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“I know. I’ve gotten used to having you clowns close by. But Devyn really wants to have space for Hannah and Heath. Right now she still has temporary legal guardianship. Vera has to take some parenting classes and go to counseling before the court will even consider restoring her custody after the shit she pulled. And Dev wants to make sure the kids know there’s always room for them with us regardless. My gut says they’ll wind up living with us for the long haul.”
“That’s a big undertaking, my friend. A new baby, two teens, and a big fat mortgage.”
“It is. But I’ve never been happier.”
Holden smiled. “The HVAC system is less than five years old, pipes are all corrosion-resistant copper and PVC, and I don’t see any stress cracks or structural issues.”
I blew out a relieved breath. “Thanks, man. I appreciate you coming with me.”
“No problem. But you know it wasn’t a freebie. Your ass is babysitting next weekend so I can take my hot wife out to dinner.”
I chuckled. “You got it.”
I locked the house behind us, and as Holden and I walked down the front steps, a woman approached. I hadn’t met the homeowner, but I’d spoken to her on the phone... “Are you Mrs. Meyers?”
“Sure am.”
I extended a hand. “Owen Dawson. Thank you for letting me see the house this morning. I appreciate it.”
“No problem. But I’m afraid you’ve wasted a trip. I just got an offer a half hour ago.”
My face fell. “Really?”
She nodded. “Sorry to have you come for nothing.”
Panic washed over me. I’d seen my family living here—actually dreamed about it the other night. I’d pictured Devyn and me wallpapering the baby’s room, pushing a stroller through the park at the corner, and making dinner side by side in the kitchen while music played.
“Have you accepted the offer already? I’ll make a better one if you haven’t signed the paperwork yet.”
The woman smiled. “I accepted. The paperwork isn’t signed, but this house means a lot to me. I met the buyer, and I’m happy it’s going to good people who want to raise their family here. I got a fair price, so I’m afraid it’s a done deal.”
Dejected, I didn’t bother to tell her I had wanted to raise my family here, too. I forced a smile. “Okay, thank you. I’ll talk to the listing agent and put in a backup offer anyway. Just in case something falls through.”
“Good luck in your search.”
“Thanks.”
I walked away with a hollow feeling in my gut. Holden put a hand on my shoulder. “Sorry, man. I could tell you really had your hopes up.”
I shook my head. “I can’t believe someone just bought the place out from under me.”
“I know. It sucks. It’s a great house. But over the last few years I’ve come to believe everything happens for a reason, in its own time. There’s something bigger and better waiting for you.”
He meant well, but I didn’twantsomething bigger and better. I’d had my heart set on that place. It felt right. I looked back one more time and felt a pang of loss in my chest.
The rest of the afternoon, I couldn’t shake this melancholy feeling. I went back to the office and trolled the new sales listings to see if anything interesting popped up. But everything was either way out of my price range, in a crappy neighborhood, or too small for what Dev and I needed. I was kicking myself in the ass for taking too long to make an offer. If I’d done it an hour earlier, that house might’ve been mine. The only time my mood perked up was when Devyn called.
“Hey, babe,” I answered.
“I think I just felt the baby move!”
“Holy shit. Really?”
“Yep. I was sitting on the couch after a two-hour work conference call, eating some Oreos. I ate two and really wanted to break out the milk and dunk the rest of the package. But my pants are already tight, so I stopped myself. I got up to put the cookies in the cabinet, to get rid of the temptation, and the minute I shut the cabinet door, I felt a kick.”
“Holy shit.”
“I know! This baby kicked me because she wanted Oreos, and I wasn’t going to give her any more.”
