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“God damn it, Mia,” he groaned, then turned and led me down the brick laid walk toward the front door.
“I can’t believe you live here,” I gushed, my eyes flying everywhere so I didn’t miss a thing. “How old is this place?”
“Built in 1858,” he said, opening the door to the grand entrance.
It was incredible, despite it being mostly empty. The stairs were beautiful, made of a honey colored wood and spiraling up and over a doorway that led to another room. On one side were built-in cabinets, and across from me was a huge doorway that opened to another room, which was all windows that showed nothing but greenery in the backyard. Huge velvet curtains framed the windows ahead, and a massive carpet was laid over the pristine wood floors.
“Oh wow, Owen,” I breathed, my chest tight and constricted from the majesty of the place.
“Want a quick tour?” he asked, his face lighting up.
I nodded, not even needing to squawk a word out for him to begin.
“The dining room,” he said, pointing through a door frame to a room with a giant round table inside.
The furniture wasn’t necessarily to date with the house, but I wasn’t an expert on such things, anyway.
“The place has been updated in all the ways that matter,” Owen said as we wandered through the sun room in the back that had all the windows, which opened to the magnificent backyard. “There’s modern plumbing, including showers and toilets, and the kitchen has been ninety percent updated with modern appliances and finishes like granite counters and a steel sink.”
The kitchen was next, down a hallway to the left.
“Oh wow,” I murmured again, trying to take it all in. “This place is incredible!”
“I have to say, this is probably one of my favorite things about being out here. One of the only good things, really. The history here is rich, if not quite grim. But I found this house for sale when we moved here and I just had to have it. There’s nothing like it on the West Coast.”
“If I had the kind of money to buy it, I would have, too,” I admitted.
Not that I’d likely have the money to buy anything like it in my lifetime.
“There’s A/C and regular duct heating, which is amazing, but it costs a fucking arm and a leg to cool a place this big down.”
“I can imagine,” I agreed with a laugh.
He smiled, that chin dimple teasing me.
“I’m glad you like it, Mia. This place is my pride and joy, right behind the kids… And my books… And my job teaching…”
He rubbed the side of his head in frustration from the words exiting his mouth, but then shrugged it off like it didn’t matter.
“I’m still in the process of filling it up. I’m doing my best to get furniture and things as close to accurate as I can, even if they’re reproduction pieces.”
“Can we work from here every day?” I asked him, which got him laughing.
“I haven’t even shown you the best part,” he said, like he had a secret he was waiting to reveal.
Following right behind him, we headed to a room with what looked like green velvet curtains. When I stepped foot inside, my jaw dropped and I spun around, feeling like I just stepped on-set for a modern day retelling of ‘Beauty and the Beast.’
The library was stunning. Every wall of the room was filled floor to ceiling with bookshelves, with one window in the middle, which let in a ton of natural light. My brain went on overdrive and I imagined some Victorian man or lady sitting behind the massive mahogany desk and working on the accounting books for the household.
“Owen,” I practically whined.
“I know,” was his answer.
The man stepped further into the room while I stayed rooted to my spot in the doorway.
“See? My seat. Ergonomic, like I promised,” he told me, pulling out the large wingback on wheels that was waiting near the Empire style desk.
“You’re such a liar,” I told him, finally moving my feet.
