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Jack looked over at the inn, where his sister lived in the cottage behind it, grinning from ear to ear. “If the inside is as good as the location, I’ll be sold.”
“Let’s have a look!”
He gestured for Carolyn to head up the cement walkway ahead of him. If he weren’t such a nice guy, he’d point out that the concept of saving the best for last wasn’t the smartest idea. If she’d shown him this house before the others on her list ofsmallerfamily-friendly homes, he likely wouldn’t still be looking at houses at half past five.
But as soon as she unlocked the front door and he stepped into the quaint living room area, Jack forgot all about those inner grumblings. The space was empty, yet his mind conjured up images of it filled with exactly the right furniture to suit his needs and minimalist style.
He could imagine sitting in front of the brick fireplace after a long day. He’d stare at the flames while he worked out a hard case or tried to forget a brutal one, and he could already tell it’d be a great spot for some late-night paperwork.
He could also see himself feeling nothing but pride if he met a woman and invited her back here for a home-cooked meal and a glass of wine in front of that same fire. Holly wasn’t the only one who’d inherited their mother’s cooking talents, though his style was admittedly less fit for the Food Network than his sister’s.
“What do you think?” Carolyn asked as he meandered through the large space that made up the living room, dining room, and kitchen.
“So far, so good,” he said in a measured tone. He pointed toward a hallway on the right. “Bedrooms?”
“Yes,” she said as she followed him back there. “You’ll have one bedroom here toward the front of the house, a hall bath, and the primary bedroom in the back with its own en-suite bathroom and walk-in closet.”
Jack peered into the first room, figuring it would make a good home office and exercise room combo. He could store some gear in the closet, maybe mount a mirror on the wall, and lay down an exercise mat for floor work.
Next, he ducked into the hall bathroom and found it to be basic but modern in design and exceptionally clean. And it would stay that way, too, since he’d shared a bathroom with Tommy when they were roomies in Philly. He loved the guy, but man. Jack thought he might be allergic to picking up after himself. Maybe the Army hadn’t beaten that into him as hard as the Marines had beaten it into Jack. And yes, he’d had to dodge a jab or two from Tommy every time he’d said that to his face.
Finally, Jack meandered into what would be his bedroom, and after taking a quick spin to check out the decently sized closet, he stepped into the bathroom he’d get to call his own. It had a glass-enclosed shower, which saved him from having to wrestle with those hooks to hang a curtain, so that was a clear plus.
There was also a claw-foot tub that he had absolutely no interest in using but thought it might make a good selling point for the future love of his life. Now, whether that woman was a blonde single mom who looked like the type to relax in the tub after a long day in those heels remained to be seen, but still.
He turned to Carolyn and nodded once. “I’ll take it.”
She blinked. “Really? We have a winner?”
“We have a winner.”
“Do you want to see the backyard or anything?”
He shrugged. “Sure, but I’m sold either way, so if it’s not good, I’ll just hire someone to redo it.”
Carolyn chuckled as she led him through the house toward the back door. “I’m sure you’ll find it to be acceptable as it is.”
As they stepped onto the back porch, Jack immediately agreed with her. There was a fence framing the long and narrow yard which had an oblong area of faux grass with a cobblestone and rock border surrounding it. There was room for a table and chairs, and maybe a firepit at the far end of the grass with some seating out there too.
“I like it,” he told her, crossing his arms as he continued to survey the backyard. “Low maintenance.”
“Exactly.”
“Okay, well, what’s next?” He rubbed his hands together, eager to get the show on the road. He wanted to get over to the inn for a hot meal and a shower, and thankfully, he wouldn’t have far to walk to make that happen.
“I’ll reach out tomorrow to discuss your terms in further detail. Then we’ll do some paperwork, make the official offer, and go from there.”
Jack consented to this plan, and as they moved through the house one final time on the way to the door, he couldn’t help but snap a selfie in front of the fire with a goofy grin and his thumb hooked over his shoulder to gesture at it. He fired the photo off to Tommy and told him he’d picked a winner, then tucked his phone in his pocket.
“Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask,” Carolyn said as she opened the front door for him. “Why are you carrying around a superhero lunch box? Were you worried we’d be out so long that you’d need provisions or something?”
Jack looked down at the lunchbox with a chuckle. “Oh, this? I found it when we were walking earlier.”
“So you decided to keep it?”
“I checked the name on the inside and know the owner. I think she’ll be happy to have it back.”
He’d stepped onto the porch as he said the words, and when he looked up, his eyes locked on the set of warm brown ones that’d been haunting his thoughts all day.
