Kyle
“What did you wanna do today?” Kyle asked. He and Jon were sitting in the breakfast room at Bradley House, enjoying another cup of coffee now that they’d finished eating breakfast.
“I was thinking we could take a leisurely stroll through town, maybe check out some of the shops on Main Street. I think it will help us get a better feel for the place. Maybe we could pay a visit to the coffee shop for lunch.” Jon sipped at his beverage.
“That sounds good. And if we’re feeling good about Hawthorne Bluff, maybe we can find a realtor’s office and see what’s available, property-wise.”
“Sure. It’s probably a bit early to start thinking of actually moving, but it wouldn’t hurt to see what homes in the area are going for. Speaking of which?—”
Kyle grinned. “Uh-oh. Sounds like you’re up to something.”
“Not really up to something, but I was thinking if we’re really thinking of doing this, rather than rent my house in Phoenix,I should probably just sell it. There’s no mortgage on it, so we could use that money to help us get something here.”
“That’s a good point. And once we sell the condo in DC and pay off that mortgage, we should have a decent amount of cash left over. Between both sales, we’ll have enough for a nice house here, I think.”
“Great. Once we get home, I’ll get the ball rolling to sell the house in Arizona. At least that will be done.” Jon fiddled with his napkin. “You know, there’s gonna be a lot of planning for this. In addition to getting a house, we’re both gonna need to look for jobs before we can actually move. And we’ll need to think about getting a car or two.”
“All really good points.” Kyle chuckled. He knew the planner part of Jon would want to have everything documented so that he knew step-by-step what needed to be done. “But for now, let’s just take a walk and look around.”
After a morning spent walkingthrough town and doing a bit of shopping, Kyle and Jon entered Cuppa Joe’s and stopped to look at the menu board.
“I think I’ll get a ham-and-cheese croissant and a cappuccino,” Kyle said after a moment.
“Okay, if I get chicken salad on whole wheat, wanna split the sandwiches so we get both?” Jon asked.
“Of course.” Kyle quickly glanced around the busy café and said, “How ’bout you get the food, and I’ll see if I can snag a table?”
“That works,” Jon told him.
As he scanned the room again, he saw Clay sitting at a table along one of the café’s side walls of exposed brick. He was with ahandsome man dressed in a navy suit. Clay saw him and waved Kyle over.
“Hi, Kyle. I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Finlay Reynolds. Finn, this is Kyle Rockingham-Rivera. He and his husband are staying at the B and B for a few days on their honeymoon.”
“Congratulations, Kyle. It’s very nice to meet you.”
“And you as well.”
Just then, Jon sauntered up to the table, carrying a food-laden tray.
Clay looked around and said, “I don’t see any free tables. You guys should join us.”
“We don’t want to impose,” Kyle said.
“Nonsense, sit.” Finn smiled.
“Finn, this is my husband, Jon. Jon, Finn is Clay’s boyfriend.”
“Nice to meet you,” Jon said, putting down the tray.
“Are you enjoying your stay in Hawthorne Bluff so far?” Clay asked.
“We are,” Kyle continued. “In fact, there’s another reason we’re here.”
“Okay, that doesn’t sound mysterious.” Finn chuckled.
“Nothing nefarious, I assure you,” Kyle continued. “Jon and I live in Washington, DC right now, and, well, a few months ago, my cousin and his wife were tragically killed in a car accident.”
“Oh, my goodness!” Clay exclaimed. “I’m so sorry.”
