Tessa dialed Mrs. Steele’s number. She doubted she would receive an answer because of the time difference between the east and west coasts, but Tessa left a detailed message, including the price she was willing to pay for Honeysuckle Hollow.
She continued to get ready for her workday, drying her hair and putting on makeup. All the while she felt the excitement about her decision to buy Honeysuckle Hollow growing inside her like a seed, sprouting and spreading. The wordsHoneysuckle Hollowandhometangled around each other until they felt synonymous.I can do this.
Within half an hour, Tessa was lounging in the duvet-filled tub again when the condo developer called. She set up a time to meet with him in the afternoon. His offer was generous given the state of the building. Since her condo was paid off, she’d be able to include the money from the buyer into the purchase of Honeysuckle Hollow and its rehab. She brainstormed ways she would allocate the money for Honeysuckle Hollow repairs. She felt confident Mrs. Steele would not reject her offer, and she needed to call the bank and make arrangements for transferring money from her savings account to Mrs. Steele. She sank deeper into the tub, letting the duvet wrap around her, and grabbed her cell phone.
As if on cue, her cell phone rang. “Hello?”
“Ms. Andrews? This is Trudy Steele. I can’t imagine why you want to buy anything so worthless, but your offer is above what I was hoping to get from another investor. I’m prepared to accept your offer.”
Tessa bolted upright in the tub. “You are?” A rush of energy zinged through her. She blurted, “Of course you are.”
“Excuse me?”
Tessa’s insides felt jolted with electricity. “Email the paperwork to my office. I have a contact at the bank who can probably expedite this process. I’d say that within two weeks, you’ll have the money in your account, and I’ll have the deed.” The call went so silent that Tessa heard her own heart pounding in her ears. Her confidence wavered. “Mrs. Steele?”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Mrs. Steele asked, her voice more brittle than ever. “That’s a lot of money for a house that has brought nothing but misery and heartache.”
“What kind of misery and heartache?” Tessa asked, frowning into the phone.
Then, as though she’d never paused in the business transaction to show concern, Mrs. Steele said, “I’ll email these papers to you, and although I’ve never heard of a bank working quickly on anything, I’ll take your word for it. I require earnest money so that I know you’re serious. I won’t have you saying you’ll buy it only to change your mind when you realize what a mistake it is. I’ll have my lawyer draft up a new contract.”
“Earnest money, of course. How much?”
Mrs. Steele said she wanted half of the offered price—thousands of dollars—and Tessa’s stomach fluttered. She sat in silence.
“Changing your mind already?”
“No—no, ma’am. I’m thinking. I can go to the bank today and wire the money, but I’ll need the contract first. Can your lawyer pull it together quickly?”
Mrs. Steele assured Tessa her lawyer would work at whatever speed she requested, and Tessa promised to go to the bank as soon as she received the contract. Mrs. Steele ended the call, and Tessa stared at her cell phone.I’m really doing this!Her mind created a to-do list. She would need the cleaners and the exterminator over there as soon as possible. She called both companies, and to her surprise, they could be at the house after lunch. Tessa’s pulse raced.
Then she called Charlie Parker and asked if she would be able to board up the broken windows until they could start renovations. Charlie said someone could drop off the supplies today, but she wouldn’t be able to nail up the boards immediately. Tessa asked Charlie to keep her updated about when she could work the reno into her schedule.
A knock at the bathroom door startled her, and Tessa dropped the phone into the feathery clouds of the duvet. “Yeah?”
The door opened, and Paul popped his head into the bathroom.
“Hey!” Tessa shouted. “I didn’t saycome in. I might not have been decent.”
“Are you ever decent?” He smirked. When he spotted her in the bathtub, his brow furrowed. “Should I even ask why you’re in the tub with the blanket?”
“I just bought Honeysuckle Hollow.”
His smile dimmed. “What do you mean?”
“Just what I said. There’s paperwork to be completed and money to be shifted around, but itwillbe mine.” She covered her mouth with her fingertips and released a girly squeal.
“Whoa,” Paul said, sitting down on the edge of the tub. “Are you serious? When did this happen?”
“Less than five minutes ago.”
“And you’re sitting in the tub because?”
Tessa hunted through the fluffy folds for her cell phone. “For extra privacy. I didn’t want to wake you while I ate breakfast and made phone calls.” She pointed toward the vanity. “Your mama gave me a Courage Quiche.”
Paul crossed the bathroom while Tessa tried to crawl out of the tub as gracefully as possible. The duvet slipped on the smooth ceramic surface, and she tumbled out of the bath, landing with a loudthump, sprawled on the bathmat. Paul looked at her over his shoulder.
“Don’t you dare say a word.”
