“You’re welcome. Just ask if you want me to show you how to use it.”
“I will. If you’re home tomorrow night, I could drop off some muffins to you.”
“Jack and I won’t be at the village tomorrow night, but you can meet us at our new home.”
“When did you move?”
Richard laughed. “We haven’t moved yet. If Jack likes the house, I’ll sign the sale and purchase agreement on Tuesday. I’ll text you the address.”
“That would be great.”
“Enjoy your walk.”
“I will. Bye.” She ended the call and stared at the smile on Andrea’s face. “It’s not what you think.”
Andrea leaned against the rail of the stairs. “When a woman has a dreamy look on her face, it can only mean one thing.”
Paris turned on the drill. “It means I’ve found my 20-volt soulmate. Where are the boys?”
“Waiting for us at the lake.”
Thankfully, Andrea didn’t ask who she’d been speaking to. “All I have to do is fill my water bottle and then I’m ready.”
“Take your time. The boys aren’t in a hurry.”
Paris hurried inside and left the drill on the kitchen table. She didn’t know what issues Richard had, but she wanted to find out. If a fresh batch of muffins made it easier for him to talk, she’d take him some each night. And if he let her tweak his wardrobe, she’d be even happier.
Chapter 8
Richard stepped out of his truck and stood beside Jack. The house he wanted to buy sat forlornly in front of them. With its blistering paint and overgrown garden, it could have been another vacation home waiting for someone to spruce it up.
“After we’ve mown the lawn, it will look better.”
Jack lifted his head as his eyes roamed across the two-story building. “It’s big.”
Richard placed his arm around his son’s shoulders. After living in a tiny home, any house would feel enormous. “The kitchen and living rooms are downstairs. Three bedrooms and a family bathroom are upstairs. Do you want to go inside?”
With a quick nod, Jack moved toward the gate. For someone who usually talked non-stop, his silence worried Richard. He thought they were both ready to move into their own home, but maybe he was wrong.
With a little jiggling, the front door swung open. “It needs to be painted, but we could do that later.”
Jack stared at the floral wallpaper in the entryway. “It looks like Grandma’s house.”
Richard hadn’t noticed the similarities, but he did now. His mom had opened up her kitchen and dining room, a lot like the owners of this house had done. Even the blue walls in the living room were something his mom could have chosen. “Grandma’s house was probably built about the same time as this one. Do you want to see the bedrooms?”
Jack’s freckles stood out against his pale skin. “Are you sure this will be our forever home?”
The unexpected question made Richard’s heart sink. Jack hadn’t wanted to leave his grandma’s house in California. Coming to Montana had taken him away from the only stable home he’d known since Richard returned from Afghanistan.
“If you like it, it can be our forever home.”
“I told Grandma we’re looking at a house today. Is it still okay if she stays with us?”
“Of course, it is. But Grandma won’t want to live here all the time. She has lots of friends in Los Angeles.”
Jack sighed. “That’s okay. She said she could make cookies with me and go for lots of walks. Can we take a photo of one of the bedrooms and send it to her?”
“She’d like that.” Richard almost felt sorry for his mom. If Jack had his way, she would be living in Sapphire Bay by the end of the month.
