“You bought a house?” Natalie asked two weeks later. Just when things werefinallygetting better.
She’d gotten her frustration under control. Those few days Arik was away reset for them both. They realized how much they missed and loved the other and knew not to let things build again.
For either of them.
They were talking about the future. Nothing set in stone, but options, choices, feelings.
This. This wasn’t talked about!
“This house,” he said.
They’d gone for a drive when she got out of work. She thought they were going to dinner and when he turned into a residential area, she’d asked what was going on.
The minute he said it was a surprise, she should have realized it wouldn’t be a good one.
She turned her head to see the large two-story home set back some behind gates.
“You’re joking, right?”
“Nope,” he said. “The realtor is in there now to let me show you inside.”
She took a deep breath to compose the little patience she had left.
“So you didn’t buy it, you just want to look at it?”
He pulled through the gates and down the driveway and parked in front of the two-car garage.
This wasn’t an older home that was remodeled with the charm of the island, but one that was built in the past two decades.
More modern and... stately.
Not really her style with the plaster and stone facade either.
“No, I put an offer in and it was accepted. Did it this morning. But I wanted you to see it. I just didn’t think it’d be this fast. Our child is going to love growing up here.”
Her jaw ached with the urge to yell at him.
Nope. Not yet.
It wasn’t how she operated. Though it seemed as if everything with Arik differed from how she normally behaved.
She got out of the SUV, slamming the door with more force than necessary.
His glance at her said he knew she was on the verge of something and it might not be pretty.
“Arik, so glad you’re back. And you must be Natalie. I’m Stella Burke. I helped Arik find his rental property. Have to say I was stunned when he said he was looking to buy.”
“Me too,” she said, her teeth clenched, her lips barely moving.
Her eyes rose to the high ceilings in the entryway, open right to the second floor, and a massive light hanging. Modern and interesting. Not horrible, something she could get used to.
“The house is four thousand square feet, five bedrooms, four and a half baths. There is a finished basement that will walk out onto a path toward the beach.”
Oh, lord. As if the house wasn’t bigger than any other in her immediate family, they were on the water! She hadn’t even realized that when they came up the street. She was too busy trying to wrap her head around this little adventure he was taking her on.
“Looks like it’s got it all,” she said.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
