“I’ll have to go visit that new donut shop in town, then, and bring you some back.” He paused. “Debbie’s Donuts.”
She grinned. “Ahh, she finally started her donut shop. That makes me happy.”
“And Maria went into business with her.”
It made her sad that she’d lost track of her old friends and even her family’s business. For a long time, Rylan had made sure she stayed disconnected. And then it had become sort of a habit and she wondered if they’d even want to have contact with her again.
It felt good to be back home.
Her parents — Candace and Donald Jackson — had welcomed her back into the office with a huge hug when she’d arrived at eight, and then taken her to breakfast.
Her mother stood barely over five feet tall, but her presence was much larger. Brunette hair pulled back in a clip, she looked ten years younger than her age of fifty-five. Savannah could only hope she’d gotten those genes. Her father, on the other hand, was over six feet tall, slender but strong.
Her father reached out a hand. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to Graham, and I know Miranda and Nellie are dying to see you again.”
She rose and took his hand. He led her down the hall and into another office.
An older woman, in her fifties, looked up from her desk. Her face broke into a warm smile as she stood and circled the desk to pull Savannah into a hug. When she pulled back, Savannah could see that Miranda must be using high-quality skincare because she didn’t look a day over forty. “You look great!”
Miranda laughed and leaned forward. “I started yoga and there’s actually yoga for your face. Do you even believe that? It seems like hoodoo, but it seems to work.”
Miranda Udall had been a broker longer than Savannah had been alive. She’d been the first broker to join her parents’ business and she was the one to beat in any sales competitions. Her full-bodied head of nearly white hair was professionally styled, straightened and smoothed, and she dressed in office not-quite-casual.
Another woman joined them, leaning her head into the room. “May I join the party?”
“Nellie!” Savannah called out, and was soon engulfed in another hug.
At thirty, Nellie Garcia still had her curves, but now there was a twenty-pound layer of, well, probably donuts covering those curves. She was the biggest fan of Debbie’s Donuts. She had two kids and a sweet husband, and a wicked sense of humor.
“Hey, girl, you’re looking good.” Nellie studied Savannah. “I think you’ve lost weight.”
“Yeah. A bad marriage can do that to a person.”
“Oh, I could gain weight during just about anything,” Nellie said.
“Come on out into the main room, ladies,” her father said. “Savannah still hasn’t met Graham.”
“Oh, are you in for a treat,” Nellie said, waving one hand to signify the hotness of Graham. “He’s an eligible bachelor. A really good-looking one.”
“I heard that, y’all,” a man’s voice drawled from down the hall. He didn’t sound offended.
“You love it,” Nellie called back with a laugh.
As they turned the corner into the last office, Savannah saw what Nellie meant. Graham was hot. He was maybe thirty, give or take three years either way. Dark, wavy hair that almost invited a woman to run her fingers through it and a crooked grin straight out of the Bad Boys’ Playbook. He reached out a hand. “Good to finally meet you, Savannah.”
She shook his hand. “Back at ‘cha, Graham.”
He slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans and grinned again. “I understand you’ll give us a run for our money on the monthly sales competitions.”
“I’ll do my best.” Savannah grinned back.
Her father said, “Savannah has what we call in the business a competitive streak.”
“At least that’s what we call it in our family,” her mother said.
A young blonde woman, who looked college aged, said, “Excuse me, but there’s someone here asking for Savannah Jackson.”
Her father said, “Cindy, this is our daughter, Savannah. Savannah, this is Cindy Swenson. She’s in college and working as our secretary in between classes.”
Cindy said, “Hi. Gotta get back to the front desk. Do you want me to send the gentleman back?”
“Sure,” Savannah said, “if you wonderful people will let me get to work.”
Graham sighed. “You’ve already got a new client? You are going to be tough to beat, aren’t you?”
Her father said, “You go on back to your office, honey. I’ll bring him back.”
“Okay.” She just had time to make it back to her office and sit at her desk before there was a soft knock on her door. “Come in.”
Her father opened the door and winked at her. Winked. What was that about? “Sam Reid is here to see you, Savannah.”
Sam? She reached up and patted her hair, hoping it wasn’t unruly. Then she stood as he entered, and her father backed out, winking again. She hoped he had something in his eye. Otherwise, she was going to have a word with him. “Hi, Sam. I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”
“Well, I got thinking, as I sat in my smallish townhouse, that I’ve gotten used to certain amenities.”
“Like square footage,” she said and smiled sweetly.
He chuckled. “Exactly. And I realized I need to buy a home of my own, and then I remembered that you were coming back to work at a real estate business where you would be selling houses.”
Trying to repress a delighted grin, she motioned to the chair at the side of her desk. That’s where she seated people when she wanted to share her laptop screen with them.
Helping a local football hero find a home would go a long way toward getting a jumpstart on the monthly sales competition.
But he was far too attractive. Who knew her heart rate would pick up just because she was sitting next to Sam again? The man had absolutely too much sex appeal, from his jeans and cowboy boots to the scruff on his face. It looked like he hadn’t shaved since he’d dropped her off, and she liked it.
Her heart caught at the thought of spending more time with him. “So, you’re ready to buy a place? That’s great.”
“Yeah. Getting kicked out of your friend’s house will do that to a person.”
“Oh, you poor thing.” She laughed softly. “Sure, I’ll help you find the perfect house. Let’s go over some features to see what I need to find for you.”
“I’d like a little land. For some horses.” He chuckled. “Grandpa lets me keep my two horses at his ranch, but I’d like room to bring them home, as it were.”
She pulled a note pad closer, and wrote down horse property. “Any idea on house size?”
“Oh, a nice big one. Kind of like Zeke’s.”
Zeke’s was over four-thousand square feet. “Ah, a really nice one. With a white picket fence?”
“Sure. Why not?”
Why not indeed? What better property to sell than a really nice big house with horse property and the proverbial white picket fence? She did get a commission based on sales price. These pro football players could afford nice houses and, well, if someone was going to get the commission, it might as well be her. “How about bedrooms? How many would you like?”
“I’d like a place pretty much like Zeke’s.”
“Four bedrooms and two suites?”
He nodded. “Maybe not quite that big.”
“I know Zeke’s house’s specs. We can start with that.”
“I think we should start with lunch.”
“Lunch, huh? I just got back from a big breakfast with my parents two hours ago.”
“Another time, then. But I’ll need to eat something soon. I guess you can watch me eat, or we can go look at a house or two and then I’ll spring for an early dinner. You choose the restaurant.”
“That’s easy. Shorty's Pizza Shack.”
The grin he shot her melted any reserve she might have had. “So, you have something you can show me?”
He was talking about houses, right? Because she was warming up considerably under his gaze.
“I have several houses that you might like with a little land around them. I can show you one now, but the others I’ll have to arrange for.”
“Now?” He sounded both surprised and pleased.
“Surely, an important local football star must expect to get MVP service,” she said, and stood, softening her words with a smile. “Now would be good.”
He opened the office door for her, and she strode through.
She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror hanging in the foyer.
She had a huge smile on her face. That was bad. She needed to spend as little time with Sam Reid as possible. Good thing the property she was going to show him was perfect for him — she had a feeling about matching people with homes — and she just might get a sale on her first trip out.
5
Back Off, Zeke
“This is the master suite,” Savannah said.
Sam walked through. It was large and airy and led into a spacious master bathroom with a hot tub. That would be a nice touch when he came home bruised from a game.
She opened a sliding glass door and led the way out onto a large deck. He looked out over the property and felt he could live in this house.
He was impressed. The property Savannah showed him was a great one. The house was every bit as nice as Zeke’s, though twenty years older. In fact, it would have been perfect, except for one thing. If he bought this house, he wouldn’t get to spend time with Savannah looking.
She’d shown him the other four bedrooms first, each with room enough for even a queen-sized bed, along with dressers, or an armchair and a basket of books, like his mother had in one of her rooms.
“It’s a beautiful view, isn’t it?” she asked, placing both hands on the top of the railing and leaning against the railing.
He immediately wanted to snatch her back out of danger. Now that was a weird response toward someone who was just his real estate broker. He resisted the urge, because she would think he was assaulting her. Incredibly weird response, dude.
“Yeah,” he said, placing his own hands on the railing. From this position, he could grab her easily enough if she started to fall. Which she wouldn’t, because, duh, railing. He forced his gaze from her to the bucolic scene below them. A barn, pastures, a large gazebo and fancy grill. A large expanse of grass. “Yeah, it really is nice.”
She smiled over at him — he actually felt the smile — and he turned to see it. It did melty things to his insides. Weird.
He found himself smiling back.
She released the railing. “Come on back in and check out more of the downstairs. I’ve shown you the living room and the family room, but you haven’t seen the kitchen or the media room yet.”
They walked down the staircase with her in the lead.
“Media room. Like a home theater room?”
“Yes. Also, it works as a game room.”
Downstairs, she led him down a hallway and opened a door.
He whistled. “This would make for great parties.”
She motioned to the far wall. “Complete with popcorn machine and snack station.”
This media room looked a lot like Zeke’s, with enough rows of seats to kick back with some buddies in here — or watch a movie with a sweetheart.
“What do you think?” she asked, looking like she expected him to love it.
Well, he did love it. Not that he was going to let her know that today. “It’s great. If I buy this place, I’ll invite you to the first movie showing.”
“Sounds like a deal.”
She led him through the large formal dining room and the huge-beyond-his-needs kitchen that he was sure a woman would adore. Savannah was looking around with admiration.
Then she led him outside.
The bucolic scene was still there. They walked out to the fence around a horse corral. He put his hand on the top rail and a booted foot on the first rail. He could picture his horses in the barn and in the pastures. He had two of them at his grandfather’s ranch, but they’d look right nice here.
After a few long moments, she asked, “So ... what do you think of the Benson property?”
“I don’t know,” he said, sounding doubtful.
She raised an eyebrow. “Really? I thought this would be perfect for you.”
“It mostly is,” he admitted.
She raised a hand to shield her eyes from the afternoon sun and looked up at him. Way up. She was so darned petite. “What would it need to make it perfect? So I can do better with the next one?”
He turned to study the house. Its five bedrooms could hold a family — his family. His children could run and play like rowdy puppies through the house and out into the yard. A tire hung from the large black cherry tree, and he could picture a child swinging in it. He bet the tree would be pretty with its fragrant white blossoms on it. Flowers that would attract both butterflies and bees. The fruit would bring in birds.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with this place, but he frowned nonetheless.
He hadn’t been looking for a relationship, just a house. But, suddenly, looking at her, seeing her smile, being around her, made him even more determined to get to know her better. Just to see if he might like to date her.
So, even though this property could work for him, he wasn’t going to buy it. Not yet, anyway. He tipped his head. “Maybe I want a pool, too. This place doesn’t have one.”
“Oh. Okay.” She smiled. “I’ll add a pool to the search results.”
He’d just made the price go up.
Savannah took a bite of the famous chili cheese fries at Shorty's Pizza Shack. “This is going to shoot my carb count off the charts, fries followed by pizza.”
Set in the heart of Waco, the family-owned pizza place was a favorite. They had a giant covered patio, but she and Sam sat at an inside table, underneath the hats and American flags and Baylor University and other sports equipment hanging from the ceiling.
He pointed a chili cheese fry at her. “Don’t forget the Cinnamon Knots we’ll be having for dessert.” Then he popped the fry into his mouth.
She laughed happily at the thought of the pizza dough tied into a knot, then deep fried, a sugar glaze drizzled over the top. “I’m going to have to run an extra mile or two — or twelve — to burn off this meal.”
His eyes lit up. “How far do you normally run?”
She shrugged. “A mile every morning.”
“Maybe we can run together some days.”
“Maybe,” she said, popping a fry into her own mouth.
The server appeared again and set The Works on the table: Italian sausage, hamburger, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, black olives, and jalapeños, all on a delicious hand-tossed pizza crust.
“Ahhhh. That smells delicious,” she said. “Am I drooling?”
He chuckled. “Not that I can see, but glad you’re a fellow pizza connoisseur.”
He slid a piece onto her plate, and then one onto his own.
“It’s too hot to hold.”
“So, let’s use our knives and forks on the first piece, and then dig in on the next.” And he lifted his silverware to do exactly that.
She grinned up at him. “You have no pride, do you?”
“None.” He took a bite of pizza and moaned. “So good.”
They stopped talking for a few minutes while they ate. This really was the best pizza ever.
After the first piece, she sighed.
He grinned at her. “So, I gather you like pizza. What other foods do you like?”
“Mexican and steaks.”
“Good to know because those are my favorites, too.”
“How spicy do you like your Mexican?”
“I play football. I have to say as spicy as it comes or my teammates — including your brother — will call me a wimp.”
“Especially my brother.”
He studied her. “What did Zeke think of you showing me houses?”
She smiled at him brightly. “I haven’t told him.”
“Yeah. I haven’t, either.”
She reached out to lift a piece of still-hot pizza. “How is your family?”
He chuckled. “Everyone’s doing pretty well. Katie’s dating a guy but the family hasn’t met him yet.”
Why was it so easy to talk with Sam Reid? Since her divorce, she’d been leery of guys, but he sneaked right in past her defenses and she found herself enjoying their time together. For just a moment, she wished ... well, she wasn’t going to say what she wished, not even to herself.
She needed time to heal from her disastrous marriage and traumatic divorce.
“So,” he said, wiping his fingers on the napkin, “where are we going to look tomorrow?”
“Oh, yeah,” she said, “you’re in between seasons now, right?”
“Yes. Which means I have all the time in the world to find a house. Or let you find them and just go look at them with you.”
Why did those words — and his warm gaze — send a shiver up her spine?
“So, will you have more houses to show me soon?”
“Of course.” She smiled up at him. “Though it may take me a day to round up more that I think you’ll love.”
“What time should I come in to the office?”
She chuckled. This man was relentless, which was probably why he was such a great football player. “How about day after tomorrow at ten?”
“I’ll be there.”
His phone rang and he glanced at it, then looked up at her. “My dad just invited me and my siblings for dinner and a game night. Want to join in?” His voice was light and teasing.
She actually would have enjoyed spending more time with him — but definitely not with his entire family around. “Maybe next time,” she teased back.
His father had managed to gather a lot of his siblings. Probably because you didn’t want to miss a dinner that his mother made, and this one was no exception: chicken-fried steak and cream gravy, green beans, salad, and pecan pie for dessert.
After the meal and some communal cleaning up, the board games had come out. His brother, Knox, and his new wife, Amy, were there, being all lovey-dovey. Yak. They’d just returned from their trip to Italy. Amy was in her late twenties with piercing blue eyes and brunette hair, and she’d managed to tame ‘Ft. Knox’, the Waco Wrangler tight end known for keeping the quarterback safe.
SAM: A Best Friend's Sister Sweet Romantic Comedy (Waco Wranglers Reid Brothers Book 3) Page 3