Relieved that she hadn’t pushed back, he said, “I’ll make sure I am.”
He had planned on going to dinner with Roxy that night, but he was sure she would understand. The fleeting thought of inviting her along to dinner with his mother passed through his mind. Then he considered how new things were between them. She had only just agreed to be exclusive with him after weeks of him trying to convince her. He could only imagine the reaction he’d get if he mentioned wanting to introduce her to his mother already.
He’d probably never hear from her again.
What would his mother make of her? he wondered as he headed out to meet Roxy at the listing. They couldn’t be more different. It would actually be rather amusing to see them interact.
Three months ago, he would have laughed in the face of anyone who suggested he would fall hard enough for a woman that he wanted her to meet either of his parents. Thoughts like that would have had him running in the opposite direction, much like he was sure they would with Roxy. It was a major step in any relationship, never mind one as unconventional as theirs.
What was it about Roxy that made her so different from other women? he wondered. Was it her untamed spirit? Her beauty and confidence? Her fierce independence? Her warped sense of humor?
It was all of that and more. It was the inescapable energy she carried with her everywhere she went. It was the heightened awareness that ran through him every time they touched. It was the line that formed in her brow when she got annoyed. It was the tilt of her chin when she was about to argue a point he’d made.
Hell, it was even her resistance to committing to him. Now that they had made progress there, he needed to play it cool and take things slow or he’d scare her off.
It took him less than ten minutes to reach the address Roxy had texted him that morning. She had called him first and left him a voicemail while he was at the gym.
“I just got a lead on a home that’s about to become available,” her message said. “It’s the home of one of my dad’s long-time clients. He and his wife have decided to move to Colorado to be closer to their daughter and her family. Long story short, I think it’s worth going out to see the house. They haven’t even talked to a real estate agent yet, so we’ll get first dibs. I’ll text you the address. Let me know when you’re free later and I’ll meet you there.”
He really liked the area, he thought as he turned onto the street. He was already familiar with it since he lived less than two miles away. Traffic permitting, his commute to the arena would be less than twenty minutes and his drive to the center about the same.
It was on a large cul-de-sac lot, which was another feature he liked. The brick house was surrounded by lush trees, presenting a quiet, peaceful visual. It had a welcoming front porch and mature landscaping. But it was the three Cape Cod windows and the white widow’s walk along the roof that had a smile lifting the corners of his mouth.
Roxy was sitting on one of the two padded benches on either side of the front door. She smiled and rose as he approached. The sight of her lightened everything inside him.
“Glad you found it okay,” she said.
He leaned down to brush his lips over hers. “I appreciate you contacting me about this place. I love the look of it already.”
“I thought you might. I want to warn you before we go in that the house is in need of updating. Mr. and Mrs. Alms have lived here since the home was built. I spoke with them before they left for dinner to give us some time to do our walk-through. They love this place and you’ll see it’s been well cared for, but it’s too big for just the two of them. Now that their kids are grown and moved away, they’re ready for a new family to move in and enjoy the home.”
A vision of him and Roxy chasing a couple of kids around the huge yard filled his mind. It was so vivid that he wondered for a moment if he had dreamed it before.
“I didn’t tell them you don’t intend to move a family in with you,” she said with a wink.
He shook off the strange vision. “I’ll keep an open mind,” he promised.
“Great. In we go.”
She opened the front door. He stepped inside.
And thought, Home.
She didn’t even have to ask him. “This is it, right?”
He nodded. The inside carried through the Cape Cod styling with its central hall, symmetrical layout, and clean lines. Roxy was right that it needed updating, but the bones of the house were exactly what he’d been picturing.
“Just wait until you see the bedrooms with the dormer windows,” she said. “And the views from the back decks are to die for.”
“Decks?”
“There are three, including one with an infinity pool.”
“Lead the way.”
He loved everything about it. The layout, the functionality, the many windows, the spectacular views. It had so much potential. He could see himself settling down there and starting a family.
With Roxy.
He realized now that he had thought of her during every home tour they’d done. He’d fed off her reactions because he wanted her to love the home he bought as much as he did. Whether she knew it yet or not, she was his future.
So much for playing it cool and taking things slow.
“And the unfinished space in the basement would transition well into the home gym you wanted,” she said as they ended the tour.
“You’re right,” he agreed. “It’s everything I want.”
“With the exception of not being move-in ready,” she finished.
“Exactly.” His gaze moved around the kitchen where they were standing. “But I know a guy who does amazing reno work. One of Javy’s teammates, Will Campbell.”
“As in Campbell Investments?”
“I’m not actually sure.”
“It must be,” she said with noticeable interest. “William and Frank Campbell are the registered owners. I’ve been trying to meet with them. Property investors can be a real estate agent’s bread and butter.”
“Ah. Well, they’re the ones I would want handling the renovation. If you’d like to meet them, you could always agree to help me out by overseeing things for me while I’m traveling on upcoming road trips.”
He punctuated the statement with an over-the-top smile and hands folded in a pleading gesture. She gave him a look that said, Really?
“Pretty please?”
Her mouth thinned as though she was fighting a smile. “We’ll see. I’d want to know what you’re really getting into with these renovations before making any kind of commitment.”
He tried not to let that bother him. He couldn’t blame her for not jumping right in to help him when she had plenty of other obligations on her plate. But he couldn’t help but feel like her hesitation to help him when he asked for it was a step back on the relationship scale.
“I’ll give Will a call now,” he said. “I’ll see if someone’s available to come out here later today or tomorrow to talk it through with us.”
Her mouth shifted into a thoughtful expression. “Well, it would be helpful to have someone with a knowledgeable eye give us a clear picture of what investments will have to be made to make this home everything you want. It would also give me some more guidance on what we should offer for the house.”