Not Your Match by Lindzee Armstrong

war drove the price up and I made a substantial profit.” And then he’d ended up using most of it to pay for Whitney’s medical bills when she’d been hospitalized for a suicide attempt.
    “What did you have in mind for our condo?”
    Ben’s heart tripped in his chest, and he struggled to keep his words even and not show his excitement. “If I tore out the archway and half-wall between the kitchen and living room, I could add a breakfast bar. It’d give you more seating for the kitchen and really open up the floor plan. Ripping out the flooring and putting laminate throughout would make the space seem bigger too. Crown molding in the living room and bedroom would add an expensive feel. And obviously I’d want to paint the walls . . . strip the wallpaper. Maybe paint the cabinets and replace the counter tops.”
    Madelynn laughed. “I hate the wallpaper too. I don’t know what my sister was thinking. I like your vision, but what about permits and everything?”
    He couldn’t believe it. Madelynn actually seemed to be going for it. Maybe he’d get this condo after all. “We shouldn’t need them for most of the work, but I’ll look into all that before doing anything. And of course I’d run it by you.”
    “We don’t have much saved for renovations.”
    “I know where to get quality supplies at a huge discount.”
    “It’s a tempting offer. Just a sec.” A hand covered the phone, and there were muffled voices, as though she was conferring with someone else—probably her husband. She came back on the line and rattled off a number nearly three hundred less than the previous one—still on the high end of Ben’s budget, but now at least within it. “This is the best we can do. We’ve had a hard time getting people to come look at the condo since it’s only a one-bedroom, and now we’re out of time. We’re willing to rent it for what it costs us if you’ll sign a one-year agreement and promise to not have any pets.”
    “Not a problem,” Ben assured her.
    “That amount covers the mortgage payment and HOA fee. You take care of your own utilities. In exchange for the discount you’ll fix the place up. I want that half-wall and archway gone, the wallpaper stripped, and new paint at the very least. Run everything by me first. I’ll expect you to pay for the cheaper stuff since we’re giving you such a great deal. You can move in immediately and we’ll prorate rent for this month.”
    Gratitude flowed through Ben. For once, things were falling into place. “Fair enough. I’ll take it.”
    She exhaled, the sound loud in his ear. “Perfect. You have no idea what a relief this is. Normally I’d run a background check and call references, but I trust Andi and we’re leaving the country in a few days. Sign the rental agreement and email a picture of it to me in the next forty-eight hours, and I’ll get you instructions on where to send the deposit.” Madelynn rattled off her email address, and then they said their goodbyes.
    Ben clicked off his phone and saw the text icon blinking. Slowly, he opened the message.
    Whitney: Please don’t ignore me. Call me and we can talk.
    Ben put his phone away without replying. He looked around the condo, forcing himself to visualize his future here. He imagined his end table in the living room, covered in his favorite construction magazines. His messy, unmade bed in the bedroom. The feel of the sledgehammer in his hand as he knocked down that half-wall and opened up the kitchen. He populated the space with his belongings in his mind, and he felt a hundred pounds lighter.
    This Christmas was turning out better than he’d expected.
    He gave the condo one last look, then flipped off the lights and left, locking the bottom knob. When he came back next, it would be for good.
    Andi opened her door before he could knock, as though she’d been waiting for him. She took one look at his face and let out a squeal, throwing her arms around his neck. “You got it?” she