Chapter 16 #2
“A little more,” she requested, and we moved another half inch. She looked up from her phone and smiled at us. “A little closer, Mr. Baldwin. I want to frame you all against the fireplace.”
“Of course,” Rhett’s deep voice intoned, and he took one big step to close the distance between us.
Before I could protest, his arm swung up and around, clamping across my shoulders and preventing my escape.
A strangled noise escaped my throat at the same time the photographer said, “Perfect! We’ve got it! ”
The boys took off again, and I forced myself to seem pleasant while we chatted with the raffle representatives for a while longer. Rhett had his town-benefactor persona on full blast, and everyone hung off his every word and laughed at his every joke.
I seethed and pretended I was fine.
Finally, Rhett said, “I think it’s time my co-winner and I explore the rest of our house,” and David took up his emcee role to call out, “We’ll leave you to it!” right before leading the exodus and leaving Rhett and me alone.
The door slammed, and I exhaled. I didn’t have to pretend to play nice anymore.
“You seem awful down for someone who just won a house,” Rhett observed.
I could feel his eyes on the side of my head, and I continued to study the fireplace. “Half a house,” I corrected.
“So you’re a house-half-full kind of person,” he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice.
“Let’s take a look at the rest of this place,” I said, not wanting to look at him and risk seeing that broad, bright smile of his. It was too confusing, and I found it much easier to dislike him.
The floorboards creaked as we explored further.
I found two living areas and a downstairs powder room, and then I followed the sound of my boys’ voices to the three bedrooms upstairs.
It was noticeably colder up here, and the room where the boys had camped out—under the angled pitch of the roof—boasted a window with some condensation beading along its surface.
So it wasn’t perfect. At the same time, it totally was.
“Mom, can this be our room?” Alec asked.
I inhaled sharply. “Remember what we talked about? Mr. Baldwin owns the house too, so we’re not going to live in it. We’re just checking it out, and then Mr. Baldwin and I will decide what we want to do with it. We’ll find somewhere else to live.”
“But there’s three bedrooms!” Nate complained.
I tilted my head. “Yes. And?”
“One for you. One for us. And one for Mr. Baldwin!” Nate lifted his brows like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Why can’t we stay here? Then no one could kick us out. We’d be home!”
I exhaled, smiling despite the sadness that swept through me.
The creak of the staircase made me look over my shoulder, and I could tell by the expression on Rhett’s face that he’d heard Nate’s exclamation.
My heart clenched, and I wondered if Rhett could see how badly I wished I could give my sons a home. This home.
Turning back to the room, I crossed over to where Nate and Alec leaned against the deep window sash and pressed a kiss to both their heads.
“We’ll always be home when we have each other, remember?”
Alec snuggled up next to me. My sensitive boy. Nate stuck his jaw out and scowled back at the entrance of the bedroom, where I knew Rhett lurked.
“Let’s go back downstairs. We’ve got to get you back to school in time for the afternoon.”
“Mo-om! Really?” Nate pouted.
“Didn’t you say you needed to get everyone at school to sign your cast?”
He looked at the blue fiberglass cast on his arm with a glum expression, then swung himself across the room on his single crutch. His ankle would heal quickly, but his wrist would take longer. Alec went with him, and I paused just outside the bedroom to speak to Rhett. He was frowning.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
“We’ve been duped.” His voice was dark.
I reared back. “Excuse me?”
“We’ve been had, Darling. This place is a pile of junk.”
I looked around, baffled. “This place is adorable!”
“Look at this.” He pointed through an open doorway at the upstairs bathroom. The ceiling was mottled black and yellow in the corner closest to the exterior wall. Water damage. “There’s no telling what’s behind these walls,” he said, scowling.
“So it needs a little work,” I countered. “So what?”
“A little work?” he repeated, scoffing. “It’s a money pit. Nearly every room has something that’s not up to code. The owners just slapped a little paint over it and gave it away. Probably cheaper to have it as a charity tax write-off than it was to fix it. And now we’re left holding the bag.”
“It’s gorgeous. Look at the view!” I pointed out the tiny bathroom window, where a cloud floated past the top of the closest mountain.
“You’ll see a lot more of the view when the ceiling caves in and you get an unintentional skylight.”
“Grumble grumble grumble. That’s all I’m hearing from you. I’ll buy you out.”
Now that I’d said it out loud, I started to really think about it.
I’d buy him out for the fair market value.
I had a good job, so I’d be able to get a mortgage.
Worst case, Georgia might lend me some money for a bigger down payment.
Then the boys could explore the surrounding woods, I could put down some roots, and we could finally start living again.
A future for myself and my boys. Hope. My lungs suddenly constricted.
I was afraid my face betrayed all my hopes and dreams and desires.
Rhett arched a brow. “You’ll buy me out?”
“That’s what I said.” My smile was sharp. “It’s a heap of junk, so I’m sure you’ll give me a good deal.”
“And then there’s the taxes we’ll have to pay on the win,” he said, eyes drifting up to the ceiling again. “Maybe I should’ve let you have it, after all.”
My smile slipped. “Taxes?”
“Round about twenty-eight percent of the value, if I’m not mistaken.” He’d moved deeper into the bathroom and was poking at some suspicious-looking caulking on the edge of the tub.
My heart stopped, stuttered, and started again.
I looked around, wide-eyed, starting to see the problems Rhett had pointed out.
The floors were all wonky, and a cold breeze was blowing through the top floor.
That musty smell was mold and moisture. Judging by the condensation and the bathroom ceiling, this whole place was built like a sieve.
The hope that had buoyed me earlier suddenly deflated, and I crashed right back down to earth. I didn’t have money to buy Rhett out and pay the tax I’d owe, and I didn’t have money to fix this place up.
“We have to sell it,” I heard myself say, hating the way my voice cracked.
Rhett glanced up from his inspection, sweeping his eyes over me, and understanding fluttered over his expression.
I turned my face away. I didn’t want him to see me like this.
I felt vulnerable, raw. Stupidly, I’d let myself hope that I could have the house.
That I’d scrimp and save and buy him out, and everything would work out.
But things didn’t work out—not for me. I hoped and dreamed and then got crushed. I picked myself up, and then I did it all over again.
I was so tired.
Then warm hands swept over the arms that I’d crossed against the chill.
Rhett was there, his chest in my face, the rich scent of his cologne in every breath I took.
His thumbs swept over my jacket, but I could still feel the heat of his hands soaking into my skin.
I knew I was trembling, and I wished I could stop.
“Piper,” he said quietly.
“I’m fine,” I said, but a hot tear escaped my eyes and made it obvious I was lying.
“Piper,” he repeated. “It’s just a house. You’ll still walk away with something when we sell.”
I scoffed. To him it was a house. To me it had been security. It had been an opportunity. It had been a future that I hadn’t let myself believe until I actually stepped through the door.
His hands were still on my arms, his body crowding mine in the tight, musty bathroom. I straightened my shoulders and forced myself to look up. That brought our faces close, and I couldn’t quite resist the temptation to drop my gaze to his lips.
He had no right to be this handsome. I turned my face away and shook my head. “We’ll sell it,” I said. “I got carried away. Excuse me. I have to go drop the boys at school. I’ll see you at the office.”
I slid out of his grasp and hurried down the stairs, feeling Rhett’s gaze on my back the whole way down.