“What do you think?” Eliza lifted her arms from her sides as she glanced around the expansive family room.
Max stuck his hands in the pockets of his short, dark overcoat, considering what to say. “It’s nice. Lots of space.”
“The size of this place is impressive.”
It was—from the floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace in the living room to the square footage of the bedrooms to the swimming pool just outside the bay window. But it didn’t have an indoor, air-conditioned basketball court.
“And look at this view.” Eliza walked to the window in the empty room.
Dressed in a tailored gray pantsuit and high-heeled black pumps, she fit with the space. Maybe he did, too. He just needed to envision himself there.
Max conjured up an image of sitting in the room on the new leather sectional he was going to splurge on once he got a new place. He wouldn’t have on the long-sleeved burgundy sweater and navy pants he wore now—a T-shirt and jeans were more like it.
A bottle of beer and a sausage pizza laid out on a coffee table. He could see that, too, along with a movie playing on a flat-screen television mounted on the far wall.
Imagining it that way definitely helped, but it still wasn’t complete. Maybe adding another person would make a difference.
Surprisingly, Eliza materialized next to him in the vision. He went with it. She was there now, standing in the room with him. It made sense that she would pop into his mind. And this was about trying to visualize being in the space with someone. Not necessarily Eliza. Still, he wondered. What was she like outside work? Was she the type who liked to watch a new movie or did she prefer to binge-watch an entire television series? Did she like beer and pizza? Or was she a wine and canapé girl?
The thought of discovering what she did like piqued his interest. Once he found a place and moved in, maybe he could invite her over or he could take her out. It wouldn’t be a date, but a thank you for putting up with him as a client.
Eliza walked over to him, and the daydream dissipated in the fragrance of her perfume—soft, floral and wholly feminine.
Today her hair was in a messy bun. But just like when she wore it down, tendrils hung near her cheeks. In a minute, she would smooth them behind her ears.
Just as he predicted, she tucked the strands away, and the silver, interlocking loops hanging from her delicate earlobes winked in the light.
She always wore pretty earrings. But those must have been new. He’d never noticed her wearing them before.
Eliza’s chestnut-colored eyes met his, and her brow furrowed. “You don’t see yourself here, do you?”
Did he? Maybe under the right conditions... But the experience of enjoying beer and pizza with her didn’t come with the house. “No. I don’t.”
“That’s okay.” Her reassuring smile brought a faint dimple to her cheek. “The place for you is out there. We’ll find it.”
“Is it possible to find the right house twice?”
She shrugged. “It is if you’re willing to expand into other possibilities. I know you really liked the house with the basketball court, but if you keep comparing every home you see to that one, you’ll never move past it.”
Was he that transparent about missing the basketball court or was she just that intuitive? “I’ll keep that in mind.”
They walked out the front door.
Max zipped up his coat and flipped up the collar as protection from the slight chill in the air.
Eliza closed up the house and put the key back in the lockbox. “I’m sorry none of the homes we looked at today worked out. One of my contacts mentioned there might be some places opening up on the west side of town. I’ll check into it and get back to you before the end of the week.”
They were done? But it was only ten o’clock. He’d cleared his calendar through his part-time receptionist, Jill, until early afternoon.
“Sharon had mentioned something about an open house?” Max asked. “When’s that happening?”
Eliza shivered. “It’s today. But the house is older than what you wanted.”
“You said I should expand into other possibilities.”
“It’s also farther out.”
And he’d mentioned he wasn’t interested in a long commute from his office just outside town. But he’d blocked off the morning and most of the afternoon in anticipation of being with her. And he wasn’t in a hurry to return to his office.
She shivered again, and Max reached for the zipper of his coat planning to shrug it off and give it to her. But he was her client, not a friend, and she’d probably refuse to take it.
But he could hurry things along to get her out of the cold and into her warm car. “If you have time, I’d still like to see it.”
“Okay, let’s go.” Smiling, Eliza hurried toward her red sedan. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
A short time later, he followed her out of the driveway.
She zoomed ahead of him on the two-way road, and as he eased down on the accelerator, the navy truck’s engine softly rumbled.
His phone rang in the holder on the dashboard, and a name scrolled across the screen. It’s about time...
Max used the crew cab’s interface system to answer. “Hello, Martin.”
“Hey there, Max.” Martin’s voice came through the speakers. “Sorry about not getting back to you right away. But I have good news. I’ve hunted down the reason why you didn’t get your money. There was a paperwork glitch. But it’s an easy fix.”
“That is good news. When should I expect the deposit?”
“Soon. They just have to send me some new papers for you to sign.”
“When will I receive them?”
“I was hoping we could meet tomorrow. They need my signature, too. We can sign them together, and then I can send them off right away.”
“Give me a time and a place and I’ll be there.”
“How ’bout I call you when I get to Chatelaine, and we can decide all of that then?”
Or they could just agree on a time and place now. He could ask, but knowing Martin, he wouldn’t commit. More waiting. But the man had finally returned his call and delivered fairly good news about receiving the money. That was progress.
Max tamped down exasperation. “Sure.” He glanced at Eliza’s car ahead of him. “But if we could move things along, I would really appreciate it. Remember, I told you I wanted to buy a house?”
“I do. Did you find one?”
“I did, but because I didn’t have the money, I couldn’t follow through on the bid I promised to make. My real estate agent wasn’t happy about it. She’s been working hard to find the right house for me. It hasn’t been easy. And that wasn’t the first time I backed out on making an offer.”
“Ahh, I understand. Disappointing a pretty woman isn’t a good position to be in.”
His concern was about missing out on the house. Max opened his mouth to correct him but paused. Martin may have misinterpreted the issue, but he wasn’t wrong about Eliza. She was a very pretty woman, and he didn’t like her being disappointed in him.
“But don’t worry,” Martin added. “We’ll fix the situation.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
They said their goodbyes and Max hung up. We’ll fix the situation? It wasn’t like he had a choice in what was happening. Martin controlled everything.
Twenty minutes later, he parked his truck next to Eliza’s car in the wide, extended driveway of a two-story, Spanish-style home. He got out of his car and stood there, his gaze fixed on the light-colored stucco house.
Large arched windows on both floors were framed in deep rust-colored brick that matched the clay tiles on the multipitched roof. On the top floor to the left, French doors opened onto a balcony with a wrought iron railing.
A vision rose in his mind of standing there with a cup of coffee watching the first rays of a yellow-and-orange-hued sunrise. Goose bumps rose on his arms.
“Max?” Eliza waited up ahead. She’d put on a black fitted coat. “Have you changed your mind about seeing the house?”
“No. I’m coming.” He joined her and they walked up the brick path to the front door.
The front lawn was neatly clipped. And so were the shrubs interspersed with terra-cotta pots holding a variety of plants in front of the house.
The pride the owners took in the place made him curious about the inside. Especially the room where the balcony was located.
“Why are the owners selling?”
“I’m not sure. I heard they’re an older couple. They could be downsizing.” Eliza glanced around. “That’s strange. I expected a lot more people to be here. And I only saw one sign on the road advertising the open house.”
“Do you think it’s over already?” He hoped not.
“Anything’s possible, but the notice I received said it was happening until three. The lack of advertising could be more about the owners. They’re selling the place themselves, and maybe they chose not to put up a lot of signs.” Eliza rang the bell.
A few moments later, an older woman with short, salt-and-pepper hair and wearing jeans, a plaid green shirt and sneakers opened the door. “Hello.”
“Hello.” Eliza smiled. “We’re here for the open house. Is it still happening?”
An apologetic expression fell over the woman’s face. “We had to end things early. My husband isn’t feeling well. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience.”
“No apology necessary,” Eliza said.
“We’re sorry to have disturbed you,” Max added. “I hope he feels better soon.”
“Nancy, who’s at the door? Did the Jessups come back?” a man called from inside.
“No. It’s another couple. They came by to look at the house.”
A man with neatly clipped gray hair and wearing wire-rimmed glasses walked up beside the woman. Like her, he was dressed casually in a button-down shirt and jeans, but he had on slippers.
The woman laid her hand on his arm. “Cal, you’re supposed to be resting.”
“I’m fine.” A hint of a Texas drawl wove through Cal’s words. He looked at Max and Eliza. “You’re too late. We’re done showing the house.”
A gust of wind swirled through the doorway, and flyers sitting on a table in the entryway flew outside.
“Oh no.” Nancy hurried out the door trying to snatch them before they scattered over the yard.
Max and Eliza snagged the papers with information about the house that were still on the porch.
Cal stooped down near the doorway and picked one up. As he stood straight, he winced as if in pain.
“Cal,” Nancy called out. “You shouldn’t be out here. It’s too cold. Go back inside.”
Ignoring her, Cal reached for another flyer. “I can help.”
Nancy looked torn between keeping an eye on Cal and chasing down the flyers. “I can do it. Why don’t you show this nice couple the house? They came all the way out here to see it.”
“If you wouldn’t mind, we’d love to take a look.” Eliza met Max’s gaze, but her voice was loud enough for the couple to hear. “I’ll stay and help gather the flyers. You can tour the house. While I’m out here, I can find out about the landscaping. I’m interested in a similar design.”
Max connected with the compassion in Eliza’s eyes. They were on the same page about helping Nancy get Cal back inside. “That’s a good idea. Let’s do that.”
He walked to Cal and extended his hand. “Hello, sir. I’m Max Fortune Maloney. If you could spare the time, I would appreciate a tour of the house.”
The older man shook his hand. “Cal Pickett.” He peered over his glasses. “I guess a brief look around won’t hurt. But my wife needs her coat.”
“I can take it to her.” Max accepted the green jacket Cal handed him from the hook by the door and went to Nancy. He held it open for her while she slipped it on.
“Let’s get after it, young man,” Cal yelled. “I don’t have all day.”
Nancy met Max’s gaze. “His bark really is worse than his bite.”
“We’ll be fine.” Max smiled at her.
Eliza looked a tad concerned, and he gave her a wink before jogging back to the older man. As a financial adviser, he’d dealt with demanding clients. He could handle Cal.
Inside the house, Cal shut the door behind them. “Like the papers that flew out the door said, we built the house in eighty-five. It sits on five acres of land. We wanted plenty of room for our family. The main area is this way.”
Following Cal’s impatient directing gestures, Max walked to the living room.
High ceilings, multiple windows, and a large sliding door leading to a back deck provided lots of natural light. The decor boasting dark leather and stained wood furniture complemented the outside landscape.
But the smell wafting in the air was just as appealing as the view.
A taste memory ignited, and Max’s mouth watered. “You’re cooking beef stew.” That had been one of his mom’s go-to meals when he was a kid.
“Yes. My wife just finished making it when you rang the doorbell.”
Max followed Cal’s gaze. Across a large black granite-topped island separating the living room from the kitchen, a pot with steam rising from it sat on the stainless-steel stove.
Growing up, he, his brothers and his sister had crowded around the kitchen counter for meals. The granite island was an updated version of that but with a lot more room.
Cal rested his hands heavily on the island. “We remodeled the kitchen a year ago. All the cabinets and appliances are new. The formal dining room is through that archway over there by the breakfast nook. We don’t go in there much anymore except when the grandkids are here. But they mostly like to sit out on the deck or in the sunroom.”
Cal pointed to the nook with a kitchen table and chairs and a picture window. Outside was a deck, and beyond that, what looked to be a huge backyard.
Most likely, the adults in the family watched the grandkids from there just like his mom used to keep an eye on him and his siblings from her spot at the window over the kitchen sink.
As a single mom, with four rambunctious boys and one daughter, Kimberly Maloney had kept a close watch on them all the time, including while she washed dishes. Sometimes it seemed like she had the ability to read their minds before they’d even thought about getting into trouble.
“There’s a spare bedroom down the rear hall.” Cal pointed away from the kitchen. “My wife has already packed things up in the rooms on the second floor so we sleep there now instead of upstairs in the primary bedroom. Nothing much to see. It has a bathroom attached that we remodeled at the same time as the kitchen. Same view of the backyard that you see in here.”
The older man shuffled toward the front of the house.
Max had questions about what else was down the rear hall, but he held on to them. It was obvious Cal wanted to move things along. Maybe the older man did want to rest. And Max liked everything so far. Chances were, he’d like that part of the house, too.
Cal stopped at the bottom of the stairs and pointed to the second floor. “It’ll be faster if you go up on your own. The primary bedroom is to the left at the end of the hall. The rest of the rooms are to the right.”
“Thank you.” Max walked up the stairs to an expansive landing with a banister. The area overlooked the living room.
He went down the hall to the left first. The spacious bedroom with a spa-style bathroom did not disappoint. And neither did the attached balcony.
As he took in the view of the yard, and beyond that, the field bordered by trees, a sense of peace and excitement settled over him. Unlike the house he and Eliza just left, he could see himself here. It didn’t have the things on his list for a home, but for some odd reason, it felt like a perfect fit.
Below, Eliza and Cal’s wife were having an animated conversation as they pointed to flowering plants near the hedges.
They really were talking about the landscaping.
Looking up, Eliza spotted him, and he gave her a brief wave.
After checking out the rest of the rooms that had packed moving boxes stacked along the walls, he headed back down to the first floor. Just like downstairs, the upstairs was in great shape. Yes, it was a longer drive to his office, and there wasn’t a swimming pool, basketball court or a horse barn. But there was lots of space, an unbeatable view and plenty of land to build what he wanted.
As he walked downstairs, Cal looked up at him. “Are you done seeing everything?”
“I am. You have a great home.”
“If Nancy and I didn’t have to move, we wouldn’t. But my wife wants to be closer to our children and the grandkids. The one thing she and I both agree on is that we’re selling this place to a family. You don’t seem to fit the bill.”
“No, I don’t have any immediate plans for children. Maybe that will change. Someday.”
“Someday?” Cal crossed his arms over his chest. “What does she say about that?”
It took a second for Max to connect the dots. “You mean Eliza? I’m not sure how she feels about kids. We’re—”
“Poor communication. That’s why couples today don’t stay together. Nancy and I wouldn’t have lasted for over fifty years without talking about the important things. I know what you’re thinking, son.”
Max doubted Cal did know, but his mom taught him to respect his elders. And the man was pretty worked up over the family issue. It was best to let Cal finish before he corrected him.
The front door opened, and Eliza and Nancy walked in.
“Whew, that was work. But I think we got them all.” Nancy pointed to the stack of flyers Eliza was carrying. “I’ll take those. Thanks again for your help.”
“You’re welcome.” Eliza handed her the papers. “And thanks for telling me about your house.”
“My pleasure.” As Nancy hung up her coat, she sniffed the air. “Excuse me. I better check on lunch before it burns.”
As she hurried off, Eliza turned to Max. “Did you hear about the horse barn out back? Nancy said it needs to be rebuilt but the foundation is solid.”
“No, we didn’t get to that yet.”
Max recalled the structure he’d spotted in the distance from the rear bedroom window. That must have been the barn. But he didn’t need to see it. He already knew what he wanted to do. He’d planned on addressing the couple together, but Cal seemed ready for them to leave, and he didn’t want to keep them from enjoying lunch.
“Sir, I want to make an offer on your home. I’ll meet your asking price. No negotiation.”
Eliza gasped. “What?”
Cal looked him in the eye. “No.”