Chapter 7
My father continued walking around the house, grunting and making odd noises. Landry leaned against the kitchen doorframe. He waited until my father was out of earshot before speaking. “I can’t tell if he likes it or hates it.”
“He likes the house. Hates the idea of me not moving in with him for good.”
“Aha.”
Samson came down the stairs, his eyes wide and locked on me. He looked pale, so did my best friend, Natasha, who had driven in from the city to look around at the home that had officially become mine the day prior. She put a hand on Samson’s shoulder, steadying herself with him.
“Well,” I said. “What do you think? It’s perfect and totally me, isn’t it?”
My brother cleared his throat. “Uh, Mer, the, uh, the one room at the end of the hall. With the stars. It, umm…”
Natasha pushed in front of him, coming to me. “Meredith, what would possess you to decorate it like that?”
“I love you, but that’s morbid, Meredith,” Samson said. “Has Dad been up there yet?”
“Not yet.”
“I’ll keep him busy. Tasha, will you help her get that stuff down before he gets up there.”
Natasha nodded.
I caught my brother’s arm. “Samson, I didn’t decorate it. I haven’t done anything here yet.”
“What? You’re saying it came that way?”
“Yes.”
He and Natasha drew in a big breath and made a move to come to me. Putting my hand up, I forced a smile to my face. “It’s just a room. Once I’m in here, I’ll figure things out about decorating. For now, it’s fine.”
“F-fine?” Samson asked.
Natasha took my hand in hers. “How about you let Samson and I go up there and take everything down? We can make a quick trip to the store and get some paint. Pick a color. Any color, and he and I will paint it right now. Today.”
“It’s a beautiful room,” I said softly.
“Yes, it is.” Natasha hugged me. “We’ll run to the store and be back in a bit, okay.”
Landry looked over her head at me. “Mer?”
My dad approached. “This home is certainly very you, darlin’. How about a tour of the upstairs, and then I’ll take a look at that dock. Landry mentioned it needs to be replaced.”
“Uh, Dad,” Samson said. “What do you say we stop and go up to the diner for lunch? We can look at the rest of the house another day. It’s not going anywhere.”
My father lifted a brow.
“Dad, there is a room upstairs that’s a nursery. Actually, it’s almost identical to the one I designed back when I was living that fairytale I like to call my past life. Remember when Phillip forced me to sit and sketch what I wanted it to look like, and when he and I made that one mobile thing out of mirrors. The room up there is like a carbon copy of that.”
He nodded, pursing his lips slightly. “I already know.”
We all stared at him.
“Things ended so fast that a lot of details were lost in the shuffle.”
“Dad?” Samson questioned.
“Did you look hard at who it is this home was bought from?”
I shook my head. “It was one of the Macy properties. They own half the town. Why?”
“Not Macy Industries, Meredith. Phillip Macy himself,” my father said. “That boy was so excited when he bought this. He pulled me all through house, telling me that he knew you’d love it here. I met him here one day and he couldn’t wait to show me that nursery. He’d decorated it himself, off those designs he had you draw up. The boy even made that chandelier thing in there. He didn’t want me to tell you what he’d done yet. He wanted the whole house done before he showed it to you.” He looked away. “The two of you ended things a few weeks later and he never got much past the nursery.”
Natasha teared up. “Mer? Honey, are you okay?”
I stared around the lower level and the next thing I knew, I was laughing, nearly hysterical.
My brother looked lost. So did my father.
Landry reached for me, and I went to him, still laughing. Patting his chest, I stared up at him. “Boy, did you ever guess right when you thought of me and this house.”
The corner of his mouth tugged upward. “It does have that certain Meredith flare.”
I laughed harder, clinging to him. “Ohmygod, I just bought a house from my ex. I’m shocked he sold it to me. Bet he could have gotten a way better price.”
“Actually,” my father said. “He called me, wanting me to take the money and put it back in your accounts. He said he’d bought this house for you and he wanted you to have it.”
“What did you tell him?”
“That if he wanted to keep his manhood attached to where it was located, and not have my daughter driving to find him and rip it clean off, he’d let it be and just stay the hell out of it from this point on.”
I launched myself at my father. “I love you!” I smothered him in chaste kisses. “Love. Love. Love you!”
Natasha and Samson even laughed at that.
“Anyone think it’s kind of funny Landry picked this place? He apparently knows Mer well.” Natasha wrinkled her nose, nudging Landry lightly. “If you tell me you’re a rich playboy, I will be forced to kill you for the sake of keeping my girl there from falling prey to you. She has a way of attracting them.”
I laughed so hard I squealed. “Leave him alone. He’s a diner owner who has sworn off women. To me, that makes him damn near perfect.”
He looked uncomfortable.
My brother grumbled something that sounded remarkably like “diner owner, my ass.” My father simply hummed a merry tune as he headed up the stairs.
They left Landry and me alone a moment and I hugged him again. “Seriously, you rock!”
“Christ, Mer,” my brother said from the back porch. “Let go of the man. He’s your neighbor. At this rate, he’ll never be able to take a step without you hanging on him.”
I shot back fast. “My neighbor? What’s he talking ‘bout, Willis?”
Landry pointed in the direction of the renovated house next door. “If you need a cup of sugar or anything, I’m there.”
“Oh. Um. Oh.”
“You all right with living next door to me?”
“Sure.”
“Should I be offended?” he asked. “You took the news your ex owned this place, with the idea of making it the home you shared, better than the news I live next door.”
I took his hand in mine. “No. That’s not it. I’m sorry. I just had this totally wrong thought come to mind.”
“And that would be?”
I flashed a sexy smile. “That I hope my neighbor has a thing for leaving his blinds up while he walks around naked.”
Landry chuckled as he held my hand, pulling me closer. “I’ll see what I can do. Would you return the favor?”
“I would, but you’re sworn off women, so I’d be wasting my energy.”
He dipped his head and surprised me by feathering his lips over mine before stepping back. “Yes. I have.”