us are squeamish about bugs.”
“Even cicadas?” Justin looked at Hope with glee. “Do they make you scream?”
Hope laughed. “I don’t mind most bugs, but yes, those little devils are creepy. I don’t scream, but I do dodge them when I can.”
A huge smile broke over Justin’s sweet face. “My mom used to scream real loud.” He straightened his shoulders. “I always had to get the bugs before she squashed them.”
His mom used to? Ivey wondered about his mother, but of course she didn’t ask. “I imagine here by the lake, you’ll find a lot of insects. Snakes, too. Are you familiar with snakes?”
“We didn’t see none in the city.” He turned to scrutinize Corbin. “You afraid of snakes?”
Without missing a beat, Corbin said, “Remember I told you my brother and I grew up near a lake? We saw a lot of snakes. Snapping turtles, too. It’d probably be a good idea for you to know the safe ones from the ones you should avoid.”
“Avoid them all,” Hope suggested. Then to Ivey, “I’m so glad we don’t deal with reptiles.”
“I’m a veterinarian,” Ivey explained to Justin. “Meaning a doctor for animals. Mostly dogs and cats, but also farm animals. As Hope said, we don’t treat reptiles.”
Blue eyes widening, Justin asked, “You get to work with dogs and cats?”
“What a perfect way to put it. Yes, I get to. Isn’t that wonderful?”
“Yeah.” He shot another sly glance at Corbin. “I’ve never had a pet.”
Again, Corbin seemed to skate right through the awkwardness of that disclosure. “How about you and I discuss it, maybe after we’ve shown the house?”
Justin’s mouth fell open, his expression turning to exhilaration. “You mean it?”
Now with a smile to rival his son’s, Corbin nodded. “I won’t ever say anything I don’t mean, okay?”
Such an odd exchange. To Ivey, it almost seemed like father and son were strangers. She and Hope shared a brief look.
Corbin ignored it. “Right up these stairs.”
Ivey took the lead, followed by Hope, Justin and then Corbin.
“I had it cleaned, but not much else,” Corbin said. “The paint still looked okay to me, but if you take it, feel free to brighten it up.”
The stairs opened with a three-piece bathroom to the left, the only bedroom straight ahead, and a living room/kitchen combo to the right.
The space was small but had definite charm. Ivey watched Hope and saw the way she glanced into the bathroom, then moved more quickly into the bedroom as her excitement built. A mirrored closet ran the length of the wall opposite from where the bed would probably go.
Ivey followed Hope as she entered the corner kitchen that was certainly big enough for one petite woman, but would make entertaining difficult.
Not that Hope ever entertained, not even to date. She kept to herself and other than occasionally grabbing a meal or seeing a movie with Ivey, she spent her evenings at home. Alone.
In the living room, sliding doors opened to a deck over the garage. All the windows made the rooms feel bigger, and with the woods off the back and one side, the lake on the other, the small house offered plenty of privacy.
Hope turned to where Corbin stood back, arms folded, just outside the kitchen, giving her a chance to look around. “I love it.”
“Glad to hear it.” He moved closer but still gave Hope plenty of space. “Justin and I only recently moved in ourselves, and we still have a lot to do to the main house, but I figured this place was ready to go.”
“It is, and if you don’t mind, I’ll take it.”
“Well, that was easy.” He glanced down at Justin. “We don’t mind at all, do we?”
Taken aback by the question, Justin lifted his narrow shoulders in uncertainty. “Guess not.”
Casually but also with caution, Corbin put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “We were going down to the lake to check it out, and we already have plans over the weekend. Monday and Tuesday I have errands to run and I don’t know how late I’ll be. We could finalize paperwork next Wednesday, if that works for you.”
“I understand. You’ll want to do a background check.” Hope dug into her purse. “I brought my proof of income and a letter from my employer.”
“Me,” Ivey said, lifting one hand.
As Corbin accepted the paperwork, he fought a grin and lost. “So Wednesday works?”
“Yes...as long as you promise to hold it for me?”
“Consider it yours.”
Blowing out a deep breath, Hope laughed. “Thank you.”
Ivey grinned, too. Obviously Hope loved