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“I’m talking to a few companies,” she said swiftly. “I’ll be in touch.”
Her credit wouldn’t qualify for a loan, and she didn’t want to get in more debt over an idea that evenshewasn’t convinced would pan out. To say she’d lost confidence was a misnomer. That would mean she’d had some in the first place.
And she still had to get the Wi-Fi turned on. She’d be charged for the installation visit, probably for equipment, and then the monthly fee—that was why she’d turned off her cell phone service. Not to mention electric, gas, and there was water and sewage as well, though she hadn’t seen the bills yet. Iris hoped she hadn’t bitten off more than she could chew.
Of course you have,her mother’s voice said.That’s your specialty.
She shook her head fiercely. It occurred to her then that the house had income potential. Not as a B and B, but there were five bedrooms she could rent—one behind the kitchen, two on the second floor, two on the third. And she wouldn’t need to cater to roommates, hovering around with plates of scones or whatever. They’d fix their own food, and she’d collect the money. That base amount should be enough for her to live on while she continued with her jewelry business.
I can fix up the attic for myself. At least it’s finished, and I like the space. It’s big enough for me to set aside part of it as a studio. I’ll probably need to buy an air con, though.There was even enough old furniture stored up there that she could arrange it in a way that made sense for her private living space.
Her mind made up, she opened her laptop and wrote the ad before she could change her mind.
SEEKING ROOMMATE(S) FOR SPACIOUS VICTORIAN HOME IN QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD. PRIVATE ROOM, SHARED BATH. COMMUNAL USE OF KITCHEN, LIVING AREAS, AND LAUNDRY FACILITIES. NONSMOKERS, LIGHT DRINKING OK, NO DRUG USE AND NO PETS. IF INTERESTED, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH.
With an emphatic nod, she hit Send.
Eli had blown his chance to speak with Iris again.
When he’d spotted her, he froze, just like when they were in school. Instead of going over to say hi, he’d bolted like a coward. He told himself it was no big deal; he’d run into Iris again before she left town. St. Claire wasn’t a huge city by any means…only that hadn’t happened. He never saw her again, and he’d tucked away the vague disappointment.
Not meant to be, that’s all.
For the past two weeks, he’d focused on spending time with Gamma. They watched movies, chatted, ate meals together, and worked on the house. Eli did the heavy lifting while Gamma shared her many opinions regarding his work. Thankfully, sheneverasked about his social life or when he was planning to get married, and she respected his need to slip away to fly when the prospect of saying goodbye to her overwhelmed him.
And today, he drove her to the airport, reassuring her that he—and her house—would be fine.
“I’ll take pictures,” he promised, as they hugged in front of the security line. “So you can see how nice it looks when I list it.”
She hesitated. “You’re sure you don’t mind handling the sale for me?”
“It’s my pleasure, least I can do—”
“I didn’t raise you so you’d be grateful,” she cut in. “I love you to bits, little man.”
He grinned. That was what she’d called him his whole life, and it used to be more applicable than it currently was. Back then, it rubbed him raw since he wassofreaking small, but now, he found it cute, a cornerstone of their history. She’d never meant it as an insult either, unlike the kids at school.
“Love you more,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “Now go catch a plane. New Mexico needs some of your energy.”
“I’ll text you when I land!” she called, falling in with the other travelers.
It was a little ironic for an avian shifter to get on a plane, but she couldn’t take her belongings if she flew all the way to Albuquerque in bird form. On that mildly amusing thought, Eli wheeled and headed to the parking garage. He lined up and paid to exit, driving on automatic. Good thing he knew the way back to Gamma’s—what used to be Gamma’s house—in his sleep because when he came to himself again, he was turning left off the interstate, reflexively taking the main road that led into town.
He’d been up early, and he could use a coffee before he went back to painting. The house was almost empty; they’d kept onlyenough furniture for staging, removing all the clutter. Eli had read up on what he needed to do to get the best price for the house, and he took such matters seriously. His earnestness had gotten him in trouble more than once.
Do you see everything as a major deal? Lighten up; it’s not that deep.
It was, though. To him.
Eli snagged a choice parking spot in front of Java House and headed in for an iced coffee. He got his usual—almond milk latte with a shot of vanilla. Perfect. Then he stopped, gaze locked on the person he most wanted to see and never thought he would again.
Before he could even call it a decision, his feet carried him over to her. Iris Collins.
She looked up with a brilliant smile. “You’re here about the ad, right? You’re a bit early, but that’s fine. I like your enthusiasm.”
Uh, what?
She carried on talking, not seeming to read his befuddlement. “Have a seat. I’ll be honest, I’m so new at this that I don’t know what I’m doing. But I have a few questions.”
