Chapter 3 #2
“Thank you, Coach,” he said, standing and offering his hand. “I appreciate the time you gave me today, and I hope I won’t drive you crazy with too many questions throughout the school year.”
“That’s what I’m here for, son. Anything you need, you just let me know. You’re inheriting a solid staff, and your basketball assistant is a good one. I hope you’ll make your home in the Bay for years to come.”
Carson took the thick notebook with him, eager to read through its contents. While he felt very comfortable with the basketball piece of the job, being a district AD, even in a small school
district, would be a tremendous responsibility.
The fact that the residents of Driftwood Bay would be highly invested in their local sports teams meant a lot of eyes upon him and the decisions he made.
That would be added pressure. He would not only need to be successful in basketball but also maintain a winning program in other sports, based upon his personnel decisions.
He arrived back at the square, the way already beginning to seem familiar to him, and entered the real estate office.
He saw no reception desk. Instead, the small office held a large desk, covered with files and a desktop computer.
It also held a conference table which would seat six.
A woman who looked to be in her early sixties sat at it, along with a gentleman who appeared to be in his early fifties, graying at his temples.
Both stood, and he shook hands with each, as Hillary introduced herself and Dr. Pete Jacobs.
“Have a seat, Carson,” the realtor said. “We may have a solution to your living arrangements, courtesy of Pete here.”
Carson took a seat at the table, and Hillary said, “I’m familiar with every listing in Driftwood Bay and the surrounding area. Do you mind sharing in front of Pete what you’re looking for in a house?”
Though Carson found it a bit odd to be talking in front of a stranger about something so personal, he said, “I’ll be bringing my four-year-old daughter to Driftwood Bay with me, along with our beagle.
I prefer a house over an apartment. I’d like a good-sized, fenced backyard.
Probably three bedrooms and two baths. Although I am pretty handy, my new job is going to keep me really busy, so if a house is turnkey, that would appeal more to me than one which comes with projects. ”
Hillary nodded. “You’ll probably want to be closer to town, as well, having a little one and working long hours. You don’t want much of a commute.” She chuckled. “Not that any place is very far away in the Bay.”
“That’s correct. The closer to work, the better.”
She looked to Dr. Jacobs. “Have at it, Pete.”
Carson turned his attention to the stranger, who said, “I’m a marine biology professor at a university in Corpus.
I just learned that my yearlong sabbatical has been approved, and I’ll be leaving shortly for Australia, where I’ll be doing research with the Australian Institute of Marine Science, specializing in sea snakes.
I hope to get at least two books out of my year abroad.
Our daughter is in medical school. Our son just graduated from college and is headed for a job in San Antonio. ”
Carson wondered what all this had to do with him and waited patiently as the older man continued.
“We want to come back to our house this time next year. Hillary suggested we rent it. The Bay always has summer people coming and going, but I don’t want to mess with hiring a cleaning service and someone to manage the property while we’re away.
I’d rather have one tenant—and it looks as if you might be it. ”
Carson now understood the connection. “Tell me about your house, Pete.”
“It’s a two-story. Four bedrooms. Two full and one half-bath.
Close to town. If you’d be willing to put your furniture in storage and just use ours, I’d like to work out a caretaker deal with you.
Hillary said she could draw up the paperwork for us.
I wouldn’t charge you any rent, Carson. I would ask that you pay for utilities and the internet.
Keep the streaming services in place, too.
Mow the grass. Trim the shrubs. That kind of thing.
It would give you and your daughter plenty of room.
We even have a swing set and slide in our backyard from when our kids were young.
My wife didn’t want to part with the play set, hoping we’d have grandkids who could come and enjoy it someday. What do you say?”
Carson couldn’t believe his good fortune. He would save a ton of money by not paying any rent for a year, especially leasing something in a seaside community, where prices for rentals had to be through the roof.
“I don’t mind covering the bills, and I do enjoy yard work,” he shared. “Are you sure you don’t want me to pay a monthly rent, Dr. Jacobs?”
“It’s Pete. And no,” the other man responded.
“You’d be doing us a huge favor, especially if you let us leave some things in the drawers and closets.
We can’t take that much with us Down Under, but my wife would make certain to clear out plenty of room for you and your daughter.
You could use our primary suite, and we’ll empty those closets and put everything in one of the spare bedrooms. Your daughter could take the bedroom our daughter used.
My son will be coming in a week to get the rest of his things to take to San Antonio with him.
I would appreciate the favor, you taking care of the house for us. ”
Hillary spoke up, looking hopeful. “It would give us plenty of time to decide what you want to do about permanent living arrangements, Carson. There’s rarely any properties for sale which open up in the summer months, but come fall, anyone who wants to sell will put their house on the market then.
That way, we can see what inventory is available and if you need to build instead of buying an existing property.
” She smiled at them both. “To me, this looks like a win-win for you both.”
“Before I commit, I’d like to see the property first,” Carson said, his cautious nature rising. “If I think it’ll suit our needs, then I’m happy to accept the deal.”
“Great,” Hillary said. “I’ll begin drawing up the paperwork. I’ve never had an arrangement like this before, so give me about an hour to complete things. Pete can take you to the house and let you see what you think. If you’re happy, head back my way, and we’ll get the paperwork taken care of.”
Pete offered to drive Carson, and they were only in the car about three minutes.
“The house is about six minutes from the high school,” Pete told him. “Our neighborhood is friendly. My wife is close to Dotty Williams, a widow who lives next door to us. Dotty knows everyone and would be a great reference for you as you get to know the town.”
They pulled into the driveway of a well-kept two-story, and Pete said, “It’s about twenty-five hundred square feet. Should be plenty big enough for the two of you.”
The house had great curb appeal, with a pristine lawn and flowerbeds blooming with color. He recognized Texas sage and black-eyed Susans among the blooms.
They went inside, and Pete walked Carson through the house.
“I can leave a list of people we use when things go wrong. The plumber. A/C guy. Handyman.”
They finished their tour, and he turned to Pete. “This is going to be perfect. I was afraid Lily and I would have to stay in an apartment or a tiny rental while we were trying to find something permanent. This will work out well for both of us.”
He offered his hand, and Pete shook it.
“Then let’s go tell Hillary it’s a done deal,” Pete said.
They returned to Hillary’s office on the square, and the realtor greeted them.
“Well, what did you think?”
“The house is in terrific shape. It’s got a nice layout. Lily and I will be happy to serve as caretakers for it during the next year.”
They sat at the table again, and Hillary walked them through the paperwork she had just created, combining a few templates which she’d found online.
“It does contain a clause stating that if Carson finds a house to purchase, he would be off the hook on his end,” she shared. “At that point, I could rent it out for you, Pete.”
“Even if that happens, I’d be happy to keep my eye on the place,” he said. “Mow the yard. Handle any maintenance issue that came up. That kind of thing.”
“Sounds good,” Pete said cheerfully. “I just texted my wife to make our plane reservations. We’re looking to leave in two days. We’ll work on clearing space for you and Lily, Carson. I’ll leave the keys with Hillary.”
“What about your cars?” Carson asked.
“Glad you thought about that,” Pete said. “I’d like to keep my car in the garage if that’s okay with you. My wife has been needing a new car. I’ll go ahead and sell hers so you can park your car in the garage. We can buy her a new vehicle when we get back. Anything else you can think of?”
“If you would just pull together a list of utilities and companies you use. Insurance. That kind of thing. I want to be able to continue making the payments on your accounts.”
“I can help facilitate that,” Hillary volunteered.
They signed the necessary paperwork, and Carson felt the stress of finding a place to live float from him.
Hillary offered her hand, and Carson took it. “It’s good to have you in Driftwood Bay, Coach Andrews.”
He left the realtor’s office, feeling that he had accomplished so much today. He had a new job which would be challenging and rewarding. A house for Lily and him to live comfortably.
And he had made a friend—who might turn out to be more than a friend—in Mila Perry.