know what to think, other than
Dinah had a whole history that had played out while
he was in college. Somehow that made their differences feel more marked.
He tried to recall if he had known her back when she was still in high school, but he couldn't place her,
beyond a pretty girl with a cute figure who was a
friend of Joanne's. For the first time he wondered if
maybe everyone else was right; maybe he was too
young for her.
Perhaps she needed someone who had known her
circle of friends, or Neil's, or had helped her during
the time when she was putting herself together? Someone who saw her as a woman just off the brink of a
difficult time in her life?
Not some guy who only saw her as adorable and
accomplished.
"Now this place has possibilities," Marianne said,
staring at the house in front of them.
Jeremy glanced out his window and whistled low.
The place was unlike anything he had ever seen. It
was stone, not wood, and had enough angles and turrets that it looked like someone's dream house gone
wrong.
But it was attractive in its own way. The rich brown
stones were aged and worn, giving the house a homey,
rich feeling all its own. The roof looked to be in good
repair, and the windows were arched and framed with
quality wood, painted brown.
It sat on an oversized lot filled with trees, all types
of trees, pear and maple, ash and pine. Each looked
to be in good health, and surrounded the house like a
picture frame.
"This looks like it's out of a fairy tale," Mary Beth
said, in awe. "I can't believe I've never noticed it before."
"It's been in a gentleman's family for years and
years," Marianne said, glancing at a pile of notes in
her day planner. "If I'm not mistaken, this house has
some history to it, as well. I think some people brewed
moonshine in it during Prohibition."
Jeremy got out of car, immediately charmed. "Is it
vacant now?"
Marianne McKinley nodded. "Yep. Mr. Burton decided to go live in a retirement community, and his
nephew just cleaned it out and put it on the market
last week. And, he cleared out about twenty trees,"
she added. "That's why you never noticed the place,
Mary Beth. It used to be practically hidden from the
road."
"I like the fence," Mary Beth said, pointing towards
the split rail fence stained dark brown in the back yard.
Years ago someone must have planted vines along it,
because it was half covered with honeysuckle vines.
"I do too," Jeremy said.
Marianne unlocked the door and led them inside,
and each oohed and ahhed over each meticulously kept
room. The floors were wooden, the woodwork white.
The only flaws were the seriously outdated kitchen and
one bathroom.
But Jeremy knew he'd found his home. "How much
is it going for?"
Marianne named the price. Jeremy stared at her in
surprise. It was priced even more competitively than
the others he'd seen. "Why so low?"
She shrugged. "I don't think the nephew wants anything to do with it. He's more of a tract house kind of
guy.
"What do you think?" he asked Mary Beth.
"I love it," she stated, not even missing a beat. "I
love how charming it is ... and there's room to add a
bath off of the back, as well as places to remodel the
kitchen. But I wouldn't change a thing about the front
of the place, Jeremy. It's just beautiful."
"It was built in 1910, and has been remodeled three
times," Marianne said, then proceeded to go into detail
about the dates of plumbing and electrical renovations.
But Jeremy wasn't listening; instead, his mind kept
drifting to the pretty backyard, and how perfect it
would be for a toddler to play in.
He thought of how nice the front room would be
with wall-to-wall bookshelves and two overstuffed
chairs, how the side street was within walking distance
to downtown yet off the main streets.
"I like it, too," he said. "A lot."
They walked around a few minutes more, then
drove to a coffee shop named the Payton Mill and sat
in front of the large picture
Dinah had a whole history that had played out while
he was in college. Somehow that made their differences feel more marked.
He tried to recall if he had known her back when she was still in high school, but he couldn't place her,
beyond a pretty girl with a cute figure who was a
friend of Joanne's. For the first time he wondered if
maybe everyone else was right; maybe he was too
young for her.
Perhaps she needed someone who had known her
circle of friends, or Neil's, or had helped her during
the time when she was putting herself together? Someone who saw her as a woman just off the brink of a
difficult time in her life?
Not some guy who only saw her as adorable and
accomplished.
"Now this place has possibilities," Marianne said,
staring at the house in front of them.
Jeremy glanced out his window and whistled low.
The place was unlike anything he had ever seen. It
was stone, not wood, and had enough angles and turrets that it looked like someone's dream house gone
wrong.
But it was attractive in its own way. The rich brown
stones were aged and worn, giving the house a homey,
rich feeling all its own. The roof looked to be in good
repair, and the windows were arched and framed with
quality wood, painted brown.
It sat on an oversized lot filled with trees, all types
of trees, pear and maple, ash and pine. Each looked
to be in good health, and surrounded the house like a
picture frame.
"This looks like it's out of a fairy tale," Mary Beth
said, in awe. "I can't believe I've never noticed it before."
"It's been in a gentleman's family for years and
years," Marianne said, glancing at a pile of notes in
her day planner. "If I'm not mistaken, this house has
some history to it, as well. I think some people brewed
moonshine in it during Prohibition."
Jeremy got out of car, immediately charmed. "Is it
vacant now?"
Marianne McKinley nodded. "Yep. Mr. Burton decided to go live in a retirement community, and his
nephew just cleaned it out and put it on the market
last week. And, he cleared out about twenty trees,"
she added. "That's why you never noticed the place,
Mary Beth. It used to be practically hidden from the
road."
"I like the fence," Mary Beth said, pointing towards
the split rail fence stained dark brown in the back yard.
Years ago someone must have planted vines along it,
because it was half covered with honeysuckle vines.
"I do too," Jeremy said.
Marianne unlocked the door and led them inside,
and each oohed and ahhed over each meticulously kept
room. The floors were wooden, the woodwork white.
The only flaws were the seriously outdated kitchen and
one bathroom.
But Jeremy knew he'd found his home. "How much
is it going for?"
Marianne named the price. Jeremy stared at her in
surprise. It was priced even more competitively than
the others he'd seen. "Why so low?"
She shrugged. "I don't think the nephew wants anything to do with it. He's more of a tract house kind of
guy.
"What do you think?" he asked Mary Beth.
"I love it," she stated, not even missing a beat. "I
love how charming it is ... and there's room to add a
bath off of the back, as well as places to remodel the
kitchen. But I wouldn't change a thing about the front
of the place, Jeremy. It's just beautiful."
"It was built in 1910, and has been remodeled three
times," Marianne said, then proceeded to go into detail
about the dates of plumbing and electrical renovations.
But Jeremy wasn't listening; instead, his mind kept
drifting to the pretty backyard, and how perfect it
would be for a toddler to play in.
He thought of how nice the front room would be
with wall-to-wall bookshelves and two overstuffed
chairs, how the side street was within walking distance
to downtown yet off the main streets.
"I like it, too," he said. "A lot."
They walked around a few minutes more, then
drove to a coffee shop named the Payton Mill and sat
in front of the large picture
Similar Books
