“It’s not unusual, especially in commercial real estate.”
I looked down at the document again. “But I still don’t have the down payment.”
All he said was, “Keep reading.”
My eyes fell on the next line. “He’s asking only twelve percent as a down payment? That’s— that’s—” I calculated quickly.
David nodded vehemently. “Not a lot. I know.”
“It might not be much to you, but it’s still a lot to me.” I set the offer down. “But, why does he want to get rid of the building so badly? Is there something I should know?”
“Of course not.”
“Then—I don’t get it—why?”
“Don’t forget he already sold the building once, which means he got a down payment from that buyer—a down payment that he kept when the buyer defaulted. So he’s already made some money on the building. He’s been trying to sell it for nearly two years and is probably fed up with it sitting there. Also”—he smiled wickedly—“the police contacted him and told him about the murder. When he and I talked later, I told him the truth: He might not get another offer for a long time.”
I’d need—I calculated quickly—almost exactly the amount I had in my Roth IRA. “I’d have to cash in my retirement fund.” That I would even consider that possibility shocked me.
“I don’t know your financial situation, but in this case maybe cashing in would be the smart thing to do. Think of this building as your retirement plan. Once it’s paid off, it will bring in good income.” He paused. “What do you think?’
I was still trying to get my head around the idea of cleaning out all my savings. “I—I don’t know.”
Matthew, who had been keeping uncharacteristically quiet until then, spoke up. “You’d be crazy to pass this up, all the more now that the seller is willing to provide the financing.”
David rose, shrugging. “Think about it overnight. But whatever you decide, let me know by three o’clock tomorrow. That’s the deadline for the sign back.”
I nodded slowly. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think you’re right. This is a deal I can’t pass up.”
David beamed. “It sure is. And I’m not saying this because of the nice fat commission I’ll be getting.”
Matthew smiled. “I’m sure you wouldn’t sneeze at it either.”
“It’ll make up for the slow year I’ve been having.” He rose and headed for the door, calling over his shoulder, “Give me a call whatever you decide.”
• • •
Matthew followed him to the front and reappeared a moment later. “Why do you want to think it over? I know how much you want that space for your shop.”
I knew he was right, but I was still unsure. “I have until three o’clock tomorrow.” I struggled with my fear quietly for a moment. “It’s such a big commitment. I just want to sleep on it.”
“I understand,” said Matthew in a tone that said he didn’t understand at all.
I clambered to my feet, and made it all the way to the stairs, when, all at once I decided. I returned to the kitchen, grabbed the phone and punched in a number.
Matthew looked at me, puzzled. “What are you doing?”
I smiled coyly. The phone rang once, then twice, and then somebody picked up. “Hello?”
I looked at Matthew and winked. “Hi, David. I changed my mind. If you want to come back, I’ll sign right away.”
Matthew whooped, and Winston, who had been snoozing again, jumped up, startled.
“Sorry, buddy. Daddy just got excited,” I said, hobbling over to pet him. I set the phone back down, laughing.
“That’s because Mommy just took Daddy’s advice,” added Matthew.
I looked at him, stunned. If I was Mommy and he was Daddy, that made us a couple, didn’t it?
And then, almost as if Matthew knew what I was thinking, he blushed. “If you don’t need me, I think I’ll let you and David get your business done. I’ll just go upstairs and do a bit of writing.” He grabbed his laptop and hurried out of the room.
Chapter 36
I was at the stove scrambling eggs, one of the few dishes I did really well, and Jenny was setting the table when Matthew came in.
“What have we here?” he asked, looking around.
“Della called at seven o’clock, insisting that I come for breakfast,” she said, and then smiling, she added, “It seems she has an announcement to make. Do you have any idea what that might be?”
Matthew glanced at me with a smile of his own. “I think I might.”
I waved my wooden spoon at him. “Don’t you dare tell her. This is my news.” I pointed to the coffeepot. “How about you make yourself useful?”
Soon the food was ready and served. I opened the fridge and pulled out the bottle of sparkling wine that Matthew had bought the previous day.
“This is a celebration, so mimosas for everyone.” I handed the bottle to Matthew and he popped the cork.
He poured wine into each glass, topping it off with a splash of orange juice.
Jenny waited expectantly. I raised my glass. “Here’s to the new location of Dream Weavers.”
“I knew it!” exclaimed Jenny. “You bought the building! I’m so happy for you!”
I laughed. “I just hope I don’t live to regret it.”
“Does that mean—?” She gestured from me to her.
I nodded. “You can quit your job at Franny’s.”
It was Matthew’s turn to look confused. “What are you talking about? Why would you want to quit your job?”
She put her glass down, looking embarrassed. “I’ve always wanted to open a tea shop, and since the store space is way too big for Della’s shop, she’s agreed to rent me a part of it.” She picked up her glass again—“I’m going into business”—and raised it. “To Tea and Destiny.”
“Is that the name of your shop? I love it.”
She grinned. “Good, isn’t it?”
Matthew dropped bread into the toaster. “So when are you taking possession?”
“Well, since I have to cash in my Roth IRA, and that will probably take a few weeks, I asked for a first of July closing.” I tried to read his eyes. “I hope you don’t mind if I stay another few weeks, but I do need some time to get organized.”
“What about your idea of buying Mrs. McLeay’s old furniture?”
“I reminded David about that and he promised to speak to the nephew.”
Jenny giggled. “You’d better dust off your paintbrush, Matthew. You offered to do all the work for Della when she moved, remember? I’m a witness.”
Matthew laughed. “Don’t worry. My word is my honor. We can do it in the garage.”
“See?” Jenny turned to me with a teasing glint in her eyes. “He’s already saying ‘we.’ Mark my word, you and I will do most of it.” She glanced at her watch. “Oh, I better go, or I’ll be late.” She left the table and hurried to the front. Matthew followed. I scampered after them as fast as my crutches allowed, and stopped. At the door, Matthew and Jenny were having a whispered conversation, one of his arms wrapped protectively over her shoulders. And all at once I felt a sharp stab of jealousy. I turned and left quietly.
• • •
I sat at the kitchen table, reeling from the surge of mixed emotions. This was Matthew—my friend. Why would I care whether he embraced another woman? And not just any other woman—Jenny, who was also my friend. If they had found love with each other, I should be happy, not wracked with pain.
What the heck was wrong with me? I was reacting as if I was in love—I stopped, shaken. I had wondered about my feelings for him over the last few days, but the idea left me dazed, with my heart beating wildly. I tried to tell myself that I was wrong, but the more I thought about it, the more I was convinced it was true. It explained the ridiculous roman
tic thoughts I’d been having about him, the way I often felt flustered in his presence.
I was still sorting through my tangled emotions when I heard the door open and close and Matthew’s footsteps going upstairs. A moment later he came back down. Settling into his work, I guessed, something I should be doing too. I shook off my distress and pulled out my cell phone.
I called my bank. After being put on hold while they transferred me from one department to another, I was finally connected to the right person.
“Sorry, but you’ll have to come down to the bank to do that. We can’t process any of the paperwork unless we have your signature.”
After being told “No, an e-mail, a fax, not even a scan is acceptable,” I hung up in disgust. I had just dropped my cell into my bag when the house phone rang.
From the front room I heard Matthew push back his chair and pick up. A second later, he called out, “It’s David for you.”
I grabbed my crutches and went over.
“David, hi.” I glanced at Matthew, who was standing in the doorway.
“I’ve got good news for you,” David said. “The nephew says that for a hundred dollars you can have the whole lot.”
“Everything?”
“Everything in the house—furniture, drapes, kitchen utensils, pots and pans, all except the fixtures.”
“That’s great.” I’d spotted an antique open-coil toaster on the kitchen counter. What other interesting things might I find?
“Frankly, if it had been up to me, I’d just give it to you for free. Even if he made a few bucks selling it at auction, it would cost him more than that to pay for shipping.”
“I’m not going to argue about a hundred dollars. At that price it’s a bargain.”
“So when do you want to pick it up?”
I thought quickly. “How about a week from Saturday? That’ll give me time to get rid of these crutches and set up the garage for painting. But would you mind if I took inventory before then?”
“Sure. I have a couple of errands to do. How about if I pick you up in about an hour?”
“I’ll be ready and waiting.” It would be a relief to get out of the house.
I hung up, and turned to Matthew. “What was that all about?” he asked.
I explained about the furniture. “I know you offered to help, but you don’t have to. I can set up an area of the garage and have it all done in no time.”
“You’ve done so much work on this place. Doing a bit of painting in return is the least I can do.”
“Er, I hate to break it to you, but it’s not just a few pieces. There’s a ton of stuff.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll just lay plastic sheeting over the floors and the walls. Then I can spray-paint everything in no time.”
“You can’t just spray-paint without washing and sanding everything down or the paint won’t hold.”
He chuckled. “Don’t worry, kiddo. I promise I’ll do a good job.”
He had just called me kiddo again. All at once, the emotions I’d been suppressing came surging forth.
“So we’re back at that again, are we?” I snapped, more hurt than angry.
He looked at me in confusion. “Back at what? What are you talking about?”
“I’m sorry.” I shook my head, feeling like a fool. I grasped for some excuse. “I-I just don’t feel very well. It—it’s just the stress of . . .” Before he could see the tears that trembled on my lashes, I grabbed my crutches and hurried out of the kitchen, hobbling upstairs to my room. I closed the door and plopped down on the bed.
Damn it! There he was, offering to do something nice for me and instead of saying thank you I had behaved like an idiot.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
I simply had to get a grip, control my emotions.
I was still lying there, berating myself, when Matthew knocked on my door. I sat up, wiped my eyes and finger-combed my hair. “Come in.”
He pushed the door open and leaned against the jamb, looking contrite. “Listen, kiddo—”
I rolled my eyes. “You just can’t help yourself, can you?”
“Wh-what are you talking about?”
“You’ve been calling me kiddo since we were children,” I blurted. So much for controlling my emotions. “And just in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a child anymore.”
He looked stunned. “Is that why you’re angry with me?”
“No, er, yes,” I said, getting off the bed. I picked up my crutches, trying to look aloof as I tucked them under my arms.
He dug his hands into his pockets, looking confused. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
“That’s not it, Matthew.”
He put up a hand to stop me. “Tell me something. Are you uncomfortable living in the same house with me?”
Blood rushed to my face and I stumbled on my words again. “It-it’s just that—”
He cut me off. “You don’t have to explain. I should have known it wasn’t a good idea to just barge into your life this way. Maybe the best thing for me to do is move back into your condo until your new place is ready.”
“No!” I cried, taking a few steps toward him. “You shouldn’t have to go. This is your house. I’ll move.”
“That’s ridiculous. You have your store here. It’ll only be for a few weeks.”
“Wait.” I grabbed for his hand. But as soon as our fingers touched, I forgot what I wanted to say. His eyes met mine and he looked as startled as I felt.
I took a step closer, or maybe he leaned in, but suddenly his eyes were staring into mine, golden and warm, like liquid honey. The spicy smell of his aftershave wafted up to my nose as I took a deep breath. My eyelashes dipped and my head tilted back.
The next thing I knew, he was halfway down the stairs, taking them two at a time. A second later, the front door opened, then slammed shut.
Chapter 37
Mrs. McLeay’s house was even dustier than I remembered, but this time I was prepared. I wore jeans rather than my red linen dress. Besides, I remembered Matthew’s comment about my dressing up for David.
David watched me taking notes for a few minutes. “If you don’t mind, I’ll wait for you in my car, where I can make some phone calls.”
“Sure, no problem.” Being freed from having to make conversation was a relief. I could barely hold my thoughts together. On my pad, I scribbled “six balloon chairs,” checked under the dining room table and spotted a Victorian-style coffee table and a footstool. I added those to a quickly growing list and moved on. Soon I had itemized every piece of furniture on the main floor, and although I wasn’t sure I could salvage the sofas and armchairs, I still had more than enough to fill a house. I continued on to the kitchen. In the top cabinets were two complete sets of dishes. I grabbed an old cloth and rubbed off enough dust to identify them as an old blue and white Chinese pattern. It was beautiful and would look gorgeous on my finely woven white linen place mats. On another shelf I found an assortment of heavy crystal glasses. I took note of those and moved on. In a far cupboard, I discovered a collection of milk-glass serving pieces. I couldn’t believe my luck. I dug some more and found a set of bone-handled cutlery.
By the time I finished recording all the furniture on the second floor, I knew I had scored big. Obviously Mrs. McLeay hadn’t cared much about furniture. Most of it was rather plain, but she sure had a thing for kitchenware. I returned downstairs, locked the front door and shuffled out to David’s car.
I slid in, tucking my crutches between myself and the door. “You can’t imagine everything I found. I haven’t gone through the dressers and closets yet, but there’s so much furniture I’ll hardly need to buy a thing. Setting up will cost me next to nothing.” I laughed. “Which is good because next to nothing is all I can afford.”
He turned the key in the ignition and the motor roared
to life. “Good for you. If you’re happy, then that makes two of us. Now, with any luck I’ll sell that house soon.”
Three minutes later he pulled up in front of Matthew’s house. “Here you go.”
I looked at the front door, wondering what kind of greeting I was about to get. I thanked David and stepped out of the car, my heart already racing.
The first thing I saw as I walked in was a suitcase waiting by the front door. I swallowed the lump in my throat and hobbled to the kitchen.
“Oh, er, hi,” said Matthew. He was on his hands and knees, pulling Winston’s dog food out from under the counter. “Sorry, Della. I’m almost done here. I’ll be out of your way in no time.”
I could feel the heat in my face. “Honestly, Matthew, you don’t have to go. You’re not in my way. I think my nerves are just raw from everything that’s been happening.” I tried a chuckle, but it came out a squawk. “Finding a body isn’t exactly an everyday occurrence. And for that matter, neither is cashing in all my life savings.”
“I guess you have a point.” He looked relieved and just as I thought everything was going to turn out all right, the doorbell rang. He hesitated, about to say something. Instead, he got up and disappeared down the hall.
“I’m back.” It was Jenny. She appeared in the doorway, looking rushed. “I only have a few minutes—lunch break. I’m so excited, I just had to drop by and tell you my good news.”
I hoped my smile looked genuine, but I couldn’t erase the picture of Matthew’s arm around her. “Come on in. What news?”
Matthew offered her a chair. She sat, throwing back her long sandy hair with a quick flick of her wrist. She was wearing her usual yoga pants with an off-the-shoulder silk knit in a soft blue that made her tanned skin glow. Rather than beautiful as she always was, today she was breathtakingly gorgeous.
“I just spoke to Marnie.” Her eyes gleamed with excitement. “And she’s agreed to provide all the pastries for my tea shop. Isn’t that great?”
“Terrific. I was just about to make some fresh coffee. Would you like some?”
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