Page 27
People were another story.
He paused beside the bedroom window, looking out over the backyard. Even from a distance, he could tell the deck stairs would need replacing. The fence probably had another few years before it became a problem, but he would ask about replacing it now. The landscaping was young and healthy, and unless Dominic wanted to change something, it wasn’t something to worry about.
On paper, this was just another renovation, but it didn’t feel like one anymore. Because somewhere downstairs was a twenty-four-year-old professional baseball player who’d unexpectedly become a father and had apparently decided that loving his daughter meant giving up every possibility of loving anyone else.
Gavin couldn’t decide if that was admirable or heartbreaking. Probably both.
He clipped his laser measure onto his belt and headed downstairs. The voices grew louder as he descended. By the time he reached the bottom of the stairs, laughter had replaced the tension he’d left behind. Lucia let out a tiny squeak from somewhere in the living room, and Gavin rounded the corner to find Dominic making increasingly ridiculous faces at her while Celeste rolled her eyes and Frank shook his head in amusement.
Lucia rewarded him with a gummy smile that might have been gas, and Dominic’s entire face lit up. Just like that, Gavin understood. Whatever promise Dominic had made wasn’t to himself. It was to that little girl he clearly loved more than anything.
Dominic looked up as Gavin approached. “Finished?”
“Yep.” Gavin looked at his notes. “I’ve got measurements for everything upstairs.”
“So is it good news or bad?” Dominic looked at him expectantly.
“Mostly good.”
“I like mostly.”
Gavin smiled. “Nothing up there scares me. The rooms are in good shape. There are a few things I’d fix while everything’s empty, but we can go over those after I see the rest of the house.”
“Right.” Dominic stepped toward him. “Come on.”
Dominic led him back through the living room, and Gavin followed, paying closer attention now that he wasn’t distracted by introductions and Celeste’s attempted matchmaking. He turned slowly, studying the walls and ceiling. He pointed out a crack in the ceiling before making a note of it, but the room was in good shape otherwise. The kitchen looked like someone had put thought into it, with new appliances, solid wood cabinets, and quartz countertops. He crouched to inspect the cabinet beneath the sink, checking for leaks and finding none.
“I’d like to keep the kitchen the way it is,” Dominic said.
Gavin nodded. “That’s smart. It’s in great shape, and unless you hate the finishes, you’d be spending money just to spend it.”
Dominic shrugged. “Money isn’t really an issue.”
Gavin stood. “I figured, considering you bought a house in twelve days.”
“Ten, actually,” Dominic corrected.
“Yeah, that doesn’t make it better.”
Dominic laughed, and Gavin smiled despite himself. They stepped outside through the sliding doors, and Gavin pointed out a couple of smaller issues as they walked around the deck. Back inside, they toured the downstairs bathroom, laundry room, garage, and a room at the front of the house that Dominic hadn’t decided what to do with.
“Office?” Gavin suggested.
Dominic made a face. “I don’t need an office.”
“Dining room?”
“I don’t have a dining table.” Dominic turned in a circle, taking in the space.
“You don’t have any furniture,” Gavin pointed out.
“Exactly.” Dominic ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll figure it out later. Maybe we can just repaint it for now.”
Gavin nodded and jotted down the dimensions, just in case. By the time they returned to the living room, he’d filled almost three pages with measurements and notes, but there was nothing major for Dominic or his parents to worry about.
“The house is solid.” Gavin tapped his notepad with his pencil. “So everything is really cosmetic as far as I can tell. Though sometimes we don’t really know until we get into things.”
He paused to see if anyone had questions, then continued when no one did. “New paint in every room, and I’d replace the upstairs carpet with hardwood to match the first floor. A lot of people like carpet in bedrooms, but it can be bad for anyone with allergies…or developing lungs.”
