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“Great.” They shook hands. “I’ll have Megan put in the offer today.”
“When are you going to show it to Laurel?”
“After they accept my offer.”
Harlan’s eyebrows rose. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“I’m not sure of anything with Laurel. But whether she likes it or not, she’s going to need help and I want to be with her and the kids. All the kids. So I need a house.”
“Can’t argue that.”
Zack shrugged. “I want her to be involved with the remodeling. But even if she won’t, I’m going ahead with it.”
*
Laurel had noidea what Zack was up to but she knew he was up to something. He’d been acting a little oddly the last week or so, but she couldn’t put her finger on what was wrong. Or maybe it was something good. Whichever it was, on Saturday Travis and Tobi had taken the kids to the park and to lunch afterward and Zack had said he had a surprise for her.
Then he blindfolded her—a blindfold, for God’s sake—and drove her to some mysterious place. He helped her out of the car, still blindfolded, walked a few steps with her and told her to take off the blindfold.
They stood in front of a house. The old Schaefer house, to be exact. The place had been empty and falling apart for years. There was a Sold sign on top of the For Sale sign in the front yard. Oh, no. He didn’t. He couldn’t have…
Zack was looking at her anxiously. “What do you think?”
What do I think? I’ve always loved this house. I hated to see it so neglected.“Why are we looking at this house?”
“Because I bought it. It needs work, of course, but the price was great. I want you and Cody and Katrina to move in here with me. After we do some work on it, of course.”
Somework? Try a ton of work. “Zack, I told you I’d think about marrying you but—”
“I know you’re not ready for marriage yet,” he interrupted. “But that’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking you to move in with me. Here, in this house. Let me show you around before you answer me.”
She ought to just say no and be done with it. But Zack was so obviously excited and happy that she couldn’t bear to disappoint him. And to be honest, she was dying to see the inside.
“Harlan looked at it before I made an offer,” Zack said as they climbed the front steps. “He says the structure is sound and what needs to be done is mostly cosmetic. He also said the wood floors will be beautiful once they’re refinished and he talked about the crown molding.” Zack laughed. “Not being a builder, I hadn’t noticed a lot of the things Harlan talked about. I just knew I liked it. Oh, and Harlan also agreed to do the remodeling.”
Of course he did. That was no surprise. Harlan and Travis both had been after her to move to better housing since the moment she’d moved into the Texan, shortly after Stan left and she discovered she was flat broke.
Her heart sank as she and Zack walked through the place. Yes, it needed work. But she saw as much promise in the old house as Zack did. The rooms were big, unusually large for a house of its era. Upstairs there were four bedrooms and two baths. Or three bedrooms and a playroom or office, whichever was necessary.
The master bedroom was downstairs and quite large. There was a sitting area by a window looking out into the backyard. There was a wood floor that had been carpeted over but thankfully the old carpet had been removed. The bedroom had the same crown molding Harlan had spoken of to Zack.
The master bathroom had been updated in the not terribly distant past, with the installation of a shower and some grab bars. There was also an antique claw-foot tub. It needed to be refinished badly but Laurel could see it as it once was, with the interior gleaming white and the exterior painted a robin’s-egg blue. Or maybe it should be painted a pale yellow—
“We can get rid of that tub and get a new one,” Zack said.
She stared at him. “Are you insane? That tub is gorgeous. Well, it will be once it’s refinished and painted.”
Zack grinned. “Whatever you say, dear.”
The kitchen was an old, spacious country kitchen. Like almost everything else in the house, it needed updating badly but Laurel knew it would be beautiful once it was given the attention it deserved.
They went outside to the big wraparound porch. “Watch your step,” Zack said, holding on to her. “Some of the wood has rotted away.”
Looking at the front yard, Zack sighed. “We’d probably need to plow under the yard, except for some of the trees.”
“Not all of it. Just the part that’s supposed to be grass. The flower beds have roses and wisteria and who knows what else is hidden beneath the weeds.”
“What do you think?” Zack asked again. “Can you see yourself and the kids living here?”
Oh, God, it would be wonderful.
“I see why you chose this house. It has so much potential. I’m sure the kids and I would love it.”
“I sense a but coming.”
“I can’t do it, Zack. It would be a commitment I’m not ready to make.”
“Damn it, Laurel, I’m not asking you to marry me.”
“I know. But living together is a huge step. Almost as big as marriage.” Tears stung her eyes and she blinked them away rapidly. “I can’t.”
