Page 50 of What Comes Around

The car turned smoothly at the next light.

Ten minutes later we pulled up in front of a pale stone house with a For Sale sign planted in the lawn. A silver sedan waited in the driveway.

“That’s it,” I said. “Thank you.”

Knox studied the house through the windshield.

“You’re meeting him alone?”

“Yes,” I said, already opening the door.

I stepped onto the sidewalk, my heels clicking against the concrete, and walked toward the house. The agent was waiting near the front steps, a man in his forties with neatly combed hair and an eager smile.

Behind me, I heard a car door open.

I turned, brows knitting slightly.

Knox stepped out of the SUV and walked up beside me.

“What…?” I started.

“I will look at the house with you,” he said.

A second later Titan lumbered up to join us, his leash held loosely in Nathan’s hand.

I stared at him, momentarily thrown.

The realtor recovered quickly. “Wonderful. I’m Tim,” he said, already ushering us toward the door. “Three bedrooms, two baths. Recently renovated. Original hardwood.”

Knox followed me inside, hands in his pockets, scanning the space like he was assessing a hostile environment rather than a living room.

I moved slowly through the entryway, trying to imagine furniture filling the open space.

“So,” Knox said behind me, “why a house?”

I glanced back at him. “Because I want something bigger. And I don’t want to rent forever.”

“Why now?”

“I want something that’s mine,” I said. “I want to settle. A backyard, maybe a dog one day.”

Tim nodded enthusiastically. “Many people feel that way once they reach a certain stage in life.”

Knox was studying the window. “The fence is too low.”

“It can be reinforced,” Tim said quickly. “Very easily.”

“And the street is visible from the living room.”

“Landscaping solves that.”

We moved into the kitchen. Knox opened cabinets, tested the back door, checked the frame.

“The garage opens straight into the kitchen.”

Tim hesitated for half a second. “Which is very convenient.”

It is also very stupid,” Knox said calmly.