She imagined that in her mind.
“I like those options. I’ll figure that out so that when it’s time to build it I can see into the yard on both sides, right?”
“That will be me and you,” Elise said. “How big of a house are you thinking?”
“Not sure. I want the primary bedroom on the first floor.”
Having Maverick so close by, she realized she wanted that separation from kids.
“What does Chance think of this?” Elise asked. “I’m assuming you’ve talked.”
“No. He’s off this morning. I’m going to text him soon and ask him to come meet me here. Then we’ll talk.”
Royce laughed. “It’s a good place to raise a kid.”
“That’s the hope,” she said. “I’m positive I want this. Just mark it sold.”
“Will do,” Royce said.
They climbed back into his truck and returned to their cars.
She told Elise she’d be in touch later to look at plans, drove to the lot and sat in her car, then sent the text to Chance and dropped a pin in her location asking him to meet her there.
He pulled in twenty minutes later.
“Are you broken down?” he asked. “You wouldn’t say.”
“No,” she said. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have been so secretive. I’m just so excited.”
He looked around at the houses and the plot she’d just told Royce and Elise she was going to buy.
“Excited about what?” he asked cautiously.
“This,” she said, her hand out. “I just bought this land. Or just told Royce and Elise I’m buying it. I’ll sign the paperwork soon. I need to figure out what I want to build on it.”
“You’re building a house?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said. “We need more space. Maverick is loud and gets so excited. I worry my neighbors might get upset, though no one has said anything.”
“Sorry,” he said. “You should have told me. You can watch him at my place then.”
“No,” she said, throwing her hands up. There he was jumping the gun and not listening again. “That isn’t what I’m saying. He’s fine. He’s being a kid. It just made me realize that it’s time for a house. You even said you were thinking of it.Weneed more space. You missed that part. You think things to death. I can too, but this time, I’m not. This is for us. If I wait for you to make a decision it will be years.”
He’d told her he was going to the bank soon. Baylee had been released three days ago and that meant Chance had paid out that money, so he was getting things in order.
Between that and legal fees that could be ongoing and cause more stress on him, she hadn’t wanted to ask what his plans were but feared he’d be cautious and want to let his account build again.
She didn’t want to wait for that when there was no reason for it.
“So now I think you’ve decided that you’re just going to do it for me. That you don’t think I can do it on my own.”
“What are you talking about? I said us. We. Just because I’m paying for this right now doesn’t mean I don’t think you can. Or that I don’t think you’d contribute, whether it’s money or time, or care for the house. Maybe I should have asked first, but it’s not like you’d be spending more than you are if you moved in with me. I’d never do that.”
“That’s right.You’re paying for it.More than I’d ever be able to have or afford. I don’t even want to know what a house like this here would cost. Just like your list of daycare centers. All more than I’d ever do. I would have just found a babysitter.”
“Why are you saying this now? If you didn’t like that I helped you, then you should have said something. You were impressed with the place and you can’t tell me that Maverick isn’t learning. Because he’s doing much better than if you just brought him to someone’s house to watch him.”
Could she be so wrong about him? He’d never once said it bothered him that she took charge. Why was he having an issue with this now?!
