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“I’m not a grandmother,” Gus grumbled in his deep, gritty, voice, and Minty laughed her tinkling laugh.
At the next house, the little hope I had left, sputtered and died. If anything, this house was better than the first. Granite countertops, modern bathrooms, open concept kitchen and family room, and move-in ready. But if a house had a taste, I’d say this one needed salt.
“You don’t like this one, either,” Gus guessed. “Probably for the same reasons.”
I sighed. “I’m sorry, Gus.”
“What are you sorry for?” Gus asked, surprised.
“Wasting your time.”
He snorted. “No, Ruby, it’s fine. In fact, why don’t you humour me and come see the other house, the one we eliminated?”
The third house needed work.
Lots of it.
The kitchen cabinetry was solid wood which we could refinish, but that was the only thing it had going for it. It needed new flooring, new countertops, sinks, toilets, bathtubs, and appliances. The walls appeared to have been builder’s beige a couple of decades ago and now looked almost camo with all their marks and smudges.
None of it mattered.
Wide, gorgeous trim ran along the baseboards and framed the doors. A solid wood staircase with its square, carved newel post led to the upstairs. Nooks and crannies and ledges were built into the walls, and the woodburning fireplace took my breath away. Stained glass transom windows graced the top of the interior doors, and both the kitchen and the family room boasted a brick wall. Vintage glass ceiling fixtures lit the kitchen, and the chandelier in the dining room swung from a beautifully intricate ceiling medallion.
I turned to Gus and spread my hands wide. “I am in love.”
Minty laughed her tinkling laugh, and Gus grinned.
“The good thing about this home, Ruby, is you and Vander and the boys can make it how you want it. It’ll be your first big project as a family,” Gus rumbled.
I pulled in a breath, a deep sense of satisfaction pervading my system.
“The other good thing is that it’s walking distance to our place. Jace and Alex will take the same bus to school, and it’ll be easier for them to meet up.”
“When can we show Vander?” I asked excitedly.
“You don’t want to think about it over night, Ruby?” Minty checked.
I shook my head. “I don’t think so, Minty. I think, if Vander likes it, this is the one.”
“Before you get excited, let me pull up all the information I have on this house. There should be a recent inspection, but you’ll want to hire your own guy. Actually, I have a guy I can call for you guys.”
“Okay!” I clapped my hands excitedly and Minty laughed. “You do your research and call your guy. If it’s good, can we meet back here tomorrow with Vander and Jace?”
Gus threw a beefy arm over my shoulders. “I’ll be happy to.”
I made a mental note to make sure George could join us for the house inspection through the magic of FaceTime. I’d get Jace to do that. A niggling doubt wiggled into my consciousness. What if Jace was not on board with the move?
Vander
Something was up with Ruby. I didn’t think it was anything bad because Jace was obviously in on it, and he seemed excited.
I waited until we were in bed before I confronted her. I turned on my side to face her and took the book out of her hand.
“What are you up to, Ruby-mine?”
Her eyes widened comically, and her face flushed. “What do you mean?”
I laughed, loud. “Ruby, you are a terrible liar, and you are even worse at keeping secrets. What’s going on?”
