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While I was working, Calvin poured a glass of cabernet for me and set it on the counter. Once I had the initial prep done and could take a breather, I reached for the cab and took a sip. It was one we’d selected during our last wine-tasting trip to Gilbert, and I was touched that he’d thought to choose it for our wine that night.
Then, because I figured I’d better tell him the news right away and get it over with, I blurted, “My mom and her husband bought a house in Globe.”
Calvin didn’t look too startled by that statement, but then again, it took a lot to knock him off balance. “They did?”
I nodded and sipped some more wine. “Yes. The Bigelow mansion. You know it?”
That reply actually made him raise an eyebrow. “Everyone around here knows the Bigelow mansion. I didn’t realize it was for sale, though.”
“It was. Josie said there was some kind of bidding war.”
Some people might have asked if my mother and Tom could afford that sort of thing, but Calvin wasn’t some people. He digested my statement, then nodded and said, “It’s an impressive place, from what I’ve heard.”
“You’ve never been there?”
“No.” He had a glass of wine of his own sitting on the counter, and he reached for it and drank some before adding, “Never had any reason to. The owners weren’t the kind of people to open it up for just anyone, even though I know the historical society wanted them to give tours as fundraisers or something. I suppose Josie would know more about that.”
I made a mental note to ask her when I got the chance. It didn’t seem very friendly to not share such a historic home, but then again, I suppose I wouldn’t have been overly thrilled at the idea of a bunch of strangers tromping through my carefully restored Victorian house.
“I’m surprised they’d sell the place at all if they were so protective of it, even if they’re moving to a condo.”
Calvin shrugged. “A place like that is a lot of work. And I know the current owners have been there for a really long time. They probably decided it was time to pass the baton.”
And make a healthy profit on the place at the same time. Obviously, I had no idea what they’d originally paid for the place, but anyone who’d owned a house for more than forty years was going to be rolling in equity unless they’d gotten crazy about taking out second — or third — mortgages.
Since Calvin was being so mellow about the whole thing, I figured I might as well press on. “I know my mother and Tom are going to want to meet you.”
Another lift of his shoulders. “Sure,” he said. “Maybe we can all go out for dinner or something. I suppose it would be odd if we didn’t, considering you and I have been dating for a few months now.”
“You don’t think it’s too soon?”
He grinned and set down his wine glass, then came over and gave me a hug and a delicious cabernet-flavored kiss. “As long as they don’t start asking me about my intentions, I think we’ll be fine.”
I smiled in return, even as I wondered what his intentions actually were. We got along very well together, that much was obvious, but neither one of us had brought up the subject of our future. For my part, I didn’t want to jinx things, and I also told myself two months into a relationship was probably a bit too soon to be picking out china patterns.
If that was even still a thing.
“My mom is pretty chill, so I don’t think you need to worry about that,” I said. “And Tom generally follows her lead.”
I didn’t mention that Tom was mostly glad I’d turned out to be self-supporting despite my somewhat wacky profession. His own kids were the type who always had a hand out for help; my mother hadn’t said anything to me directly, but I got the impression that Tom had bought their houses and their cars for them. Great that he had the money to do so, I suppose, and yet I was proud of myself that I’d never asked for anything from my mom’s husband.
“That’ll be a nice change,” Calvin said, somewhat cryptically.
Was he referring to his own parents? He still hadn’t said much about them to me, probably because he didn’t want to open a line of discussion that he’d have to shut down at some point. I honestly didn’t know whether they knew we were dating, although they’d have to be pretty out of the loop not to have heard something on the Globe grapevine.
I wouldn’t ask, though. Things were going smoothly for Calvin and me, and I wanted matters to stay that way. The arrival of my mother and Tom would be a teeny little bump, nothing to worry about. And once they’d surveyed their new purchase, they’d be back off to California, and Calvin and I could continue doing, well, whatever it was we were doing.
Piece of cake.
Absolutely nothing to worry about.
3
That Old House Smell
The text from my mother came in at a little past four-thirty.
We’re just passing through Mesa now. The nav says we’ll be there in about an hour.
