***
A few hours later, Marin and Cole had looked at three different houses in three different neighborhoods. Two of the houses had been on coves that backed up to parks or wooded areas. Marin knew those would be ideal locations for a werewolf, but she really loved the house on Cherry Hill. She was torn on which house to choose.
“What do you think? Did you have a favorite?” she asked Cole.
“Honey, I’m buying the house for you. As long as you’re in it, I’m happy. I honestly don’t care which one you choose.”
Matt knew that Marin liked the house on Cherry Hill. Was it the price holding her back?
“If it’s the price, that’s negotiable,” Matt told her.
“It isn’t that… it’s just that two of the houses are near the woods or a park. The Cherry Hill house is in the middle of the block and backs up to another house.”
Cole knew that Marin was only thinking of him, but if the Cherry Hill house was her favorite, then he was fine with it. “Honey, I don’t care what the house backs up to. Just pick the one you like. Or if you don’t like these, Matt has some others we can see another day.”
Marin shook her head. “It’s not just you.”
“Then what?” Cole asked.
“What about our children? Won’t any sons be like you?”
Cole grinned; he loved the thought of having children with her. “Yes, but I can teach them to control their shifting.”
“They shouldn’t have to. We need a house like the Victorian, where they can be free to shift whenever they want.”
Cole sighed. He could tell that this house hunting business was going to be tougher than he had first thought.
Matt remembered one other property he owned. He hadn’t brought it up because it was fairly isolated with only a few other houses occupying the same block. He had thought that Marin would prefer being near her neighbors, but he hadn’t taken the whole werewolf angle into account.
“I do have one other place that might interest you,” he told them.
“Where,” Cole asked.
“It’s over off Willow and Pecan.”
Cole’s eyebrows both went up. The houses in that area were close to the size of the Victorian, which meant they were big money homes. “How big of a house are we talking? Last time I checked, those were close to the size of mansions.”
“It’s the smallest house on the block,” Matt replied diplomatically.
“Uh-huh. What’s the square footage?” Cole asked.
Matt cleared his throat. “It’s about twenty-eight hundred square feet, which puts it at least a thousand square feet smaller than the Victorian.”
“I don’t need a house that big,” Marin told them.
“It’s in the middle of Willow. The neighbors on either side are a ways down. The house may not be huge, but it sits on five acres.”
Cole whistled. “That’s a good chunk of land for being in the city limits.”
Matt nodded. “I actually got the house really cheap because it needed some work. I’ve already had the electrical and plumbing updated, but it needs to be painted inside and out and will either need the floors refinished or will need carpeting.”
Cole suddenly knew which house Matt was talking about. “Wait a minute! You’re talking about the old Prescott house, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but Cassie assures me that the tales weren’t true.”
“What tales?” Marin asked. So far the house sounded perfect.
Cole looked at her. “The house has been empty for over half of my life. The Prescott family lived there for three generations. The last family that lived there was murdered by the elder Prescott. It was rumored that the place was haunted.”
Marin was shocked that Matt would mention the house considering its past. How could she possibly live in a house where a whole family had been murdered?
“Cassie went through the house. It isn’t haunted. I can’t change the fact that people died in it, but I can promise you that there are no ghosts present,” Matt told them.
Cole felt a little uneasy about it. “What do you think, honey?”
“I don’t know. Until I knew a family had died there, it sounded perfect.”
“Why don’t I show the house to you? If you get any bad vibes or hate the place on sight, I’ll find you something else,” Matt suggested. It wasn’t that he was trying to pawn the house off on them. He really did think it would be the best fit for the couple.
“Okay,” Marin agreed.
The three of them drove over to the Prescott house. When they pulled up to the curb, Marin was in awe. The house was a two story frame home with lots of windows facing the street. Even though the paint was chipped and peeling, the wide front porch still looked inviting. The land was only fifteen yards or so deep, leaving most of the acreage on either side of the home. But even though the yard wasn’t deep, there was a heavy line of trees at the back of the property, separating it from whatever was behind.
Marin got out of the car and slowly walked up to the front door. Matt and Cole were already there with the door open. Cautiously walking inside, Marin looked around.
In front of her was a wide staircase leading to the second floor. To her right was a large living room with wood floors and a fireplace. On her left was a dining room. She assumed the door on the back wall led to the kitchen and the door under the stairs probably was either a small bathroom or a storage closet.
The paint on the walls was dingy and cobwebs hung from the ceiling. Marin walked toward to the door on the back wall. Pushing it open, her breath caught in her throat. The kitchen wasn’t very deep, but it ran the whole length of the house. There was a small built-in desk with a hutch in the corner, tons of cabinets, and a large window over the sink. A set of French doors led out to the backyard.
Marin walked over to the French doors and looked into the backyard. A small section had been fenced off, probably as a play area for the children. The grass and weeds were growing wildly and the fence needed a new coat of paint.
In a daze, Marin wandered around the first floor. Coming back to the staircase, she started climbing up to the second floor. The wooden planks of the stairs creaked under her feet with each step she took. Reaching the top of the stairs, she opened the door on her immediate right.
It opened with a groan, showing her the perfect playroom. The room was large and had high ceilings. On the far wall, there was a huge picture window that took up almost the entire wall. Marin walked over to the window and looked out. She had a beautiful view of the side yard. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine having a little garden down there, complete with a park bench or two.
Walking back out into the hall, Marin continued down the hall, opening one door after another. She counted four bedrooms in addition to the playroom. There was a bathroom half way down the hall and the master bedroom had its own bathroom. Each of the bedrooms had at least one window and decent sized closet. The master had a hidden door in one of the closets that led to the attic. Marin wasn’t brave enough to confront an attic full of spiders today.
Making her way back downstairs, she met Cole and Matt in the living room. It was rather odd, instead of feeling as if the house were evil or haunted, she felt as if it were calling out to her… as if it were telling her that it belonged to her.
“Well, what do you think, honey?” Cole asked as she walked over to him.
“As strange as it may sound, I think it may be perfect for us.”
Cole was surprised. “It doesn’t bother you? The history, I mean.”
Marin shook her head. “It may sound odd, but I get the feeling that the house wants us here. I think it wants new, happy memories; a happy family and the sounds of children to fill it again.”
Cole looked at Marin. Could she possibly have some sort of psychic ability? He had heard of people that could sense things about houses, as if the homes themselves were speaking to them. Could this house be such a place?
Turning to look at Matt, he aske
d, “How much do you want for this place and how soon can we close?”
Matt smiled. He knew this would be right house for them. “When I told you I bought the place dirt cheap, I wasn’t kidding. Most of the houses on this block go for about three-hundred-fifty thousand up to six-hundred thousand dollars.”
Cole visibly gulped. He wanted Marin to have her dream home, but he knew he couldn’t afford that by a long shot.
Noting Cole’s anxious look, Matt decided to let the poor man off the hook. “I paid twenty-five thousand for the place and put another twenty-five into the plumbing and electrically.”
Cole was stunned. “I guess dying in a house really lowers its value.”
“Well, that combined with the story of the ghosts, the fact that the wiring wasn’t up to code and neither was the plumbing, along with a few other things. I still need to have the heating and air units replaced, but the guy is supposed to come out this afternoon to do that.”
“So what are you asking for the house? I’m sure you could get that two-fifty you mentioned, but I honestly just can’t pay that much.”
“I wouldn’t ask you to. As far as I’m concerned, you and your brothers are family. I’ll sell it to you for one-hundred thousand and you can close on it Friday if you’d like.”
“I feel like I’m robbing you blind at that price,” Cole told him.
Matt shook his head. “No you aren’t. Besides, it takes a special person to buy this house. Not just anyone will come in here and claim the place… although, in this case, it seems the place has claimed you.”
“Do you mind if I start on some of the painting and repairs before closing?”
“Not at all. In fact, if you need some help, I know an out of work carpenter that has some free time this week.”
“Give him my number. I’ll want him to refinish the wood work around the house, including the floors, and replace the tile in the bathrooms and kitchen. Tell him to give me a list of supplies he’ll need and then we can negotiate a price for his services.”
“I’ll get right on it. Here, take the spare key so you can come and go as you please. Maybe the house will be ready for you to move in before Monday, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.”
Matt left the couple alone to wander through their new home and make plans. He couldn’t wait to tell Cassie which house Cole and Marin had chosen.
***
Several hours later, Cole had informed his family that he would be moving out within a week or two. They had taken the news pretty well. On the way back to the Victorian, they had chosen some paint colors for their new home. Marin was so excited that Cole expected she would remain on cloud nine for the rest of the day. There was only one thing he could think of that would make her even happier… setting a wedding date.
Once he had her secluded from the others, he decided to broach the subject. “Marin, there’s actually something else I wanted to mention. I made one other phone call today while you were otherwise occupied.”
“Oh? You already bought me a house; what else could you have possibly been up to?”
“A wedding?”
Marin’s eyes went wide. “A …. A… a wedding?”
“Mmm-hmm. I called in the cavalry earlier to start making some arrangements.”
“What kind of arrangements?”
“A minister, flowers, church… you know, regular wedding type arrangements.”
Marin’s eyes started to tear. “You really do want to marry me, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. Why would you think otherwise?”
Marin shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess, with everything that’s happened, I may have wondered once or twice if you really loved me or if you just felt sorry for me.”
Cole pulled her into his arms. “Marin, I love you more than life. How could you for one minute think I didn’t?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’m just afraid that this is all too good to be true.”
Cole brushed her hair back from her face. “I really and truly love you and I really and truly want to marry you. I know it’s really last minute, but I was thinking that maybe Thursday would be a good day?”
“Thursday?!”
“I know, it’s the day after tomorrow, but I would really love to be married before we move into our new house. I can’t explain why it’s important to me because honestly I’m not sure I know myself, but it just is.”
“But … I don’t have a dress yet.”
“We can get one in the morning if you’d like… or even tonight. I could take you to a bridal store and then we could get some dinner. I’ll leave it up to you.”
Marin was feeling a bit overwhelmed. She wanted to marry Cole more than anything else, but he was moving things along rather quickly. First a house and now a marriage, before she knew it, she’d be pregnant. Absently, she rubbed her stomach, maybe the pregnant part wasn’t so bad… maybe all of it wasn’t so bad.
“Okay… a dress and dinner it is,” she told him.
Cole smiled and led her to the front door. “Be sure to put on your new coat.”
Marin grabbed her coat and slipped it on before grabbing her purse. Tucking her hand in Cole’s, they walked out to the truck.
It didn’t take long to reach “Ever After,” the town’s only bridal store. As they walked in, the chime over the door sounded, alerting the sales associate that someone had entered the store.
“May I help you?” the tall slender woman asked as she approached the couple.
Cole gave her his best smile, “Yes. My fiancé needs a wedding dress.”
The woman looked Marin up and down, clearing not understanding why a man like Cole was with someone like her. “I’m sure we have something that would fit her.”
Marin wasn’t sure if she should feel offended or not. She knew that Cole was quite the catch, but she wasn’t sure she liked all of the female attention he drew.
“I think I’d like to just look around a moment,” she said, inserting herself into the conversation.
The sales woman arched a brow, but didn’t say a word. She merely gestured for Marin to help herself.
Cole followed Marin through the small shop. While Marin flipped through one rack, he looked through another. He paused when he saw a beautiful off-white gown with long lacy sleeves. The dress itself was off-white satin with the same lace over-laid. There were tiny seed pearls scattered across the hem.
“Marin, I think I may have found something,” he told her, pulling the dress from the rack.
Marin turned to see what Cole had found. The dress in his hands was breathtaking. It was the most elegant wedding gown she’d seen. Most of the dresses she had found were either plain or so fancy they were almost gaudy.
“It’s perfect, Cole.”
Taking the dress from him, she carefully carried it to the fitting room. Inside, she undressed and gingerly stepped into the beautiful gown. It fit her like a glove. Looking at her reflection, tears came to her eyes. She wished that her parents could see her now.
Thinking of her family made her remember her brother. What was he doing now? What would happen if she contacted him? Would he want to be here for her wedding? Was he still doing drugs?
Sighing, Marin took the dress off and hung it back on the hanger. Dressing quickly, she went in search of Cole.
“It’s absolutely perfect,” she told him.
He smiled. “I figured it might be.”
They walked over to the sales woman to check out. She rang up their purchase and told Cole the amount. Marin was a little stunned at the figure she mentioned, but Cole didn’t seem surprised. She watched as he pulled out a credit card and paid for the dress.
They left the store and Cole helped Marin into the truck. Walking around to the driver’s side, he opened the back door and draped her dress across the seat. Then he opened his door and climbed into the truck.
“Now that we have the most important task taken care of, where would you like to eat?”
“I don’t care.
Why don’t you surprise me?”
Cole grinned; he knew just the place to take her. He’d noticed that Marin didn’t like it when he spent a lot of money on her. If they were going to get married, she’d just have to get used to it. After all, it was a man’s prerogative to spoil his wife.
Chapter Thirteen
The morning of the wedding, Cassie arrived at eight o’clock sharp to kidnap Marin. Walking up to the Andrews’ front door, Cassie didn’t even bother knocking or ringing the bell. Opening the door, she stepped into the front entry. Hearing voices in the kitchen, Cassie closed the door and headed in that direction.
Sitting at the table were Colin and Connor. Marin was at the oven, pulling out a baking sheet of fluffy, golden biscuits.
“Marin, what are you doing? You’re going to end up smelling like breakfast on your wedding day.”
Marin turned to face Cassie. “Well, I just thought the guys might be hungry this morning. I don’t think the scent of biscuits will stay with me all day.”
Cassie eyed her doubtfully. “Let’s hope not.”
Marin arranged the biscuits on a plate and placed them on the kitchen table. Her stomach was tied in knots so eating one of the fluffy biscuits was out of the question. She wasn’t sure why she was so anxious today. She loved Cole and knew he loved her.
“Are you ready to go to the salon?” Cassie asked.
“Yeah, just let me grab my coat and purse.”
Marin went to the living room to get her things. After putting on her coat, she grabbed her purse and met Cassie at the front door.
“Are you sure I’m not being too much trouble? I mean, shouldn’t you be home resting or something?” she asked Cassie.
Cassie rolled her eyes. “As if I’m going to sit at home and rest on your wedding day! Besides, I’ve been looking forward to the day that someone would catch one of the Andrews brothers. I wouldn’t miss this day for anything.”
Marin smiled and followed Cassie out the front door. “Well, I’m happy to be of service. Although, I’m honestly surprised that none of the brothers have gotten married before now. It’s not as if they’re ugly.”
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