Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
My phone buzzed and I picked it up to see it was the local realtor I had contacted about finding a place. I wasn’t sure if I should rent or buy. Maybe it would look better if I bought something, but having a large sum of money to purchase a house outright surely would cause red flags.
“Rent, it is,” I said as I stood, slipped my phone into my purse, and walked to the door. Once outside, I saw Nic waiting outside of his Subaru.
“Good morning, Cadie,” he said with a wide smile. He’d asked me out the first time I met him. When I politely declined, he didn’t act like an asshole, which was good. I had heard he was a great realtor and was banking on the fact that the business side would outweigh any feelings of awkwardness.
“Morning, Nic.”
“Ready to look at some places? I pulled some for sale and some for rent.”
I stopped before him as he opened the passenger door for me. “I think I’ve decided to rent. I need a bit more time in Moose Village to decide if I want to put roots down just yet.”
He winked. “Totally understandable. I’ve got more rentals pulled than for sales. I’m not sure what your employment plan is, but you’d have to get prequalified, and you mentioned you weren’t interested in doing that, and I’m not sure if you make enough at the bakery.”
I pulled my face back. “How do you know that? I could have savings and be paying cash.”
His eyes lit up. “Do you?”
Ignoring him, I looked at his car and then stepped back. “I’m going to follow you.”
A look of instant regret appeared on his face. “I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable, Cadie.”
I gently squeezed his arm. “No, not at all. I’d rather follow, if you don’t mind.”
Turning, I walked over to my car and climbed in. I quickly shut the door and started it. Nic didn’t even have a chance to debate it with me. He got in his car and started to drive. I should have gotten the address, just in case we separated.
Oh, well, it was too late now. Luckily, Nic wasn’t a crazy driver, and it was easy to follow him. The first two rentals were terrible. Dirty and in bad shape. The third, we pulled up, and I took one look and shook my head. The front porch looked as if it was about to collapse. Nic got back into his car, and we drove a little bit farther out of town. We pulled down a long driveway and came to a stop in front of a small log cabin. Finally, we were getting somewhere. I was almost ready to come to terms with living in a motel for the rest of my life. It was either that, or asking Katherine if she wanted a roommate.
“Looks like you saved the best for last,” I said with a laugh as I walked up the porch steps. “It’s a bit far from town, but not too far. Secluded, that’s for sure.”
“This one just came on the market. It was by luck that I even saw it come through. A local resident owns it, but lives in New York City, so they rent it out.”
“Really?” I asked as I felt a bit of hope for the first time that day.
“It’s a bit higher than your price range,” Nic warned.
I nodded as he punched in the code. “How much over?”
“It’s currently priced at $2200 per month, but I can see why from the pictures I saw. It’s one bedroom, one full bath, and a half bath. There is a small office that you could probably put a futon in when you have company come over.”
I nodded and walked into the cabin. I gasped at the sight before me. The walls were all painted a soft gray, and the trim was black. To my left was a galley-style kitchen. It looked like brand-new appliances, and the best part was that there were two ovens and a gas stovetop on the island. It wasn’t a huge kitchen, but it was perfect for me.
“The kitchen is darling,” I said as I walked in.
“There is no eat-in option, but you could put a small table over here,” Nic said as he pointed to the other side of the room. The room was large enough to be a living room and a small dining room with built-in cabinets, a small sink, and storage for wine glasses.
“This is a nice size dining area for just me.”
“It is. And over here is the living room area. If you like an open space, this is your place.”
“This is a great-sized living room!” I said with excitement for the first time that day.
Nic nodded. At the end of the room, there was a beautiful wood-burning fireplace. I could easily imagine myself snuggled up in a chair reading while a fire crackled.