“Don’t remind me.” Rina stared at the glossy photos. “They have a pool.”
“Yeah, it’s a nice place.”
“What would your fella think of you spending your nest egg on me like this?”
“He’d be proud of both of you,” said Nick from where he leaned in the doorway. “I can’t think of a better use for the money.”
I smiled at him, and he came forward to sit at the table. He pulled Woodland’s website up on his phone, and we spent the next hour answering Rina’s questions and hammering out the details. When we finished, I called to reserve a bed for my mother and made a flight reservation for the next day. A representative from the facility would meet her at the Nashville airport and take her directly there. We all thought it best that she come home with us that night. Now that she’d agreed to get help, I wasn’t going to take my eyes off her until she was safely in the air.
That night, with my mother settled on the couch and her belongings stored in our basement, I crawled into bed beside Nick, who was propped up on pillows reading a detective novel and looking like a wet dream. Our bed consisted of Nick’s king-size mattress from his loft tossed on the floor in the master bedroom. Furniture would come in time. For now, I considered anywhere with Nick a blessing.
“Well, can’t say I expected my mother would be our first overnight houseguest. I hope she’s still here in the morning.”
“She will be.” Nick leaned over to place a soft kiss on my shoulder. “She’s scared, but I don’t think she was faking that expression. She’s hopeful.”
So was I. And I wasn’t sure that was very smart. To my mother, I’d projected all the faith in the world that she could kick the shit for good, but inside, I maintained a healthy skepticism. But if she tried and couldn’t do it, I’d have to be okay with that.
Nick set his book aside and opened his arms for me to snuggle on his bare chest. I pressed my cheek to his warm skin and drank in the scent of him, fresh from the shower. His hand settled on the back of my neck, where he could play with my curls.
This. Just this. Contentment. It’s what I wanted for the rest of forever.
Then Nick’s cell phone rang.
“Are you serious?” he muttered.
Not moving from his position, he answered. “Yeah?”
“Hey,” greeted Steven, whose voice was clearly audible.
“Hey, you. What’s up? I’m going to sleep.”
“It’s only nine thirty. You turning into an old man?”
Nick squeezed me a little tighter. “No, but I have a lot of motivation to spend as much time in the sack as possible now.”
“Ew. Am I interrupting something? No, don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.”
“Do you think if we were getting it on, I’d answer the phone? What do you need?”
“I just got back from a client meeting. If you’re looking for another property flip, I have a new one you might be interested in. I’m going to list it tomorrow, but I’ll give you first crack at it. Three bedrooms, two baths, built in fifty-eight. The roof and HVAC have been updated recently, but the inside hasn’t been touched. I can get you a good deal; the seller is very motivated. Located in Fox Point.”
“Nice neighborhood. They should be able to get top dollar, even on an outdated property. What else is wrong with it?”
“Well, the current owner bought it from an estate. They moved in, but after a couple of weeks, they moved right back out. It’s been sitting vacant for almost a year.” Steven cleared his throat. “They say it’s got a bad vibe.”
Nick’s eyes flashed to mine, and a slow grin spread across both of our faces. I nodded.
“Sure, Steven,” he answered. “We’re interested. Text me the address.”
Dear Reader,
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Of the six novels I’ve published, this book was by far the most challenging to complete. You might think that’s because it’s my first M/M novel, but that’s not why. If anything, I find writing from a male point of view easier. Go figure. It wasn’t because of the characters or plot either. I knew right away who Nick and Sasha were. In fact, personality-wise, Nick is more like me than any other character I’ve written. And Sasha is just the person I would fall in love with.
No, the challenging thing for me was all personal—a string of health issues and a cross-country move sucked the motivation right out of me. There were many times when I thought about walking away from writing altogether. Thankfully, with the encouragement of my husband and my dear friend Jordan, I found it in me to complete this book and find my writing mojo again. Thank you, Steve and Jordan, for being here for me through it all, for not listening to my excuses, for reading the various typo-riddled drafts, for reminding me why I love writing.
There were many other people who assisted me along the way. My critique buddies Jordan Castillo Price, L.C. Giroux, Mark Anderson, and Mercy Loomis, who didn’t laugh at my idea of a love story between a house flipper and a squatter. Beta readers Mike Zimmerman, Victoria Grundle, and Dev Bentham, who kept me from making mistakes on construction details or writing characters outside my personal experience. Steve Riggles, who corrected my typos. K.A. Mitchell and Jordan Castillo Price for their assistance with my blurb. My editor, Carole-ann Galloway, who took a chance on this newbie M/M author and challenged me to make this a better book. My cover designer Lou Harper, a true artist. The numerous staff at Riptide Publishing. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
Four Thousand Miles
Just a Little Nudge
Young Adult Novels
Arcadia’s Gift
Arcadia’s Curse
Arcadia’s Choice
Jesi Lea Ryan has been kissed by Jimmy Carter, played with a ghost in Gettysburg, can’t leave the house without forgetting something, and judges people by their bookshelves. She grew up in Dubuque, Iowa; learned how to adult in Madison, Wisconsin; and now lives in Maricopa, Arizona, with her husband and two exceptionally naughty kitties. She has earned bachelor’s degrees in creative writing and literature from Loras College and her MBA from Columbia College. She also holds an assortment of associate’s degrees and certificates, because she just couldn’t help herself.
Jesi is a social media addict. Hit her up at:
Twitter: @Jesilea
Facebook: facebook.com/jesilea76
Instagram: instagram.com/jesi_lea_ryan
Enjoy more stories like Surreal Estate at RiptidePublishing.com!
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www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/stumptown-spirits-legend-tripping-novel
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