Finn's Fantasy (Maine Men #1) - K.C. Wells Page 0,21
Reed didn’t come back with a declaration that he certainly didn’t intend selling, Joel was heartened. If anything, there was definite interest in Mr. Reed’s voice. “You thinking of going into the rental business then?”
Joel gazed at the interior of the cute cottage. “No, I want to live in it. What do you say?” He couldn’t recall ever acting so quickly on an impulse, but it felt right.
“You haven’t been talking to my wife, have you?” Before Joel could inquire what that meant, Mr. Reed chuckled. “She was only saying last week that I should get rid of it. How weird is that?”
“Then you’ll consider it?”
Another pause. “Let me crunch the numbers, and I’ll get back to you. If we can agree on a price, you’ve got a deal. The wife will be tickled pink.” He cackled. “As long as she don’t get ideas about going on a cruise with the proceeds. I’ve got a few ideas of my own.”
Oh my God. There was a lightness in Joel’s chest, and he wore a grin that only Bramble could see. “I look forward to hearing from you.” Joel thanked him and disconnected. He sat on a chair at the kitchen table, and Bramble came over to rest his nose on Joel’s knee. Joel stroked his silky head. “Hey boy,” he said softly. “We might make this a home after all.”
A home Nate and Laura feel happy to visit anytime.
It was an exhilarating feeling, this conviction that all the pieces of Joel’s life were clicking into place, that he could finally live the way he’d dreamed of, back when he was seventeen and trying to keep secret the fact that he had a boyfriend.
And that was the final piece—someone to share his life with.
Someone to love.
Chapter Six
Joel was halfway along Dyke Road when he realized he had to tell someone about the morning’s events. It had taken Mr. Reed two days to come back to him, but the result had more than made up for the waiting. Joel had been buzzing ever since his call early that morning, and there was only one person who could understand and share in his excitement. He pulled up Carrie’s number and clicked Call.
“Hey. How are you doing?” She paused. “Are you outside? I can hear the wind.”
“I’m walking to the store. I ran out of bread. Listen, I have news. I’m buying a house.” Arranging the mortgage had taken up the second half of his morning, and the paperwork would be in the mail.
“Really?” Carrie sounded delighted. “That’s awesome. Where is it?”
“Mills Road. A little place called Periwinkle.”
Silence. “How can you buy it? I thought it was a rental.”
“It is, but the landlord has decided to sell it, and I want to buy it.”
“Have you thought this through?”
Joel chuckled. “Trust me, I’ve thought of little else for the past three days. He came up with a good price, I did the math, and I can afford the mortgage payments. I really do like the place, Carrie. It feels good. And we agreed I could buy it as is, so at least I’ll have furniture. That’s one less headache.”
“What brought all this on? I thought you were going to stay there for a while, and check out other places.”
“So did I, until I put my foot through the deck out back.”
“You did what? Are you okay?”
Warmth filled him at the concern in her voice. “I’m fine. Not even scratched. But talking to the landlord got me thinking. I arranged the mortgage this morning. And although it’s premature, because I don’t own the place yet, the first thing I need to do is sort out some repairs. Starting with that deck.”
“If you’re really buying the place, then don’t repair it. Why not have an all-new-and-improved deck? Tear down the old one, and build a new one from scratch.”
Joel liked that idea. “In that case, I’d better start looking for help.” He stopped outside the store. “I’ll call you when I have more news.”
“Joel? I’m really happy for you. I’m glad you’re putting down roots.”
“Me too. I just didn’t expect to be doing it so soon.” They disconnected, and he went into the store.
The lady who was usually behind the cash register was stacking cans on the shelves. She smiled as he entered. “Hello there. Where’s that gorgeous dog of yours?”
“At home. And you’re going to be seeing more of us.” That buzz hadn’t abated in the slightest. “I’m buying a house.”