“Don’t let him get too attached, we have a few other houses to look at,” Ares instructs the rest of us.
Milo opens his door next, hitting the button so his seat will fold down and Dante can climb out of the back. I hesitate before getting out, feeling like we shouldn’t be here. I can’t imagine calling a realtor out to look at houses. I know money isn’t an issue for them, but it still feels strange.
“Muenster, come on.” Ollie pokes his head back into the car, his eyes bright with excitement.
I release my seatbelt and step out. I look up to the top of the house; it looks so high from this angle.
The realtor didn’t wait for Ares to come to her. Seeing he’s the oldest, she met him as he was walking around the car. Her smile back is in place, she asks, “Are these your siblings, friends?”
Ares straightens out his shirt cuff while looking at the house. “Will you be showing us all the houses?” he ignores her question.
“Oh, no. I only have you down for one.” She flips up a piece of paper on her clipboard. “I’d be happy to show you some other properties though. Do you already have appointments for the other homes?”
“I told Mia to just call the listing agents on all four of the ones we liked,” Ollie shouts over his shoulder, already heading to the stairs that lead up to the front door. “If we still want to see the others, we only have about twenty minutes here before we need to get over to the next one. Can Igo right in?” He turns on his heels waiting for a response.
“I haven’t opened it up yet,” she calls up to him. Turning to Ares again she says, “I’m Brenda Rodes, by the way.” She extends her hand out for a shake, and Ares looks down at it like he might refuse, but he reluctantly gives her hand a swift jerk before releasing it quickly.
Brenda leads us up the stairs, and she explains, “The owner had this house built just over forty years ago, it’s a little dated, but the bones are great. And the view, the view is amazing.” She turns once we reach the top of the steps with her arms spread wide in the direction wecame from.
“Wow.” The exclamation leaves my lips automatically.
Ares comes up behind me and his arm wraps around my neck. “You like it,Cara?”
“I didn’t realize how far you’d be able to see.” My eyes scan the horizon. Above the treetops you can see the ridge of the mountains in the distance.
“It is nice,” Milo offers, coming to my other side.
“We could always tear this old place down and build. I like how much space there is.” Dante looks around, exploring the side of the hill the house is on.
“Were you looking for new construction?” Brenda intrudes on our moment. “There’s a new subdivision going up just a few miles north of here. They’ll have exceptional views as well, but the price tag is a little steeper.” Her eyes scan up and down Ares’s suit pants and vest, then she looks over at the black suburban we drove here.
“Price isn’t an issue, but no subdivisions. We like our privacy.” Ares turns us both toward the front door. “We’re ready to see this one.”
Brenda hustles over to the green front door, which is mostly glass with no screen. Keys in hand, she starts her spiel again. “There are three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths, the carpeting is newer, as is the roof.” She opens the door with a Vanna White reveal. “Take a look around, and if you have questions, I’ll be in the kitchen.”
Ollie is the first inside and Milo followsafterhim, his eyes scanning the overcrowded living room. The furniture is tasteful, but there is way too much for the room. “Formal dining room through there and the kitchen is just past that,” Brenda calls out as the guys examine the house.
“The windows would all need replaced, and the flooring.” I’m trailing behind Ares as he makes notes of the house. Dante isn’t far behind.
Ollie comes from the kitchen area. “I’ll take a quick look upstairs, but I don’t think this one would work. It’s just too small, too broken up. We can keep it in mind for a build though.” Ollie doesn’t wait for a response. He turns to the left, moving toward a narrow set of stairs.
“Brenda,” Ares calls.
She pops out from the direction Ollie just came from, her eyebrows raised. “Yes?”
“How much acreage does this have?”
“There’s five acres listed with the house, the owner has forty-seven in total, but they’re splitting it.”
Ares nods, looking around. He walks toward the front window. “Where are the property lines?”
“I’d have to look that up for you, give mea minute.” Brenda lays her clipboard on a side table and pulls her phone out of an oversized bag. “Here we go.” She walks over to Ares, her eyes scanning him again as she does. She tosses he long brown hair over her shoulder and leans in close with her phone. “This is the property with the house, it’spretty mucha square.” She taps the screen a few more times. “This is the extra acreage, this portion here would allow for an access road, then it widens out behind here,” she points to the rear of the house, “and goes all the way back.”
Ares looks up, his eyes finding mine. “What do you think,Cara?” I look over at Brenda, notreallycomfortable answering with her here. Ollie said the house was small, and wouldn’t work. Ares said it needed new windows, but it’s huge to me. I mean it’s nowhere near the size of their parents’ house, but still five times bigger than my camper.
I shrug. “You said not to get attached, we need to look at the others.”
The corner of Ares lip tips up. “I said not to let Ollie get attached.” His brow raises as Dante comes over to my side.
