few miles outside of Fairplay.
“What’re they asking?”
The man looked down at his nails and sighed. “Well, here’s where we might hit a snag. The Joneses want one-eighty, but I’ve been telling them that the most they’ll get is one-fifty.
He calculated in his head and nodded. “Make an offer for one-forty-five.” He turned and looked out across the land again.
“Are you sure? You don’t want to look at the house some more before you make up your mind?”
“The land is where I’ll be most. Besides”—he turned and looked at the four-bedroom ranch home—“I can tell the place has good bones. Anything else can be fixed.”
“It’s your dime.” He shook his head and started walking towards his car. “It’ll take a few days. The Joneses are in Florida now. Went off and retired and are living the dream.”
Reece shook his head. “The dream is right here.” He nodded to the field and smiled when the sun chose that moment to peek out from behind a cloud, blanketing the grass in its bright light.
He drove back into town after signing a few papers at the realtor’s office and decided that a celebratory dinner was in order. He headed to the best place in town to get a home-cooked meal and smiled when he saw Melissa’s car out front.
It was only a day before their next date, and he’d been trying to think of a million excuses to drive by her new place. He’d even bought her a bottle of Champagne but had been too busy to swing by and drop it off, so he’d decided to keep it for their picnic instead.
He walked into Mama’s and realized that he hadn’t been there since it had been remodeled after the tornado. When the bell chimed on the door above his head, several guests stopped talking and glanced towards the door to see who had walked in, one of them being Jamella, Mama herself.
The woman hadn’t changed in all the years he’d known her. She wore the same teal outfit and white apron as she had always. Her hair was still short and hung in soft curls around her face and she was still as large as life.
“Who dat?” she asked as she handed a pitcher of water to the patron she’d been serving. “Is dat my boy?” She walked over, her eyes squinting as she looked him up and down. “I heard you was back in town.” She stopped right in front of him, her hands poised on her large hips. “But then I thought, no way dat boy would have come up here and not seen his mama before too long.”
He glanced at his feet. “Sorry, I’ve been kinda busy.”
“Yes, sir, I heard dat too. Being thrown off a horse and landing on your head.” She made a tsking sound and shook her head. “Boy, I thought you known’d better den dat.”
He laughed and looked at her. “Are you going to give me a tongue lashing all day or do I get a hug?”
He watched her face melt into a smile. “Fine, but next time you come here first.”
“There won’t be a next time. I’m fixin’ to stay.”
“Ohhh, weeeee. Dat does deserve a hug.” She clapped and when he felt her arms wrap around him, he knew he was home.
Chapter Five
“ Y ou did what?” Melissa sat across from Reece and frowned at him.
“I made an offer on the Jones’s place.”
“Howard and Barbara Jones’s place on Old Airport Road?”
He nodded and she couldn’t help it, she started laughing.
“What?” he asked, now frowning.
“Oh, that’s just rich,” she said between laughs.
“What?” he asked again, looking at her like she was crazy.
“Nothing.” She shook her head and tried to stop laughing.
“Missy, if you don’t tell me what’s wrong with the Jones’s place right this instant—”
“What?” She stopped laughing, then leaned forward and whispered. “You’ll spank me?” The beer she’d had after dinner had relaxed her enough that she was coming out of her shell.
His frown fell away as she saw his eyes heat.
“You’re asking for it,” he said in a low voice, and she felt
“What’re they asking?”
The man looked down at his nails and sighed. “Well, here’s where we might hit a snag. The Joneses want one-eighty, but I’ve been telling them that the most they’ll get is one-fifty.
He calculated in his head and nodded. “Make an offer for one-forty-five.” He turned and looked out across the land again.
“Are you sure? You don’t want to look at the house some more before you make up your mind?”
“The land is where I’ll be most. Besides”—he turned and looked at the four-bedroom ranch home—“I can tell the place has good bones. Anything else can be fixed.”
“It’s your dime.” He shook his head and started walking towards his car. “It’ll take a few days. The Joneses are in Florida now. Went off and retired and are living the dream.”
Reece shook his head. “The dream is right here.” He nodded to the field and smiled when the sun chose that moment to peek out from behind a cloud, blanketing the grass in its bright light.
He drove back into town after signing a few papers at the realtor’s office and decided that a celebratory dinner was in order. He headed to the best place in town to get a home-cooked meal and smiled when he saw Melissa’s car out front.
It was only a day before their next date, and he’d been trying to think of a million excuses to drive by her new place. He’d even bought her a bottle of Champagne but had been too busy to swing by and drop it off, so he’d decided to keep it for their picnic instead.
He walked into Mama’s and realized that he hadn’t been there since it had been remodeled after the tornado. When the bell chimed on the door above his head, several guests stopped talking and glanced towards the door to see who had walked in, one of them being Jamella, Mama herself.
The woman hadn’t changed in all the years he’d known her. She wore the same teal outfit and white apron as she had always. Her hair was still short and hung in soft curls around her face and she was still as large as life.
“Who dat?” she asked as she handed a pitcher of water to the patron she’d been serving. “Is dat my boy?” She walked over, her eyes squinting as she looked him up and down. “I heard you was back in town.” She stopped right in front of him, her hands poised on her large hips. “But then I thought, no way dat boy would have come up here and not seen his mama before too long.”
He glanced at his feet. “Sorry, I’ve been kinda busy.”
“Yes, sir, I heard dat too. Being thrown off a horse and landing on your head.” She made a tsking sound and shook her head. “Boy, I thought you known’d better den dat.”
He laughed and looked at her. “Are you going to give me a tongue lashing all day or do I get a hug?”
He watched her face melt into a smile. “Fine, but next time you come here first.”
“There won’t be a next time. I’m fixin’ to stay.”
“Ohhh, weeeee. Dat does deserve a hug.” She clapped and when he felt her arms wrap around him, he knew he was home.
Chapter Five
“ Y ou did what?” Melissa sat across from Reece and frowned at him.
“I made an offer on the Jones’s place.”
“Howard and Barbara Jones’s place on Old Airport Road?”
He nodded and she couldn’t help it, she started laughing.
“What?” he asked, now frowning.
“Oh, that’s just rich,” she said between laughs.
“What?” he asked again, looking at her like she was crazy.
“Nothing.” She shook her head and tried to stop laughing.
“Missy, if you don’t tell me what’s wrong with the Jones’s place right this instant—”
“What?” She stopped laughing, then leaned forward and whispered. “You’ll spank me?” The beer she’d had after dinner had relaxed her enough that she was coming out of her shell.
His frown fell away as she saw his eyes heat.
“You’re asking for it,” he said in a low voice, and she felt
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