locked it after me.”
“Toronto boy.” Jackson laughed as Cam jogged to the living room and called out his apology. Maybe too much of a big-city kid right now, but his brother would adjust.
He'd be okay.
Chapter 10
Cameron
“We're like the Three Stooges,” Cam laughed as they all piled out of Thomas's car. Broad-shouldered Jackson and lean, yet muscled Cam contrasted slender, baby-faced Thomas.
A woman in a tailored trousers and a blazer smiled as they approached. “You must be the Riley brothers,” she greeted them all with handshakes and introductions.
“It's our pleasure,” Cam responded, speaking for the other two. He'd always been the spokesman, for no particular reason. Jackson was talkative enough and Thomas wasn't reticent, but they both yielded to him when he was there. “Which house should we go to first?”
“Let's start at this end and work down.”
The houses weren't anything Cam hadn't seen before and the first two were especially plain, but he reminded himself they weren't million-dollar postage stamp lofts.
The first house caught Jackson's eye because it had a large, prime workshop space. He said he could easily bring it to code for his forge. The second needed more work, but a gorgeous feature nook in the living room caught Thomas's eye.
As they reached the third house, Cam's stomach clenched. Was he going to like it? Compared to a condo with a view of Toronto stretching out in front of him, minutes away from shopping malls...
Compared to having to share that view with Nathan, he reminded himself. That was enough to jar him to attention as they walked up the path.
“This one's a bit different,” Jessica told them. “People touring it are very hit or miss about it. It wasn't built by the same builder like the last two – which was why they were both similar.”
It took just one look before Cam saw what Jessica had meant.
The living room was extremely bright with windows on two sides, and tall. Exposed beams crossed an open loft ceiling. A staircase snaked up to the top floor that overlooked the vaulted space. A semicircular nook against the bannister would serve as a small spot to relax. It was braced by a support post downstairs and he made note to find the engineering plans.
The kitchen was the most up-to-date of the three houses, and the open plan meant they already saw clear through to the glass back door and a spacious yard.
Cam loved it. He even had options for carpentry space: a walkout basement and a small outbuilding that needed roof repairs.
“Not my style,” Jackson chuckled when they concluded the tour, and Thomas nodded his agreement. It was a city loft in a house, which wasn't their style. Just as well – Cam wouldn't have to fight them for it.
“So, that's it for the three houses. Let's lock this one up and head back out.” Jessica led them back to the front sidewalk while Cameron followed, taking one more glance up at the gorgeous vaulted living room.
Thomas asked the question they were all thinking once they reached the sidewalk. “Are there any offers in on this place?”
Cameron held his breath for a second until Jessica shook her head.
“Someone was going to move here from Alberta and put in an offer, but... things didn't work out for him, I understand,” she answered. “So the owner's open to offers.”
“That's great,” Jackson spoke up. “We'll have to have a chat and call you by – say, five?”
Cameron noticed Thomas's startled little glance his way. Their kid brother still rented out in Halifax. He didn't know how fast the market moved.
“That's fine by me. You have my cellphone number,” Jessica told them, shaking hands again. “See you soon.”
When they were all Thomas's car, Cam leaned forward to brace his arms on the back of Thomas's seat. He watched Jackson as they pulled away from the curb for the short drive back to his house. “So?”
“Wow,” Thomas breathed out. “That's... that's a lot to take in.”
“What
“Toronto boy.” Jackson laughed as Cam jogged to the living room and called out his apology. Maybe too much of a big-city kid right now, but his brother would adjust.
He'd be okay.
Chapter 10
Cameron
“We're like the Three Stooges,” Cam laughed as they all piled out of Thomas's car. Broad-shouldered Jackson and lean, yet muscled Cam contrasted slender, baby-faced Thomas.
A woman in a tailored trousers and a blazer smiled as they approached. “You must be the Riley brothers,” she greeted them all with handshakes and introductions.
“It's our pleasure,” Cam responded, speaking for the other two. He'd always been the spokesman, for no particular reason. Jackson was talkative enough and Thomas wasn't reticent, but they both yielded to him when he was there. “Which house should we go to first?”
“Let's start at this end and work down.”
The houses weren't anything Cam hadn't seen before and the first two were especially plain, but he reminded himself they weren't million-dollar postage stamp lofts.
The first house caught Jackson's eye because it had a large, prime workshop space. He said he could easily bring it to code for his forge. The second needed more work, but a gorgeous feature nook in the living room caught Thomas's eye.
As they reached the third house, Cam's stomach clenched. Was he going to like it? Compared to a condo with a view of Toronto stretching out in front of him, minutes away from shopping malls...
Compared to having to share that view with Nathan, he reminded himself. That was enough to jar him to attention as they walked up the path.
“This one's a bit different,” Jessica told them. “People touring it are very hit or miss about it. It wasn't built by the same builder like the last two – which was why they were both similar.”
It took just one look before Cam saw what Jessica had meant.
The living room was extremely bright with windows on two sides, and tall. Exposed beams crossed an open loft ceiling. A staircase snaked up to the top floor that overlooked the vaulted space. A semicircular nook against the bannister would serve as a small spot to relax. It was braced by a support post downstairs and he made note to find the engineering plans.
The kitchen was the most up-to-date of the three houses, and the open plan meant they already saw clear through to the glass back door and a spacious yard.
Cam loved it. He even had options for carpentry space: a walkout basement and a small outbuilding that needed roof repairs.
“Not my style,” Jackson chuckled when they concluded the tour, and Thomas nodded his agreement. It was a city loft in a house, which wasn't their style. Just as well – Cam wouldn't have to fight them for it.
“So, that's it for the three houses. Let's lock this one up and head back out.” Jessica led them back to the front sidewalk while Cameron followed, taking one more glance up at the gorgeous vaulted living room.
Thomas asked the question they were all thinking once they reached the sidewalk. “Are there any offers in on this place?”
Cameron held his breath for a second until Jessica shook her head.
“Someone was going to move here from Alberta and put in an offer, but... things didn't work out for him, I understand,” she answered. “So the owner's open to offers.”
“That's great,” Jackson spoke up. “We'll have to have a chat and call you by – say, five?”
Cameron noticed Thomas's startled little glance his way. Their kid brother still rented out in Halifax. He didn't know how fast the market moved.
“That's fine by me. You have my cellphone number,” Jessica told them, shaking hands again. “See you soon.”
When they were all Thomas's car, Cam leaned forward to brace his arms on the back of Thomas's seat. He watched Jackson as they pulled away from the curb for the short drive back to his house. “So?”
“Wow,” Thomas breathed out. “That's... that's a lot to take in.”
“What
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