Series: The Laws of Opposite Attract Series by Vi Keeland
Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 105253 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105253 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
I reached up to cup her cheek. “You’re gonna break the chain, beautiful. And I’ll be there every second to witness it.”
CHAPTER 29
Owen
A month later, I met Holden in Gramercy Park. He whistled a catcall when we arrived at the brownstone. I smiled, thinking how much things had changed in the last year or two. Holden Catalano whistled at good-looking real estate these days, instead of women.
“Damn.” He shook his head. “You got the cash for a place like this in this swanky neighborhood?”
“I have half. I figured I could mortgage the rest and the payment would be manageable.”
“Especially with two incomes. Devyn must be psyched.”
“I wanted to talk to you about that. You can’t mention that we came here today. Devyn has no idea I’m hoping to put an offer on the house. I want to surprise her.”
Holden’s brows shot up. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? What if she doesn’t like it?”
“I brought her to see it last month, right before it came on the market. She loved it. Plus, it’s a great investment property. If it turns out she doesn’t want to live here, I could always rent it out. The price is right, and this area gets top dollar for rent. I’ve been saving for a few years with the intention of buying some sort of property for passive income.”
I knew the brownstone was a good financial investment because I knew the New York City real estate market. But Holden knew plumbing and heating, so I’d asked him to come check out the place before I put an offer in to see if anything glaring was wrong with the mechanics. I planned to have an engineer do a top-to-bottom inspection if my offer was accepted, but I was about to drain my bank account and felt like I needed a second opinion before that.
The owner wasn’t home this morning, so the listing agent had given me the combo to the lock box hanging on the front door. I gave Holden a quick tour before we got into the nitty gritty of the HVAC system and plumbing. We were there more than an hour as he tested out various mechanics.
“I should tell you the pipes are lead and dangerous, the heating system is on its last leg, and the walls are lined with asbestos.” Holden smacked dust from his hands as he climbed up from the floor after looking under the sink. “But none of that’s true. It’s just going to suck not having you in the building anymore.”
“I know. I’ve gotten used to having you clowns close by. But Devyn really wants to have space for Hannah and Heath. Right now she still has temporary legal guardianship. Vera has to take some parenting classes and go to counseling before the court will even consider restoring her custody after the shit she pulled. And Dev wants to make sure the kids know there’s always room for them with us regardless. My gut says they’ll wind up living with us for the long haul.”
“That’s a big undertaking, my friend. A new baby, two teens, and a big fat mortgage.”
“It is. But I’ve never been happier.”
Holden smiled. “The HVAC system is less than five years old, pipes are all corrosion-resistant copper and PVC, and I don’t see any stress cracks or structural issues.”
I blew out a relieved breath. “Thanks, man. I appreciate you coming with me.”
“No problem. But you know it wasn’t a freebie. Your ass is babysitting next weekend so I can take my hot wife out to dinner.”
I chuckled. “You got it.”
I locked the house behind us, and as Holden and I walked down the front steps, a woman approached. I hadn’t met the homeowner, but I’d spoken to her on the phone... “Are you Mrs. Meyers?”
“Sure am.”
I extended a hand. “Owen Dawson. Thank you for letting me see the house this morning. I appreciate it.”
“No problem. But I’m afraid you’ve wasted a trip. I just got an offer a half hour ago.”
My face fell. “Really?”
She nodded. “Sorry to have you come for nothing.”
Panic washed over me. I’d seen my family living here—actually dreamed about it the other night. I’d pictured Devyn and me wallpapering the baby’s room, pushing a stroller through the park at the corner, and making dinner side by side in the kitchen while music played.
“Have you accepted the offer already? I’ll make a better one if you haven’t signed the paperwork yet.”
The woman smiled. “I accepted. The paperwork isn’t signed, but this house means a lot to me. I met the buyer, and I’m happy it’s going to good people who want to raise their family here. I got a fair price, so I’m afraid it’s a done deal.”
Dejected, I didn’t bother to tell her I had wanted to raise my family here, too. I forced a smile. “Okay, thank you. I’ll talk to the listing agent and put in a backup offer anyway. Just in case something falls through.”