Chapter 3 #2
They were the same tree that she’d seen on their land when she’d visited them.
Once she was able to get that out of the way, she could see that they’d each painted the tree with a different view of it.
But the overall feeling of the painting was the same, like they’d been painted by the same person, or she thought they’d been in the same room and compared them as they went.
Sitting them side by side, she couldn’t believe how wonderful they’d been painted and was glad that they’d told her that if they didn’t sell, she could have them.
“We’re headed out to go house hunting in about fifteen minutes.
Did you want to hang out with us?” Sharon told them that it could be fun, but they declined.
They both had deadlines to hit and wanted to get caught up before they got to the last minute.
“If you change your mind, just reach out to me, and we’ll tell you where we are. ”
“Sounds good.” After they left, taking their paintings with them, she sat down and had a quick meal, asking Kendrick about his work.
“I thought that I was going to have to deliver a baby, but turns out that she wasn’t in labor at all.
She still has about three months to go yet.
” Sharon asked if that was normal. “For a first-time mom, usually. They don’t know what labor feels like, so they worry that they might wait too long to get to the hospital before the baby is born.
I sent her home on bed rest for a few days, and we’ll see if everything is all right.
I did have her notify her OBGYN to make sure that he was all right with what I said and that she was to take it easy.
I hope she does. It’s going to be hard when the baby comes, and she’s already stressing about it. ”
“I have a feeling that I’m going to stress out, too.
I know nothing about babies or when they’re kids.
I’ve never once babysat in my life.” He thought that was funny.
“It’s not. I wouldn’t even know how to change a diaper if my life depended on it.
You’d have to come home from work and do it for me. ”
“After a while, it becomes second nature. The things that you think you won’t be doing will be something that you can’t believe you do when your second one comes along.
After that, then they nearly raise themselves.
” Now that she thought was funny. “You’d be amazed at how much I pick up from being around all kinds of mothers.
Though I don’t have any children of my own, I could pick out a layette and put one together without any trouble.
I also know what will be needed and what isn’t too.
I hear a lot for someone who is only in the room for a little while. ”
“I’m glad one of us will know. I worry that I’ll leave the baby somewhere and won’t remember where I left it.” He said he’d be there for her. “Good. See, I knew you were going to be useful when it came to having children. I’m going to be a mess just so you know.”
“We’ll get it there together.” She thought of Cass having a child and knew that she’d be a pro at it in no time.
“She would be. And having the pack around, too, for us will make it so that we don’t have to look for sitters all that often.
The elders of the pack will gladly do it for the chance to hold onto the Alpha’s family. ”
“I sometimes forget that he’d the Alpha. I just think of him as Conri, and Cass is just my friend.” He said they were that as well. “I know. I like them both very much.”
After having a cup of tea, they made their way out into the city.
There were six houses that they were going to be looking at, and she was excited to see what sort of offers they could make on them.
That was something else that she’d never done, and that was to make an offer on a house.
She hoped that Kendrick knew what he was doing, or they’d pay too much, she thought.
~*~
Kendrick didn’t know why the house bothered him so much, but he didn’t care for it.
It was a house that had been added onto several times, and the stairs were just too much, he thought.
It would go up a flight, then level out before picking up in another part of the house.
Getting to the bedrooms would be a nightmare.
“I think that it’s too weird.” He and Sharon had exchanged blood before leaving the house so that they could talk without anyone knowing.
He was enjoying her comments so far and was glad that he’d thought of it.
“Why are there so many stairs? Did they get a discount on them or something?” Yes, he was enjoying the banter.
“I’m near the woman now. I’ll tell her that we’re headed to the next house so that we can move on.
I don’t like the house either. Like you said, too many stairs that lead to nowhere.
” As he told the realtor that they were ready to see the next house, she smiled at them.
Like she knew they weren’t going to buy the place.
“The second house, she said, is better because it only has one flight of stairs that we’ll have to figure out. ”
The second house was a great deal better, but the yard was a mess.
It had dead trees that lined the driveway.
He didn’t mind a little extra work on something, but he didn’t want to spend his life’s fortune in replanting a hundred trees so that he could get rid of the ones that had died some time ago.
Plus, any of the flowers that had been planted to make the yard look better had been neglected, and they were mostly dead as well.
While there was only one set of stairs in the house, it led to the second floor, where there were nine bedrooms and two bathrooms. That, too, could be fixed, but again it would be costly.
He didn’t want to spend that much on a house that he only wanted because it was time to move.
Kendrick and Sharon drove to the next house with no hopes of finding a house for them.
The third and fourth houses were fixer-uppers.
He didn’t want that, and he was sure that Sharon didn’t either by her comments about having a house livable by Christmas.
That was still some months away, but if they were to take on a project house right now, there was no way that it was going to be ready by next Christmas.
There was just too much work to be done on both of them that they’d make a single good house.
That was sad when they had to think in terms of getting into a place to live by Christmas and knew that they had a slim chance of doing so.
The fifth house was nearly perfect. It did need some work, but not all that much. As they walked around the new home, he couldn’t help but notice that there were no carpets in the place. Something that he was only just beginning to realize he didn’t like in a home.
“They’re not laid as yet so that the new homeowner can pick the colors out for themselves.
” He asked what would happen if they decided to go with hardwood flooring.
“I would imagine that it would cost a bit more, but I could ask. This house has only been on the market for a couple of days, and I’ve yet to be asked that question.
Thanks.” She walked away to make her call.
“What do you think of this house?” He could tell she liked it by the way she squeezed his hand. “She’s asking about hardwood floors over carpet. How do you feel about that? I should have asked you before.”
“If your feet are cold, then put on some slippers. I love the clean lines of the hardwood floor in the dining room. I didn’t think I would, but it’s nice, isn’t it?
” He said that was what he thought as well.
“It’ll take them about a month to get it taken care of, but I’d like to see the other house first anyway.
They sell better when they have furniture in them anyway. ”
“I love the office. It’ll be perfect for you to take for yourself.
I can see myself using the library as my office.
I don’t need one, but it will be good to have one for the paperwork to get done that your mother gives me.
” She loved working for his mom, and it showed.
“She said that all I’d need is a phone and a calendar, but I might need to make copies of something too. ”
The realtor came back. “He wants to know if you mean all the bedrooms or just the master? It won’t be anything more if you go that way. However, he did say that the price would increase if you wanted them all done.” He looked at Sharon, and she turned to answer the realtor.
“Tell him that we’d want the master for sure and at least two of the other bedrooms. That will be five that will need carpet.
” He only just realized that the house had eight bedrooms. It was a bigger house than the one they were currently living in.
“Also, we’ll need the kitchen repainted.
I don’t care for the darkness that’s in there. ”
He hadn’t either and was glad that she mentioned it. The room was already dark with only the one window and door, but with the dark blue cabinets and walls, it seemed like a closet rather than a room they’d spend time in eating the first meal of the day.
While the realtor was on the phone, they decided to put an offer in on the house with the things that were to be done to it.
Buying the lots on either side of them and the one in the backyard, they had a pretty nice space in which to live.
He was excited to start a new life with Sharon.
He accepted the offer, and they had a new home.
They didn’t even bother with the last house as they were satisfied with the one that they’d gotten.