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But I'm biding my time. I’ll know when to show my hand. At least, I hope I will.

I'm sitting at my desk when Coleman comes down the hallway.

“Big news!” he says. “Seventeen Cherry Hill closed!”

Of course, I knew it was closing. Marcus gave the current owners an extension when their new home wasn’t ready. They’re relocating this week, so the closing was pending.

Coleman holds up the keys.

I smile at Coleman. He loves giving the keys to new homeowners. It is one of the sweetest parts of his job, to be sure.

He’s lingering by my desk.

“Coleman? What are you doing?” I ask.

Loretta starts humming My Tennessee Mountain Home.

“What is going on?” I ask, looking between Loretta and Coleman. “Is Marcus coming here?”

I run my hands down my jeans, turning toward my desk to pull out the mirror I keep in the top desk drawer. If he’s about to show up, I want to look good.

Coleman holds the keys in my direction.

“Oh, no,” I say. “That’s your job, Coleman. You give the new owner their keys.”

“Mm hmm,” he says, beaming. “That’s what I’m doing.”

Loretta belts out the chorus about crickets and babies. She’s beaming.

“What?” I ask.

“You’re the new homeowner.”

I plop into my chair. Coleman’s words swirl in my head, not making a stitch of sense.

“Coleman?” I look over at him.

He’s still holding the keys out.

“Delaney bought you a house,” Coleman says with a grin that’s way too amused considering I might lose my lunch.

“Not a house,” Loretta says. “The house. He bought you Seventeen Cherry Hill.”

I’m on my feet in an instant, grabbing the keys and my purse in two swift movements.

I’m striding to the door without another word. Then I turn and look at Loretta and Coleman.

“You two. Oh my word. He gave me a house!”

I run down the steps and hop into my car, hitting the ignition button and taking off with barely a glance in my rearview.

“You don’t just buy a person a house,” I say to no one.

But I’m smiling. He did what?! I’m in such a daze, I probably shouldn’t be driving. But I make it to the practice facility.

The guys are clearing out their lockers and meeting with coaches today—wrapping up the season and taking the next few months completely off.

I park my car, grabbing the keys to Seventeen Cherry Hill and my purse and speed-walking up the concrete steps. The glass door flies open with the force of my push. I’m running on adrenaline and shock at this point.