Chapter 42 #2
Touching one of the small children’s wooden chairs sitting at a long wooden table, she could imagine the girls spending hours playing there.
Creed didn’t rush her to move on to another room, allowing her to take it all in.
Walking to a bookcase which had three rows of books, she turned around to see Creed watching her.
“How did you get it decorated so quickly?” she asked huskily. “Even the upstairs I saw coming down the steps is done.”
“This home was a model home. They decorate it, so when buyers visit, they can imagine themselves in the home.”
“Ahh … so, you don’t keep these—”
“I bought the house, with the contents included.”
“The girls are going to love playing here. This is going to make … Glory so happy.” Becoming choked up, she practically ran up the steps.
On the main floor, there was the formal living room to the side.
She moved through the open-plan home and found a family room and a chef’s kitchen with a butler’s pantry behind it, filled with kitchen appliances.
Coming out of the butler’s pantry, she wandered into the dining room.
It was, like all the others, was tastefully decorated.
“We’ll have to store the table settings,” she began listing what they needed to address for the girls’ safety.
“And the table topper in the butler’s pantry.
The light fixture in here needs to go higher.
All the low cabinets in the kitchen and pantry need to be child-proofed.
We’ll have to watch Colby like a hawk until it’s changed.
A baby gate at the bottom of the stairs—”
“Make a list, and I’ll have it taken care of.”
Creed let her explore the rest of the downstairs as he texted someone.
There were two bedrooms with a bathroom in between, which had already been decorated with children in mind. One was a pretty lavender, the other a soft green. Colby would go for the green, while Tinsley would fall in love with the lavender.
“Are the beds in here okay?” Creed asked, putting his phone away.
“The bed in the lavender room is too big for Tinsley, but I wouldn’t bother taking it down. We can bring the bed she has at my apartment here.”
“If we take the bed down, it’ll give them more room to play,” Creed suggested.
“They have half the basement downstairs to play in. Plus, there’s still plenty of room to play in their room. They share a room in my apartment, and it’s a quarter of the size of this room.”
“Just let me know. I can store it if you change your mind.”
She went to the next room, which had been done in neutral colors. Sage knew this was the perfect room for Glory.
“This room is the second master.” Coming into the room from behind, Creed stopped to stand next to her. “Will this room do for your sister?”
Afraid if she tried to speak, she would lose it, she moved further into the room.
This one was easily the size of her whole apartment.
Not only was the room decorated beautifully, but it had a sliding glass door to its own private balcony, where there was a cascading waterfall wall, which Creed turned on when she went outside.
Stepping closer, Sage made sure there was no water pooling the girls could get into. There wasn’t; the water disappeared underground. When her fingers reached out to touch the water, she realized a layer of plexiglass covered the water.
Going back inside, she closed and locked the door, but she could still hear the water inside, turning the room into a peaceful sanctuary.
Unable to look at Creed due to the magnitude of what she was feeling, she walked into the bathroom, where there was a walk-in shower and also a walk-in bathtub, with jets. No expense had been spared.
Sage walked back into bedroom. Glory had suffered so much since the fire—losing Danny, her face, and her lower body disfigured, and throughout it all, she had maintained her sanity; Sage didn’t think she could have done the same.
Her sister deserved enjoying the last months on earth in this room, seeing her children happy …
Sage sucked in a sharp breath, willing herself not to break.
“Sage …?”
“Yes, it will,” she responded hoarsely.
Moving around him, careful not to brush against Creed, she finished her tour downstairs, finding an office with a glass door and a laundry room with two washers and dryers.
Upstairs, she found three bedrooms on one side of the staircase.
On the other side was a door that opened to a sitting room with a couch, media center, and mini fridge with a coffee bar area.
When she found the bedroom behind a set of double doors, she wandered around the room.
There were two separate bathrooms with showers.
One had a soaking tub, and each bathroom had a walk-in closet.
The one with the soaking tub had obviously been designed for a woman.
There was a full-length mirror, a chaise lounge, and a jewelry case.
Laying her hand on the case, she realized it wasn’t real glass; it was plexiglass.
When she turned around, she saw Creed was standing in the doorway, watching her.
“What do you think?”
She bit her lip. As much as Creed had hurt her, she couldn’t bring herself to be snide. Despite him appearing imperturbable, she had an instinctive feeling he was anxious about her response. There was a boyish anxiousness in his eyes, which she had seen him exhibit only once before.
Creed carried himself with an air of confidence, as if he were untouchable, able to handle anything.
Regardless of how frustrating or dangerous the occurrence, he could come out standing untouched, protecting himself and others around him.
To see the boyish eagerness to please her, she felt as if he was trying to smooth a soothing balm over her hurt feelings.
She had to give him his due.
“What can I say? The whole house is lovely.” Moving around him, she walked back to the main bedroom. “You did an outstanding job finding a home that will fit all of our needs.” She sat down on the edge of the bed, rubbing her hand over the luxurious bedding, and continued to stare around the room.
“I hired a cleaning service. All the bedding is new, so we don’t have to worry about buyers trying out the bed.
“I’m glad you thought of that. I wouldn’t have.”
“I moved my clothes in here last night. I’ll go to the car and get your suitcase.”
“I’d appreciate it.” Standing, she took a final look around the room. “You can put it in the bedroom near the head of the stairs.”