“What do you think of Plymouth?” Kyle asked over their bowls of rich clam chowder and mugs of beer.
“I like it,” Jon said honestly. “I think I’d prefer to live in Hawthorne Bluff, but Plymouth is very nice and close enough that we can spend a fair amount of time here too. And from what Finn said, I might have more job opportunities here.”
“Good to know we feel the same way. I like Plymouth,” Kyle told him. “But yeah, I think I’d rather live in Hawthorne Bluff too.”
“I guess we’re really gonna do this, huh?” Jon grinned.
“Yeah, I guess we are.”
Sarah Connolly wasa petite woman with a blonde bob and a radiant smile. Jon guessed her to be in her early forties, just like him, but he also knew he was often wrong when it came to guessing women’s ages.
“It’s very nice to meet both of you,” she said after introductions had been made. “You don’t currently live in the area, do you?”
“No,” Jon said. “Kyle and I live in DC and are just here for a few days.”
“Actually,” Kyle added, “we’re on our honeymoon.”
“Ah, well, then, congratulations!” Sarah exclaimed.
“Thanks,” Kyle replied. “My dad and his husband gave us this trip both as a honeymoon and as a way to get to know this beautiful little town. They visited here last year and liked it a lot.”
Jon continued the conversation. “We have a young son, and Kyle and I have talked about not really wanting to raise him in a big city like Washington. My father-in-law suggested that Hawthorne Bluff might be a place we should consider.”
“I see.”
“We want to be clear,” Kyle added. “We’re not ready to move this week, but after spending a few days here, we both agree that we do want to move here. Logistically, we need to figure out how to make it all happen. Jon has a home in Phoenix to sell, and we have a condo in DC that we’ll need to put on the market as well. And of course, Jon and I will both need to find new jobs here. So, there’s a lot to do before we can make the actual move.”
“But Finn suggested that you could give us some insights regarding house prices and what kinds of homes might be available in the area,” Jon said. “That will help us with figuring all of this out.”
“And of course, we’d want you to help us find the perfect home once we’re ready,” Kyle added.
“Thank you, guys,” Sarah said. “This helps a lot. First of all, what size house are you looking for?”
“Hmmm, we’d need at least three bedrooms, maybe even four,” Kyle told her. “I guess we’d need a good-sized yard so that Wyatt would have a place to play.”
“Okay, I can think of a few homes that are available now that would meet your needs. I understand you’re not ready at the moment, but I don’t think we’ll have a problem finding something when you’re ready.” She opened an app on her iPad and showed them a couple of homes to give them an idea of styles in the area. “And this pricing”—Sarah pointed to the amount for the house they were looking at—“is roughly what you’d be looking at for a home to meet your needs.’
It was less than what Jon had thought it would be, but then, he’d been looking at listings in the DC area, so he supposed that made sense. “Thanks for this,” he told Sarah after making notes on his phone. “It’s really helpful.”
No one had any more questions, and after confirming that all had each other’s contact info, they said their goodbyes. Jon and Kyle walked back through town, thinking about their next steps.
Chapter 21
Kyle
Kyle was standing at the bathroom sink, brushing his teeth before bed. His head was swimming with everything that he and Jon had been talking about—moving, selling the condo, buying a house, relocating Wyatt yet again, day care, looking for new jobs—argh! He felt it was the right thing to do, but it was all just so much. And he’d kind of dragged Jon along through it all. Yeah, Jon had agreed to everything so far, but was that because he really wanted to do all of this, or because he didn’t think he had a choice?
Shit! What if Jon is just agreeing because he doesn’t want to make waves? These are life-changing decisions and could affect our entire relationship. Or maybe even destroy it. Maybe we need to stop and rethink everything. Why does adulting have to be so hard?
He wiped his mouth, dried his hands, and walked into the bedroom. Jon was already in bed, and Kyle slid in beside him.
“Hey.” Jon kissed his temple, wrapping him in a hug. “Are you okay? You seem to be thinking really hard over there.”
“Wow, it’s like you know me,” Kyle tried to joke, but it fell flat.
“Um, yeah, I do. I married you, remember.” Jon chuckled. “Now tell me, what’s going on in that handsome head of yours?”
“I guess I’m starting to feel overwhelmed with everything. Selling property, buying a house together, getting new jobs—it just goes on and on,” Kyle lamented.
