As soon as she saw him arrive, she leaped out of her truck and gave him a hug. “I’m glad you could make it.”
“I was in town, so it was perfect timing.” He looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Is this the house that’s perfect for me?”
“It is. I know we weren’t going to look at anything until the weekend, but a friend of a friend wants to rent their house while they’re living in Switzerland. I haven’t been inside, but I’ve walked past it lots of times. Isn’t it amazing?”
Peter’s gaze swept across the two-story house’s wooden siding, the bright red front door, and the wide porch with gingerbread trim. “It’s an impressive home.”
“Shona, my friend, said it has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a double garage. You could use one of the bedrooms as an office and still have two spare rooms for your family when they visit. The owners are leaving their furniture, so you wouldn’t have to buy anything.”
“It sounds great. Do we need to wait for a realtor?”
Katie shook her head. “The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Princeton, left the front door open. They’ve gone into town to buy some groceries while we look around.”
“They’re very trusting.”
“I’ve met them a few times in the general store. As long as I text them before we leave, everything will be okay. If you want to rent it, they’ll meet us here and discuss the paperwork.”
Peter opened the wrought-iron gate. “In that case, I’ll follow you.”
Katie had to stop herself from running ahead. Apart from slipping on the icy path, she didn’t want her enthusiasm to influence his decision. “The garden will take a little maintenance but, if you’re only here for six months, it won’t be too bad.”
“When do the owners leave?”
“In two weeks.” She stepped onto the porch and had to stop herself from sighing. She could imagine Peter waking up early and sitting on the swing, enjoying an early morning cup of coffee before the rest of the world stepped out of bed.
Peter sent her an amused glance. “I have a feeling your imagination is working overtime. I’m only renting the house, not buying it.”
“I know, but I love everything about this street. When I was growing up, I used to daydream about what it would be like to live here. Mom and Dad’s house seemed so boring compared to these ones.” Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped inside. Clamping her lips together, she tried not to show Peter what she thought of the high ceilings, the wide hallway with its sparkly chandelier and paneled walls, and the ornate mirror reflecting the sunlight streaming in from a bedroom.
“It’s nice and big.”
“It’s glorious,” she murmured. “The moldings and cornices must have been part of the house when it was originally built.” Everywhere she looked, Katie found something to enjoy. She didn’t know whether remodeling her grandmother’s house gave her a better appreciation of this house, or if it was simply stunning but, either way, she was in awe of the lovely old building.
Peter walked into one of the front bedrooms. On the far side of the room, a set of doors led into a large master bathroom and a walk-in closet. “The owners have done an amazing job of remodeling the house. They’ve modernized it without losing any of its character.”
“Does that mean you’ll rent it?”
He tapped the end of her nose. “It means I’m impressed. Let’s look at the kitchen.”
Following the hallway to the back of the house, they found the kitchen on the right-hand side of an open-plan family and dining area.
Peter stood in front of a set of French doors. “It looks as though this area was added on a few years ago. It looks good.”
Katie ran her hand along the stainless-steel counter. If she owned the house, she’d replace the counters with granite or quartz, paint the brown cabinets white, and add bright yellow pendant lights over the island. But she wasn’t buying it and, even if she was, she didn’t have enough money to do any remodeling.
Peter looked inside the pantry. “There’s plenty of storage and the appliances are fairly new. I like it.”
“Enough to live here?”
Peter smiled. “Enough to live here.”
Her heart leaped in her chest. “I’ll text Mr. and Mrs. Princeton. They’ll be happy it will be looked after by someone who’s reliable. Do you want to know how much it costs?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Katie’s eyebrows rose. “It could be more than you want to pay. I’d hate you to get your hopes up and then have to—”
“It’s all right. I’m paid more than enough to rent the house.”
