1
Smiling at the real estate agent showing her the house, Mazey Novak tried not to give away her disappointment.
Oh, the house was fine, everything she wanted, in fact. It was that she was here at all that depressed her.
Sunnyville was a long way from Orange County and the perfect life she’d had there.
Or thought she’d had.
Shaking her head free of the painful memories, Mazey forced her lips into a bigger smile and injected some cheer into her voice. “Thank you, Mrs. Russell. I’m sure I can find everything without too much trouble.”
“Right, of course you will, my dear.” The older woman patted Mazey’s arm. “And you probably want to get settled.”
They both glanced at the U-Haul behind Mazey’s Yukon.
Getting settled would probably take five whole minutes. It was a sad state of affairs when the sum total of thirty-two years of life barely filled a trailer.
“I’d like to at least unload before dark,” Mazey said as she returned her gaze to the neat little house she’d rented for six months.
She would need to think about buying something eventually, but until she got her bearings and worked out where in Sunnyville she wanted to live, this two-bedroom bungalow would work well enough.
“When we last spoke, you mentioned you had the utilities switched on for me.”
“Yes. Everything is ready to go, and I left the itemized bill inside on the breakfast counter with the other paperwork. The owner left the washer and dryer as well as the refrigerator like we talked about. If it interests you, there are some gardening tools in the small shed out back. But don’t feel as though you have to dig into the garden. I have a company I use for the rental properties I manage and can give them a call to arrange weekly maintenance if you’d prefer.”
“Hmm . . . Oh, no, that’s fine. I like gardening. Didn’t get to do much in recent years.” Stuart had insisted she live in an apartment, which meant no garden except what she managed to grow in pots on her tiny kitchen windowsill. Smiling, she murmured, “It will be nice to spend time in a yard again.”
“Well, let me know if you change your mind.” Mrs. Russell held out a set of keys. “The front and back door are keyed the same. The other key is for the storage room at the rear of the carport. The garden shed doesn’t have a lock, but there isn’t anything of value in there right now. It does have a padlock latch, so if you want to lock it, you can.”
Mazey took the bundle. “Thank you.”
“Be sure to call if you need anything else.”
“I think I’m set. You were kind enough to pick up my small list of groceries and have the utilities taken care of, making my arrival so much simpler. Do you offer this level of service to everyone?” Mazey asked, curious to know if she was receiving special treatment due to the quickness of the move and her willingness to pay extra to expedite the process.
“Oh, yes, it’s why I’m the top realtor in Sunnyville.” Mrs. Russell beamed. “I pride myself on my personalized service. Not everyone needs or wants the same things, and I like to be able to provide whatever those needs and wants may be.”
“Well, when I’m ready to look for somewhere to buy, you’ll be my first call.”
“You’ll be purchasing a property when your lease is up?”
“I hope to, but I don’t want to rush into anything. This is a big move, and I want to be sure I’m happy before I lock myself into a mortgage.”
“Well, dear, you just give me a call when you’re ready, and I’ll get you set up with exactly what you’re after.”
Mazey smiled, believing the woman’s words without a doubt. “Thank you. I’ll let you know.”
Mrs. Russell looked at her watch. “All right. If you’re sure you don’t need me to show you around further, I’ll be on my way. I have another client I have to meet in fifteen minutes a few streets over.”
“Oh! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you.”
“You didn’t, dear, I’ve got time before he arrives.” Mrs. Russell held out her hand. “It was lovely to finally meet you in person, to put a face to the voice. I’m sure you’ll love it here in Sunnyville, and we’ll be looking for that forever home before too long.”
“I hope so. And again, thank you for everything. You’ve made this move seamless, and I’m eternally grateful,” Mazey said as she shook the older woman’s hand.
“You’re more than welcome, and do call if you find the yard work too much and want that landscape service.”
“I’ll be fine, I’m looking forward to getting my fingers in all those flower beds.”
