room, but perhaps the table would have helped for staging purposes. I shook my head. It was too late.

“You don’t have to stay, you know.” Steven took one of the muffins and peeled back the paper. “People are just going to be wandering through the rooms and talking to their own agents, if they have one.”

“I don’t really have anywhere else to be.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going to the dance tonight? Don’t you need to get your hair or nails done or something?”

I laughed. “I’m not going to the prom, Steven. It’s just a dance.”

He shrugged. “Well, Rose will be here later, and I figured the three of us could go together if you wanted.”

“That works for me.”

The open house was set to begin at nine, and I made sure I finished getting ready before people started arriving. Steven had brought folding chairs to make up for our lack of furniture.

A few minutes before nine, John, our real estate agent, arrived. I had met him briefly at the estate sale, but Steven had handled most of the real estate stuff. John stood in the living room, scrutinizing every detail with a furrowed brow. His dark hair was cut short, and his small eyes seemed to narrow each time they moved to another corner of the room. I hoped my cleaning hadn’t been in vain, though if it didn’t live up to his standards, I couldn’t imagine what he’d thought of it before.

“When people arrive, try not to bombard them with information. Be available for any questions they might have, but otherwise, let them wander the house at their leisure.” John turned to Steven. “I imagine we’ll get an offer within a week or so.”

“Good,” Steven replied. “The sooner we can sell the house, the better.”

A sharp pain twinged in my chest, but I forced a smile when John’s dark gaze fell on me. No sense in him knowing how much it hurt me to see my childhood home sold. Besides, what else did I expect us to do with it? I was leaving, and Steven had already bought a place for him and Rose to live after they married.

People began drifting in about half past nine, and I kept the smile pasted on my face. I didn’t recognize any of the potential buyers, which only served to increase my anxiety. But it made sense that someone outside of town would be interested. Everyone who already lived in Cedar Haven had a home, and I hadn’t heard anyone say they were looking to buy.

Steven and John fielded most of the questions, which left me with a lot of time on my hands and not much to distract me. Maybe I should have found something else to do that day, but as the executor, I felt an obligation to be there.

Around noon, Nate entered the house with a frown as he scanned the room. When his eyes met mine, they lit up, and he crossed over to me.

“Good crowd,” he said. “Any offers yet?”

I shook my head. “John thinks we’ll get one within a week or two.”

He glanced at me. “How do you feel about that?”

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