Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
“Dude, can you sit down somewhere? You’ve been pacing for what seems like hours,” Quincy said, and Tristan stopped and glared at him.
“I’ve only been here twenty minutes. How could I be pacing for hours?” he shot back.
Tristan didn’t bother telling his brother that he’d been pacing at home initially but started getting on his own nerves and had to get some air. That’s how he ended up at the commercial building that he had recently purchased. He thought stopping by there would help take his mind off Cree.
It hadn’t.
He was anxious to hear how the conversation with Warren had gone. Since she’d been planning on talking with him first thing that morning, Tristan thought he would’ve heard from her by now. It was after two, and he had texted her to check in, but he’d gotten radio silence.
Worried something might’ve happened, he had even called the receptionist to find out if she had even made it into the office. Shantel told him Cree was in the building, but she’d had back-to-back meetings.
Before Tristan stopped by the new offices for the nonprofit, he’d gone by the office space that Cree had identified she wanted.
It wasn’t as big as the office suite on the top floor, the one that used to have a law office tenant, but it was big enough for her and a few support staff.
Which was what she said she wanted. Though it would be awhile before Cree moved in, he’d been glad to see that it had been totally cleaned out.
“So, what’s going on? Clearly there’s something on your mind,” Quincy said, pulling Tristan out of his thoughts. “Oh wait. Is it Mom and Dad? I heard Mom had given you an earful for eloping.”
“Yeah,” Tristan said and sat in the chair next to Quincy’s desk. The movers had moved boxes and all the furniture for the nonprofit to the new building, and his brother was unpacking.
“Yeah, Mom let us have it. She’s thrilled to have another daughter, but she was pissed they didn’t get to be a part of our wedding day. She had hoped by now at least one of her kids would’ve had a wedding.”
Quincy chuckled. “Imagine if she knew she had missed two of your weddings.”
Again, Tristan found himself glowering at his brother. “I don’t know why you’re laughing. You’re the oldest. She should be looking at you to finally get married and have a big wedding.”
Quincy shrugged. “When my Mrs. Right comes along, maybe I’ll do just that. Until then, I’m going to continue having a good time out here enjoying the bachelor’s life.”
That was one thing Tristan didn’t miss. After being in a relationship with Cree, he’d known immediately he didn’t want to be single.
He was a relationship kind of guy and didn’t like yo-yo dating.
The years he and Cree were divorced had been awful, especially when women practically threw themselves at him.
It might not have been so bad if he’d been interested, but none of them were Cree. The one time he did try a relationship again, it was so unfulfilling that it just left him and the woman disappointed.
“I suggested to Mom that, if she wanted a wedding, maybe she should help you and Bethany find a mate.”
Quincy’s head jerked up from the folders he was organizing. “You didn’t!”
Tristan laughed for the first time that day. “Actually, I did. I told her that Cree’s mom has been trying to matchmake her kids for years, and four out of five of them are married. I also told her that Mrs. Priestly has several grandchildren.”
“Dammit, Tristan! That’s why she probably left me that voicemail inviting me over to dinner Friday night. She claimed there’s some people she wants me to meet who are interested in the nonprofit. That’s a first for her, and now I know why.”
Tristan burst out laughing. He just had that conversation with their mother the day before. “Man, Mom works fast.”
“I can’t believe you, man. I’ve always looked out for you, and this is how you treat me?”
Quincy looked so bereft, Tristan tried not to laugh, but he couldn’t stop the snicker. His brother was right, he had always looked out for Tristan, coming through for him more times than he could count.
“I’m sorry, Quincy. I had no idea she’d take my suggestion, but would it be so bad if she found you a woman?
” When Quincy shot him an incredulous look, Tristan lifted his hands.
“Hear me out. You’re not getting any younger.
Don’t you want children? You don’t want to be that guy at fifty with a toddler and—”
“Dude, I’m not even forty yet. I have time, but all that is beside the point. Would you want Mom finding you a woman?”
“No,” he answered honestly. “I’m sorry. Hopefully after you tell Mom to back off, she’ll listen. Or you can always sick her on Bethany. It wouldn’t hurt for our sister to get hooked up with a good man.”
Before Quincy could respond, Tristan’s phone buzzed in his pants pocket, and he hurried and pulled it out. He hoped it was Cree, but a glance at the screen showed it was his real estate agent calling.
“Hello.”
“Hi Tristan, I’m glad I caught you. I think I found the perfect home for you and Cree.”
Tristan listened as she spouted off the highlights of the home, including that it was in one of Cree’s chosen suburbs.
It had the number of bedrooms and bathrooms they were looking for, as well as a pool and pool house.
The two-car attached garage and a three-car standalone garage were perfect.
That’s where most of the homes he’d looked at lately had fallen short.
“Any chance you guys are able to take a look at this gorgeous home today? It’s move-in ready, and the seller is very motivated.”
Tristan glanced at the time, wondering when he’d hear from Cree. “Cathy, I’m not sure. I’d have to check with my wife and get back to you. Are there any other homes in the area that fit what we’re looking for?”
“There was one more a few blocks away from this one, but I heard this morning that the owners accepted an offer. I’ll keep looking, but Tristan I think this one is the one. If there’s any chance you two can meet me there today, just give me a call back.”
“Cathy found another house for you to look at?” Quincy asked when Tristan disconnected the call.
“Yeah, it sounds like a good contender. Hopefully, it’s all she says it is because I’m tired of looking.”
He was so ready to find their dream home and get settled in.
They had hoped that would happen before Thanksgiving, but seeing the holiday was next week, Tristan had given up hope.
But if they could find a place and get moved in by Christmas, that would be great too.
He felt once they were in one place, instead of bouncing between their two condos, he’d feel a bit more settled.
Then they could start planning the rest of their life.
Quincy stood. “I need to go downstairs and talk with one of the tenants in the building. You gonna still be here when I return?”
“Probably not. I’m going to head out soon.”
“Okay, lock up when you leave, and I’ll catch you later.”
“Will do.”
Tristan’s phone rang, and when he realized it was Cree, he answered quickly.
“Hey, baby.”
“Hey yourself.”
Relief flooded through Tristan at hearing her voice. “How’d it go with Warren?”
“Things started… interestingly, but once Warren and I came to an understanding, we were prepared to meet with Felicia. After long discussions and hashing out a few important issues, I’ll get what I want… at a cost. But I’ll tell you all about that when I see you.”
“Okay,” he said slowly, hearing something else in her voice, maybe weariness. “You don’t sound good. You okay? Are you ready for me to come get you?”
He had dropped her off that morning, but she thought it best if he was not seen there until after she talked with Warren.
“I’m fine. Just a little tired, and anxious to see you. Instead of you picking me up, I’ll get a car and come to you. Where are you?”
“At the commercial building. Are you sure you don’t want me to come get you?”
“No, that’s okay. I think it’ll be better if you stay clear of the offices here. I’ll come to you. Or I can meet you at home. Umm, your condo.”
That was a reminder that they needed to find their home.
“Are you too tired to go look at a house?”
He told her what little he knew about the place and how Cathy insisted it ticked off all the boxes on their long list of must haves.
“It sounds perfect, and if it’s as great as she says, others will be looking at it too,” Cree said. “Let’s get something to eat and then go check out the house.”
“Okay, baby. I’ll have something here for you to eat, and then we can head to Wilmette.”
“All right. See you soon.”
Two hours later, as Cree rode in the passenger seat while Tristan drove them to the house, she felt almost human again. She’d been dead on her feet when leaving the office, feeling as if she didn’t have enough energy to think, let alone walk out the door.
But after eating and then going back to Tristan’s place to change into something more comfortable, she felt like herself.
During the ride to the house, she’d been telling Tristan about her meeting with Warren.
Cree didn’t miss the way her husband’s hands had tightened on the steering wheel during certain parts of the story.
He seemed to relax a little when she told him that she and Warren had agreed to sign an NDA regarding information that the PIs shared.
Tristan laughed awhile about how she had bluffed about having had Warren investigated.
Cree had been surprised he hadn’t asked for proof.
Maybe because she hadn’t pushed to see the report he had received from his PI.
Cree was glad that part worked out, and they agreed Felicia and no one else needed to know about that particular agreement.
Tristan reached over and linked his fingers with hers as he divided his attention between her and the highway. “Do you think it will take as long as you originally thought to be totally done with the firm?”
“No, I’ll pay the agreed-upon fees for breaking the contract. I’ll also need to cover my share of liabilities and the firm’s debts, and then I also offered to pay what the three of us are calling incidental fees.
“I’m taking ownership of the fact that I was in the wrong for dating a client.
Though I know you wouldn’t have sued us or somehow made trouble for the firm,” she said to Tristan.
“I did put the company at risk. So that was on me. I made a financial offer, and the partners accepted. But it’ll probably still take at least forty-five to sixty days to take care of everything. ”
She intended to work mostly outside of the office but planned to show up in person for any necessary meetings.
She also had some vacation time which she would use between the Thanksgiving holiday and New Year’s Day.
Which was another reason she hoped they found a house soon.
It would be great to have time off while she and Tristan got settled into their new home.
“What about your clients?” Tristan asked.
“I’ll be taking those who are interested in moving with me. All in all, I’m happy things turned out as well as they did.”
A few minutes later, Tristan found the block where the home was located, and Cree smiled as they drove along the cobblestone, treelined street.
Excitement sprang to life inside of her.
The peacefulness of the area was felt as they drove slowly, taking in well-maintained yards and passing one beautiful home after the next.
When Tristan reached the front of the property, they stared out at it, taking it all in. The real estate agent mentioned the owner had purchased the adjacent land years ago, and now the stately home sat on two lots with a huge yard surrounding it.
A big yard had been one of the items on Tristan’s revised-home-buying wish list, second to five garage stalls.
“We’ll have to get a better fence because this one doesn’t offer any security,” he said of the white picket fence as he drove slowly up the driveway. “I want us to have an eight-foot wrought-iron fence around the entire property, and a double-hung gate and call box installed at the entrance.”
As Tristan thought about security, Cree’s attention was on the professionally done landscape.
Statuesque trees were perfectly placed around the yard, and a three-tiered lighted fountain was positioned near the front of the house.
Flower and rock beds, as well as various sized shrubbery were strategically placed.
This is it, a small voice said inside Cree’s head as the home came fully into view. This could possibly be the house they raise their family in.
Tristan parked in front of the garage next to Cathy’s vehicle.
When they both climbed out of his sports car, Tristan held Cree’s hand while they stood outside the home.
The structure was made up of white painted brick and some other type of material Cree couldn’t identify.
She loved how the black trim made the house look modern, but still homey.
There were also a ton of windows, which she appreciated.
Cathy opened the front door with a cell phone to her ear and her hand over the mouthpiece. “Come on in and look around. I’ll be right with you.”
When Cree and Tristan entered the home, they stood in the grand foyer and glanced around.
Straight ahead was the large living room with a breathtaking fireplace taking center stage.
To the left of it was a wall of windows that overlooked a deck and yard.
They both loved open floor plans, and a portion of the kitchen could be seen just off the living room.
For Cree, it felt like home and she hadn’t even seen the whole place.
She looked at Tristan just as he turned to glance at her, and he smiled.
Oh good. He feels it too.
Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, he pulled her to his side and kissed the top of her head. “Well, Mrs. Whitmore, this might be the beginning of the rest of our lives.”
Cree chuckled as giddiness bubbled inside of her. The last few months had been like a fantasy that she hadn’t dared to ever dream. The love of her life was back, they were married, and she was on the brink of starting her own law firm.
And now this. They might have found their forever home.
Her heart was so full, she was afraid it would burst from her chest.
“Thank you, Tristan,” she whispered.
He frowned down at her. “For what?”
“For not giving up on us, and for following through on that Win-Cree-Back plan you told me about.” They both laughed. “More than any of that, though, thank you for loving me.”
“Always, baby. I will always love you.”