Page 51 of What Comes Around

I bit my lip to keep from smiling.

“We have two more houses nearby,” Tim said quickly. “Both available to view today.”

Knox glanced at me. “We’ll see them.”

“You’re coming to the next one too?” I asked, surprised.

“I have nothing better to do,” he said.

I didn’t believe that for a second.

Still, I rode with him. Titan settled in the back seat, his nose pressed to the window like a bored child.

At the second house, Knox barely let me enjoy the tour.

“Back alley access. Blind spot near the garage. No exterior cameras.”

Tim’s smile began to strain.

I didn’t love the house anyway.

The third one was different. The moment I stepped out of the car, something in my chest shifted. White siding. A wide porch. Trees lining the yard, with a swing hanging from one of them.

I didn’t say anything. I didn’t need to.

Knox saw it.

He went quiet.

Inside, the rooms felt warm, filled with soft light. The kitchen opened easily into the living space, and a sunroom faced the backyard. I wandered into the garage. Two empty spaces. Clean concrete. Storage shelves.

“I’ll need to buy a car,” I said, half to myself. “It’ll be a thirty-minute commute in the mornings.”

Knox appeared in the doorway.

“We have reserved parking for key employees,” he said. “Send an email to HR. They’ll issue you a parking pass.”

I turned to him. “Just like that?”

“Yes.”

“That… helps a lot.”

He nodded once.

Back inside, the realtor gestured between us. “You two will love entertaining here.”

“I’m not his wife,” I said. “He’s my boss.”

Silence followed. Knox said nothing.

The realtor cleared his throat. “Of course. My mistake.”

I walked to the back window and looked out at the yard where Titan was rolling happily in the grass.

“I want this one,” I said quietly.

The realtor brightened immediately. “Wonderful. We can make an offer today.”