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“You’re gonna need to install new plumbing and have gas lines run again. There’s an electrical issue in one of the bedrooms that I’ve never been able to have sorted out. I’m sure it will eventually cause a house fire, or at least that’s what my late husband always said, bless his soul. If you’re willing to spend a lot of money, you could really fix it up nice, but I wouldn’t feel right not telling you everything that’s wrong. My conscience would kill me, and I still have a few good years left in me,” she says, placing her hand on Katie’s shoulder.
“Thank you,” Katie tells her. “But you’re never gonna sell this house if you keep explaining to people why they shouldn’t buy it.”
“Oh, I know. Eventually, someone will offer me a price I can’t refuse, then doze it down and rebuild on the lot.” The old woman frowns. “But that’s not here nor there.”
I give her a sad smile.
“If you want the house, I’m sure it will still be here,” the woman assures her.
Katie and I thank her again on our way out.
“She was really nice.” Katie gives me a half-smile.
“She was,” I admit. “And honest.”
“No kidding. Cross that one off. I’m okay with spending money to fix whatever I can, but big issues like that scare me. Electrical. Plumbing. Gas. Those are all huge things. Plus, it needs to be leveled too. She’s right, it’s a money pit, and I appreciate her telling me because I thought it was cute. So you’ve seen Tyler every night this week?” She quickly changes the subject.
Just hearing his name gives me heart palpitations. “Yep, since last week. He’s been so helpful and actually listens when I talk. Prepares the most delicious dinners ever. I swear I’ll finally be able to gain that twenty pounds I’ve always wanted if he keeps this up. We talk about everything and don’t hold back on anything. Last weekend, we went to visit Noah, and it was like a dream.”
Katie snaps her eyes to mine, and I swallow hard. “Wait, he saw Noah?”
I hate that I slipped and mentioned him. “Yeah, we did. I only asked Tyler to join me because Robert always refused. I wanted Tyler to talk to him about life after prison, so Noah could have some idea what to expect,” I explain, and the mood turns sour. “I’m sorry, Katie.”
“It’s okay. I’d go with you, but your brother is such an asshole, he refuses to let me visit. It’s ridiculous.Fuck him.” She grabs the steering wheel tighter and exhales. “But I’m glad Tyler went with you. That’s really nice of him. We talked about Noah at the bar that night after the double date. I explained everything, how Noah refused to see me, and the way it all made me feel. Tyler actually made me understand the situation from Noah’s perspective a little more, but I’m still pissed. If your brother knows what’s good for him, he better never ever,everreach out to me. Not after how he cut me off when I needed him the most.”
“I’m not sure if I should warn him or just allow him to get his ass kicked by you if he gets brave. And I completely understand.”
Katie clenches her jaw. “He deserves it after what he did to me and the way he made me feel. While he might be behind bars, the loneliness I’ve experienced is more like being in prison than anything he’s experienced.”
I go quiet, not really sure what to say, so I quickly change the subject. “So...only two more on the list.”
“Yep! I kinda get why everyone has warned me away from a fixer-upper. But I’m determined,” she says with a smile, and we turn down a gravel road. The houses are spread far apart, and the lots are acres large. We continue driving until we come up on a large brick house.
“Better get a tractor for this one,” I say, noticing the vastness.
“Geez, you’re right. I didn’t realize this was a whole farm.” She glances around, and I see a wooden barn in the back. I start laughing and can’t seem to stop, and when Katie joins in, we’re like silly teenagers again tickled to death over nothing. A guy in overalls shows us around, and I can tell Katie doesn’t care for the layout. Considering she’s already got enough on her plate with working full-time and raising Owen, I don’t see her adding farmer to her list of things to do in life anytime soon.
“Okay, last one.” She lets out a long sigh once we thank the guy and head out. “I hope this one doesn’t suck, or I’ll be renting forever.”
“Well, considering it’s down the street from me, it’s already promising,” I try to encourage her. “And as I said, there are a ton of kids Owen’s age in the neighborhood. I see them riding their bikes and fishing in the creek. They seem friendly and always wave when I pass them. Plus, Dad has them decorating a scarecrow for the Harvest Festival or something. And they’ll mow your grass for twenty bucks.”
“That’s awesome!” Her tone is hopeful.
“They’re good kids,” I assure.
It doesn’t take long before we’re slowing in front of the two-story farmhouse. The outside needs some updating but has potential, and it doesn’t look haunted either.
“Ready?” I ask, reaching for the handle, and she nods.
We take the wooden steps that lead to the wraparound porch. The door is open, so we let ourselves inside.
“Hello?” Katie studies the tall ceilings. There’s a formal dining area and a gigantic living room with huge windows that oversee the fenced-in backyard. Some of the floorboards are soft, so those will need to be replaced.
“Just up here,” a woman shouts. Katie and I take the stairs and find the seller. She’s in her mid-fifties with strands of gray mixed in with her jet black hair.
“Hi,” she offers, holding out her hand. “I’m Aurora. Welcome. Feel free to wander around. Also, I’m entertaining any offers.”
Katie thanks her, and we take our time walking through every room on the top floor. “The closets are huge!” Katie’s voice is an octave higher, and I can tell she likes the place. None of the others had her so jazzed.
