Chapter 20
Jon
After breakfast, they set off toward the bank to find the realtor that Finn had recommended. Just as he’d described, they found the lemon-yellow structure with a Connolly Realty sign at the curb. They entered a bright reception area, decorated in pastel shades of yellow and green.
“Welcome to Connolly Realty,” the receptionist greeted them. “I’m Diana. How may I help you?”
Jon took the lead. “We were wondering if it’s possible to meet with Sarah Connolly.”
“Ms. Connolly is out this morning, showing some property. Her schedule is rather full at the moment. Perhaps I can set something up with another one of our realtors for later this week,” she told them. “It would be helpful if you could let me know what you’re interested in.”
“Actually,” Jon said, “we’re only in town for a few days, and Finn Reynolds recommended that we speak directly with Sarah.”
“I see,” Diana said. “Sarah should be checking in at some point this morning. I can ask her if she can fit you in, either later today or sometime tomorrow. Can I have your name and a number where you can be reached?”
After Jon provided the information, the guys thanked her and left the office.
“So now what?” Kyle asked.
“Remember how your dad and Rob told us about the picnic lunch they had up on the bluff when they were here?”
“Of course.”
“Why don’t we go to the Cask and Larder and see if we can order some things for tomorrow? After that, we could drive up to Plymouth and take a look around there. After all, if we end up moving here, we should know about the surrounding area too.”
Kyle grinned. “You always come up with the best ideas.”
After a short walk down Main Street, they entered the gourmet food and wine shop and were greeted by a cheerful woman adjusting bottles at one of the wine displays.
“Welcome to the Cask and Larder. Feel free to look around and let me know if I can help you with anything. My name is Corrine.”
“Hi, Corrine. I’m Kyle, and this is my husband, Jon. We were hoping you could put together a picnic lunch for us for tomorrow. My dad was here last summer and said you were able to do that for him and recommended that we do something similar while we’re here.”
“Of course,” she said, her smile radiant. “Is your dad by any chance Ben Rockingham? You do resemble him.”
“Guilty.” Kyle grinned. “What are our options for lunch?”
They followed Corrine to the food counter at the back of the shop.
“Here’s the menu of our regular items although we do usually have a few specials as well.
” She pointed to a chalkboard behind her.
“For lunch, I’d recommend sandwiches and maybe a salad to share.
And there are cookies, brownies, and lemon bars available for dessert. ”
After looking at the menu, Kyle and Jon chose a couple of different sandwiches that they could split, along with some potato salad, a brownie, and a lemon bar. “Could we also get a bottle of pinot grigio to go with that?” Jon asked.
“Absolutely,” Corrine answered brightly. “And I’ll also include plates, cups, napkins, and some plastic cutlery so you’ll have everything you need.”
“That’s great!” Kyle effused. “Thank you so much.” He handed his credit card to Corrine.
“What time would you like to pick up your lunch?” Corrine asked.
“How about noon?” Kyle looked at Jon, and he nodded.
“Perfect. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Jon said as they ambled back to Bradley House. “Let’s visit Plymouth.”
Kyle had just parked their vehicle in a public lot when Jon’s phone rang.
“Hello.”
“Is this Mr. Rockingham-Rivera? This is Sarah Connolly.”
“Hi, Ms. Connolly. Please call me Jon.”
“Okay, Jon. And I’m Sarah. I understand Finn recommended that you speak to me about some property. I do have a couple of appointments this afternoon, but I could meet with you at four if that works.”
“That would be great! My husband and I are in Plymouth at the moment, but we’ll be back at your office at four. Thank you.” He turned to Kyle. “We’ve got an appointment to see Sarah Connolly at four today.”
“Excellent. That still leaves us plenty of time to explore Plymouth.”
They walked around the town with no plan or destination in mind, just trying to get a feel for the place. They took in the National Monument to the Forefathers and strolled through the Brewster Gardens, then along the water past Pilgrim Memorial State Park.
They were passing the Pillory Pub when Kyle said, “Are you hungry?”
“I could eat,” Jon replied. They went in and enjoyed a quick lunch with a beautiful view of Plymouth Harbor, including the replica of the Mayflower.
“What do you think of Plymouth?” Kyle asked over their bowls of rich clam chowder and mugs of beer.
“I like it,” Jon said honestly. “I think I’d prefer to live in Hawthorne Bluff, but Plymouth is very nice and close enough that we can spend a fair amount of time here too. And from what Finn said, I might have more job opportunities here.”
“Good to know we feel the same way. I like Plymouth,” Kyle told him. “But yeah, I think I’d rather live in Hawthorne Bluff too.”
“I guess we’re really gonna do this, huh?” Jon grinned.
“Yeah, I guess we are.”
Sarah Connolly was a petite woman with a blonde bob and a radiant smile. Jon guessed her to be in her early forties, just like him, but he also knew he was often wrong when it came to guessing women’s ages.
“It’s very nice to meet both of you,” she said after introductions had been made. “You don’t currently live in the area, do you?”
“No,” Jon said. “Kyle and I live in DC and are just here for a few days.”
“Actually,” Kyle added, “we’re on our honeymoon.”
“Ah, well, then, congratulations!” Sarah exclaimed.
“Thanks,” Kyle replied. “My dad and his husband gave us this trip both as a honeymoon and as a way to get to know this beautiful little town. They visited here last year and liked it a lot.”
Jon continued the conversation. “We have a young son, and Kyle and I have talked about not really wanting to raise him in a big city like Washington. My father-in-law suggested that Hawthorne Bluff might be a place we should consider.”
“I see.”
“We want to be clear,” Kyle added. “We’re not ready to move this week, but after spending a few days here, we both agree that we do want to move here.
Logistically, we need to figure out how to make it all happen.
Jon has a home in Phoenix to sell, and we have a condo in DC that we’ll need to put on the market as well.
And of course, Jon and I will both need to find new jobs here.
So, there’s a lot to do before we can make the actual move. ”
“But Finn suggested that you could give us some insights regarding house prices and what kinds of homes might be available in the area,” Jon said. “That will help us with figuring all of this out.”
“And of course, we’d want you to help us find the perfect home once we’re ready,” Kyle added.
“Thank you, guys,” Sarah said. “This helps a lot. First of all, what size house are you looking for?”
“Hmmm, we’d need at least three bedrooms, maybe even four,” Kyle told her. “I guess we’d need a good-sized yard so that Wyatt would have a place to play.”
“Okay, I can think of a few homes that are available now that would meet your needs. I understand you’re not ready at the moment, but I don’t think we’ll have a problem finding something when you’re ready.
” She opened an app on her iPad and showed them a couple of homes to give them an idea of styles in the area.
“And this pricing”—Sarah pointed to the amount for the house they were looking at—“is roughly what you’d be looking at for a home to meet your needs. ’
It was less than what Jon had thought it would be, but then, he’d been looking at listings in the DC area, so he supposed that made sense. “Thanks for this,” he told Sarah after making notes on his phone. “It’s really helpful.”
No one had any more questions, and after confirming that all had each other’s contact info, they said their goodbyes. Jon and Kyle walked back through town, thinking about their next steps.