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Before Levi reached Maggie’s house, he received a text from Sally, asking him if he had decided to hire her brokerage to represent him in the purchase of the Jacobs family home.
Yet another thing to talk to Maggie about.
Levi wasn’t sure if Maggie could handle the extra decision burden after a long day. However, they had to discuss these things before Maggie left town the week after Christmas.
If Maggie was sure God had called her to Lakeside, then Levi would be more than happy to drive the U-Haul truck for her.
However, he wondered if Maggie wasn’t the one who was forcing herself to make this sudden change in her career. Perhaps this whole exercise was not from God.
Levi pulled onto Maggie’s driveway. Before he could get out of his truck, Maggie opened the garage door and came out in a wool coat. Levi could see the Georgia Bulldogs pajama pants underneath the coat.
“Took you long enough. I’m starving.” Maggie opened the passenger side door and picked up the plastic takeout bag.
“It might be heavy. Let me do it.” Levi came around the truck.
“I’m fine. It’s not too heavy. Just two dishes, soup, and rice. I can carry this.” She walked back toward the garage. Then stopped. “Thank you, Levi, for getting us dinner.”
“Welcome.” Levi locked the old truck, and then followed Maggie into the house.
The garage led to the old kitchen, where Maggie had prepared two plates, two bowls, and two sets of silverware on the breakfast counter.
She put the plastic bag on the counter and took out what they ordered. “Wash your hands and we can eat.”
Levi washed his hands in the sink, looking out through the window at the square-foot garden, now barren. In the spring, there would be herbs, vegetables, and sometimes flowers growing out of those squares. He recalled watering the plants and weeding the garden when Maggie and Malachi had been too busy.
Once this house was sold, he couldn’t do that anymore.
Levi dried his hands on a hand towel by the refrigerator. He hugged Maggie from behind.
“Let’s do this,” he said.
Maggie raised an eyebrow at him. “What?”
“Let’s buy this house.”
Maggie put a serving spoon in the container of rice. “You and me?”
“Yes, me and you. We can discuss it over dinner.” Levi decided that if Maggie was interested at all, he’d introduce her to his real estate agent and see what Maggie thought.
Maggie sat down next to Levi. “Let’s say grace first and ask God for wisdom. You pray.”
“Lord Jesus, we come before You today. We want to be transparent, with all our problems laid bare before You,” Levi prayed. “Bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies, and give us wisdom in every area we’re concerned about, including whether we should buy this house. In Your holy name, I pray. Amen.”
They started eating the crab meat soup before Levi said more. “If we combine my job at the church warehouse and your job at Lakeside Resort, we might be able to get a loan to buy this house from your parents at market price. We won’t need a big loan because I’ll sell my townhouse in Dunwoody.”
“Then your contribution to this project would be more than fifty percent. I have some small savings, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to empty out my bank account to put into a house that’s built in the fifties.”
“I know what you mean. I have some inheritance money but we might need that for future things. Rainy day and all that.”
“Right. I’ve checked the recent sales in this area, and these houses are over half a million dollars if renovated. My parents did some repainting but most of the house is still stuck in the fifties, as you can see.” Maggie waved her hand. “If I were to buy this house, I’d gut the interior and redo it to be more modern and open. I’d also change the windows because the insulation is not that great.”
“The home inspector would be able to tell us what else is wrong with a house this old.”
“It crossed my mind to ask my parents if I could rent-to-own. But that was before I found out that Colette’s assistant left to stay at home with her kids.” Maggie stirred the soup in her bowl. “I kept thinking that I’ve prayed about this so many times. I understand that getting out of the boat involves risks, but I am willing to take a step of faith forward.”
“If this is really what God wants you to do.” Levi put a few scoops of chicken over rice on his plate.
“So far I’m afraid to backtrack. I was sure I felt peace, you know?”
