And twelve years since I’d heard from my asshole father.
So, yeah, I had a bit of an attitude about someone snooping around the property. Even if they did claim to be interested in leasing it.
And even if they were as good-looking as the woman who stood before me just then.
And don’t you know, she had the nicest eyes I’d seen on a woman in a long time, and her crooked little smile made gave me a tic like a teenage boy.
But still…
Oh, what the hell. “Yeah, I’ve worked here for quite awhile. I suppose you’d like to see the house?” I offered.
She clasped her hands. “Really? I mean, I’d love to, if that’s okay. Are you sure?”
“Yup. Cordy’s gone. It’s just me on the property now.” I shot her a dirty look as we headed up to the house. “For the time being, anyway.”
“Oh, right. Well, will you just stay on here?”
“I’m hoping so. But it all depends on what happens with the estate.”
She tilted her head. “Really? What have you heard?”
I shrugged. “Nothing really. A lawyer came around a few days ago and told me he’d get back to me after they figured out what was going to happen.” I took the keys off my belt and let us into the kitchen entrance.
“Oh, I hate that feeling of being unsettled. I mean, I would hate it. If I were in your shoes.” She seemed sincere.
And cute as hell, no doubt about it. But something about her seemed the tiniest bit nervous. Like she wasn’t being completely honest with me, as I’d suspected. I had a good sense about people that way.
“What’s your name?” I asked her.
“Garnet. Garnet Foster.” She extended her hand.
“You can call me Win. Where’d you get a name like Garnet, anyway?”
“It’s my birthstone, so my parents decided to name me after it.” She shook her head, her wild curls bouncing around. “I like having an unusual name. What about Win? Where’d you get that name?”
“Win is short for Baldwin. Baldwin Ronan,” I told her.
She looked around the kitchen where
I’d shared so many meals with Cordy. Damn, was that a lump building in my throat? I swallowed hard, not wanting to share my grief with a person I didn’t know.
But I guess I didn’t hide it well enough. She put a hand on my arm.
“If this isn’t a good time, I can come back,” she offered.
Get it together, dude. I cleared my throat.
“No, you’re here now. Let’s get you a look at the place.” I led her through the dining room into the foyer, a majestic space with a wide staircase leading to the upper floors. That was where her mouth dropped open.
“Oh my God, I’ve never in all my life seen anything like this.” Wide eyed, she made a complete circle to take it all in, giving me the opportunity to check out her curvy ass.
“Yup. It’s pretty awesome. C’mon, let’s go upstairs.”
I had her peek into each of the four bedrooms on the second floor, all with their own bathrooms, and the additional ones on the top floor. I looked out one of the windows toward the Bay and watched a sailboat tilting in the wind.
She clasped her hands together. “Thank you, Win, for showing me around. The place is truly amazing.”
“Do you think you’re going to lease it?” I asked. “How did you know about it, anyway? Cordy passed only last week.”