Veronica and I sat in silence until she finally spoke. She looked down at the floor and said, “I’m sorry if I was out of line. I just really loved having the old, happy Kit back, and the idea that you might get hurt again made me worry. But you’re right—I don’t need to add my commentary. No matter what happens, I’m here for you.”
“Thank you,” I said turning to Veronica.
She smiled and crossed her arms, “Besides, you moving closer to me in Atlanta is a win.”
I gave Veronica a hug, and she squeezed me extra tight. After we left the brewery, I went with Veronica to pick up Preston from her mother-in-law’s house, then she dropped me off at the hotel where William was staying.
When I got up to the room, William was already upstairs. He gave me a quick kiss on the lips. I went into the bedroom to kick off my shoes, then used the bathroom.
When I came out, William was sitting on the sofa smiling. “Congratulations on the sale of your land!”
I laughed and collapsed onto the sofa next to him. I tucked my head into the crook of his chest and bicep. I could smell his warm, musky scent. I looked up at him and said, “Thanks, I’ve checked my balance on my banking app like fivetimes. My account balance usually has a three-figure balance, so it’s a shock to see so much money. It’s unbelievable.”
William chuckled. “Hey, tonight Charles is showing a few houses to Meredith and Addison. They’re thinking about buying in Atlanta since Meredith works out of the Atlanta office so often. Addison says she’s tired of New York. Charles suggested I come along to get a feel for the market. Would you like to do that?”
“Sure,” I said. “Were you thinking of buying? I guess I just assumed you were going to rent.”
William tilted his head back and forth like he was weighing an alternative. “Well, you know my business is essentially property investment, so I try to avoid renting when possible.”
“Oh,” I said, my eyebrows raised. “That makes sense, but you rented in Creekstone?”
“Well, there were no properties to buy. Only rentals, and I wanted to be in the town,” he said. “And looked how perfectly that worked out.”
William and I got dressed so we could go out to dinner after we looked at houses. I didn’t want to admit that I felt intimidated going to look at houses with Meredith, Addison, and Charles, but William seemed to think it would be helpful.
We drove to the first house. It was a 1930s bungalow tucked away on a quiet street in midtown. The house was small, white, and quaint. The garden was in full bloom, giving the house even more curb appeal. We parked on the street behind a Mercedes and an Audi.
“What do you think?” William asked.
“It’s very cute,” I said as I followed him up the pathway and through the front door. Charles was standing in the front room with Meredith. When he saw me, his eyes went wide,“Well, hello, Kit. I didn’t realize you were in town with William or that he’d be bringing you to look at property.
Meredith seemed less surprised to see me. She gave a subtle wave as she listened to Charles. She was dressed more casually than usual, in a white button-down and a pair of bootcut jeans, but even in a simple outfit, she looked like she belonged in a Ralph Lauren catalog. She folded her arms across her chest as she listened to Charles give her the details of the house.
“Oh, hello, darlings,” a tall thin woman said, coming into the room. Like Meredith, the woman was striking, but with darker hair and slight freckles across her nose. She wore a long white maxi dress with delicate black and white flowers embroidered across the hem. “You must be Kit. I’m Addison.”
I gave a little wave. “Hi, everyone.”
“Hey!” Charles said with a level of enthusiasm that surprised me. He pointed at William, who was standing right behind me. “Okay, Boss Man. I was just telling Meredith the details of this house.”
Meredith rolled her eyes as soon as Charles said, ‘Boss Man’ and walked into the next room.
This house was different from our home in Creekstone. It was small and compact. I started to wander around the house, which was very charming. There was a decent-sized bedroom on the first floor and two smaller bedrooms upstairs. I wandered down the stairs and into the kitchen. It was a cute, small kitchen. There was a back door that led to a small garden patio overlooking a tiny but well-manicured backyard.
William came up behind me. “What do you think?”
“It’s very cute,” I said. “Small and cute.”
He kissed my head and said, “Yeah for $800,000, I want more house.”
I spun around, and my face must have looked shocked. “William,” I whispered, “That’s crazy expensive.”
“It’s the location. Close to the park.” William’s crooked smile spread across his face. “I know. For a house in Atlanta, we’re going to spend at least that, but don’t worry about the cost. Let’s go see the next house.”
Had William lost his mind? How could I not worry about the cost? That was a small fortune.
I followed Meredith, Addison, and William out to the curb. I heard Addison and Meredith talking about the property. “Too cute, but too small.”
“Okay,” Charles said. “Time to caravan to the next location. I’ve texted the address to you two in case we get separated in traffic.”
