Yet somehow, showing her this house meant…more. And she was already pissed about it. That was clear. But I knew we’d be safe here, which was what counted.
Grow a pair, Reynolds, I told myself.Get out there and face her.
How was this scarier than fleeing for our lives while some maniac tried to force us to crash into a ravine?
Taking a deep breath, I jumped out and closed the door of the truck. When I caught up with her, she was glancing around hesitantly at the porch.
“The wooden trim needs paint,” I said, “and I haven’t gotten around to fixing all the porch steps. It’s on the list.”
Keira just kept staring, ignoring my lame attempt at focusing on the details of the place instead of, you know, the fact that it existed.
“I had no idea you owned anything that couldn’t fit in a couple of suitcases, and it turns out you own an entire house. And the land it’s sitting on, I guess.”
“Fifty acres.”
Her eyes widened. “Fifty? Wow. You didn’t hold back, huh?”
“The price was good.”
“Are you sure? You’re not going to tell me next that you’re a billionaire or something?”
“Afraid not.”
“Who evenareyou?”
I sighed. “I’m me, Keira. Same guy I’ve always been.You’re just seeing the messy parts I didn’t used to let you see.”
She blinked a few times.
Then she waved her right hand. “Well, go ahead and show me around your top-secret hideaway, Mr. Assassin.”
I chuckled. “You don’t want to sit down for a while? We were just in a car chase. That would rattle anyone, and you’re already injured.”
“Show me the damn house, Dean,” she said through gritted teeth. “Or I’ll show it to myself.”
The house was two stories, not counting the cellar storage area. One bedroom on the ground floor, two more on the second.
I hadn’t touched the upper-floor bedrooms yet, so it didn’t take us long to walk through. Keira peered into the rooms from the hallway. The bathroom up here was functional but nothing pretty.
Downstairs, tools and tarps were lying around, paint cans stacked in corners. It had some nice details though, if you looked past the mess. High ceilings with old crown molding. Wide windows that would let in good light once I replaced the cracked panes. Hardwood floors that would be beautiful once I finished sanding and staining them.
If I managed to get around to it.
Paying someone else to do all the work would be expensive, and while I had plenty of money saved up, I’d always been indecisive when it came to this property. Deciding what the hell to do with it. Trying to understand why I’d bought it in the first place.
I wondered what Keira thought of it. What she saw.
“I’ve got internet. I can give you the wi-fi password, sincecell coverage is shit. Did you want to let your mom and Brynn know where you are?”
“Not now, Dean,” she muttered. “I want to see the rest.”
The kitchen was next. The electrical and gas were running, and I had appliances now. Along with some dishes and cooking stuff, which I’d picked up from a thrift store on Hartley’s Main Street.
I also pointed out the downstairs bathroom, mentioning I had a first aid kit and pain meds if she needed them after being jostled around.
The sun was nearly down now, and the interior of the house was fading into dimness. I switched on a couple lights.
“That’s everything?” she asked quietly.
