Sparing the Heart (Pastime Pursuits #3)

by Tracy Krimmer

  “Definitely.”

  “Besides, if she lifts something too heavy, like a dust rag, she may sprain her other wrist, right?” I start laughing at my quip, but Kellan isn’t following my lead. Crap. I misjudged where we are on jokes in our friendship.

  “That’s not funny.” He holds his face still and looks over at me. What the hell did I just do? Of course I tried to make a joke and it backfired. Leave it to me.

  A slow clap ensues. “I’m kidding! That was pretty hilarious.” My breathing resumes and my heart starts beating again. “She’s not lazy, she just prefers a maid. Her parents always hired cleaning people and she wants the same. She wants us to be able to enjoy the house right away without having to spend a lot of time on renovations.”

  When I moved to Madison, I chose a brand new build. I’m the only person who has lived in my unit, and I like that. The carpeting is spotless, the countertops are shiny, and the drywall is seamless. I like things tidy, so I rarely have to do more than the basic cleaning. I understand Macy’s viewpoint. After moving everything who wants to spend time fixing things?

  “When did you move here?” Kellan grips his knee for a second and lets go. I’m trying not to take note of every motion he makes, but I can’t help myself.

  “About six months ago. I like living here. I’m not used to a big city, though.” The conveniences are awesome, but I miss the rural drives and small town relationships. People enjoyed the bed and breakfast set in the middle of town and overlooking the mom and pop shops. Little towns like that exist in this area. I’ll be sure to search for some soon. I’m starting to feel a little homesick.

  “No? Did you grow up in a hick town?”

  “I wouldn’t call it that.” Others would, but I don’t. “I think the city I lived in before had like 11,000 people or something. That’s tiny, though, compared to other places.” I wish I didn’t have to move. I suppose I made the choice, but I couldn’t build a life for myself surrounded by my past.

  “Still keeping a box back there?” He thumbs to the backseat. “Not fully moved in? Or is it too heavy? I can help you if you need.”

  “No. I’m moved in.” Who cares about that box? He doesn’t need to know the history what’s inside. “I didn’t bring it in yet. It can wait.” The items aren’t going anywhere.

  “Sorry. I didn’t realize a square piece of cardboard is a rough subject.”

  I’m staring at the road in front of me, unfolding with every inch of pavement, wondering when it stops. “Don’t worry about it.” I pull onto the long, winding road leading up to the first house. “Let’s find you and your fiancée a home.”

  Chapter

  Ten

  My iPad is open on the table queued to the properties I saved for Kellan we were unable to view today. I dropped him back at the office to pick up his car and we’re meeting for coffee to discuss the others. I'm not much of a coffee drinker but I suppose I'll give the beans a try. He suggested the place and I don’t want to make a fuss. I can order tea.

  Ten minutes have passed since I arrived at the cafe and I expected him to be walking in right after me. First he doesn’t show for practice, then he’s almost late to the first game, and now he can’t even follow me here in a timely manner? I’m a tad irked. What can be keeping him? Is he lost? No, he’s more familiar with the area than I am. A car accident? Doubtful since we’re less than a mile from the Double West Realty offices. None of the houses I showed him fit the bill so what if he ditched me and, therefore, fired me?

  Right as I’m about to let out a silent roar, he strolls through the door. A few people point and smile at him, and he smiles back. I’m sure he gets that a lot when he goes out. He’s a local celebrity. I forgot to catch him on the news this morning. I put a quick reminder in my calendar. I want to admire him in action.

  I try to be upset with him for almost standing me up, but his dark eyes and soft scruff on his face distract me. I almost forget why I’m irritated as I gaze at him in his forest green polo and blue jeans that sag enough to come just short of showing me some skin.

  “Sorry I’m late.”

  I push the button on my phone to check the time, even though I’m well aware of the time. “Late? I didn’t even notice.”

  “Good. Then I’m right on time.” He slides onto the chair as though it were created right for his butt. “I got a call right after you left. I didn’t want to drive while on the phone.”

  He’s conscientious and smart. A great combination, and, honestly, quite a match for my Goody Two-Shoes reputation.

  “Did you order anything?” He flips through a small menu that outlines all the specialty coffees.

  “Not yet. What do you want? I’ll go grab it.” I can claim this as a business expense.

  Kellan puts his hands on the table and stands back up. His fingers are long, his nails in top notch shape. I can tell he doesn’t bite on them and takes care of them. I suppose he’s pointing at a map on live TV. Every part of him needs to be perfect. And it is. “I’ll order us something. Be right back.” This time, as he walks away, I check out his backside.

  I cross and uncross my legs about a hundred times before he returns. Why do I feel like I’m on a date whenever I’m with him? This is a business meeting. This is a business meeting. I remind myself while he’s gone so I don’t forget again. He sits back down and hands me a large mug.

  “Cinnamon flavored coffee. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Definitely.” Since I don’t care for coffee, hopefully this masks some of the flavor. I take a sip. No. No, it doesn’t. That’s fine, though. I’ll force it down. Had his delicious smile not been distracting me, I would have spoken up and asked for tea. My fault.

  “Okay.” I scoot my chair over but not too close. Mmm, he smells amazing. I curse my cup of joe when the scent overtakes his. “I found a couple properties that may match what you want.”

  Kellan leans in and his breath practically hits my neck. “Let’s take a peek.”

  I need to breathe first. I sip the bitter drink before I swipe through the pictures. “This house has four bedrooms, which I realize is a lot for two people, but you can use two as an office for each of you. There are granite countertops in the kitchen and an amazing curved stairway leads the way upstairs. The basement is finished with a second full kitchen.”

  He reaches over and the hair on his arm grazes over mine. “I like it. I’m not sure I require that much space, though.”

  “Well, in the price range you’re looking, you probably will find mostly four bedrooms. Look at this one.” I pull up one slightly lower priced. “This also has four, but they’re smaller. The square footage is a couple hundred less.” I swipe photo after photo until he stops me.

  “The dining room is awkward.” The room is offset from the living room and hallway separated by pillars.

  “It is, but you could probably decorate those pillars in a way that wouldn’t give the area such an odd ambiance.”

  “Next, please.” He taps the screen to exit out of the house.

  “Come on! You’re not going to give any of these a try?” I spent a lot of time searching for these and I can’t believe he’s shooting them down without so much as a thought.

  He picks up his coffee mug and leans back slightly. The twinkle in his eyes causes goosebumps to cover my body. “Nope. Not for me.”

  “Okay, but they fit what your .. . “ I struggle with the word, “fiancée wants.”

  “Yes, they do.” He pauses to drink and sets the cup back down. “I’m looking for something in between. I want a classy house, but not too big and too extravagant. That’s not my style.”

  I found so many houses I could probably show just his fiancée or just him, but the two together make this impossible. Between Kellan and Janice Foley’s money pit, I’m at a loss. I don’t think I can feel more incompetent than I do right now.

  “I’ll keep looking. I’m sure somewhere we’ll find a mix of what you two want. It’s all about compromise, right?”
<
br />   “Yes!” His coffee spills onto the table a little. I grab a napkin at the same time he does and our hands meet at the spill. “Thanks, Kate. I appreciate everything.”

  I’m staring into his beautiful eyes as I wipe up the mess. Our hands touch for a moment and for that brief second my insides heat up. “I do the best I can.”

  A pile of napkins sit in front of him. He bunches them up and moves them aside. “If it means anything, I think you’re doing great.”

  He has no idea exactly how much those words do mean to me.

  Chapter

  Eleven

  Today is Janice’s open house and I’m trying to hold together any hope of selling this place. The house is so ridiculous. When I spoke with Janice about today, I got the impression she wasn’t planning on doing much to liven place up. I was right. What a waste of my time! She had a company come in and take almost all the furniture to the dump — furniture that should have been salvaged for showings. If she took the time to clean out the couch and recliner, why not pay cleaners as well? No. Leave me with the dirty work. Thank you, Janice. I wiped down every piece of wood with Lysol and took a rag to each wall. Two hours later I can finally put the sign outside.

  The house is barely what I consider presentable when the event begins. I light a few candles and put them on the kitchen counter and spray air freshener in the bathroom. Good enough, I guess. I’ll be shocked if any offers come from this, but she can afford a sale to take awhile. The mortgage is free and clear so any deal is one-hundred percent profit. People may come in out of curiosity and then I can sell the dream house to them, tell them how they can make it their own. The house is in a sought after neighborhood. I hope that’s enough.

  Anticipating a slow showing, I tossed my Kindle in my purse. Now is the perfect time to catch up on all the books I’ve purchased but never read. Life at the bed and breakfast didn’t allow me much time for leisurely reading, and some of my favorite authors released novels in the past year I’m anxious to read. I don’t expect one person to stop by, so I might as well take advantage.

  Today isn’t only hot — it’s sticky. The combination causes my skirt to stick to the folding chair my butt has the blessing to enjoy the next two hours. The house lacks central air, yet another downside and a poor selling point. I set up fans throughout the house, but I’m only circulating the heat all over. The back of my neck is wet and I swear I can smell my hair.

  I brush off my irritation and turn on my e-reader. I’ll sweat out the next two hours and burn some calories. Best case scenario — I finish reading this book.

  I’m halfway through chapter five of Sophie Kinsella’s latest when the front door opens. I glance at my phone. Forty-two minutes. I guess that’s not too bad for the first house hunter.

  It’s not a prospective client at all. “Gretchen! What are you doing here? And where’s Mona?” I slide my Kindle into my purse, giddy to welcome company.

  “She requires a long nap today and is refusing to go down. Clark has thicker skin so he told me to take some time to myself and he would deal with it. He’s tough as nails, like Superman.”

  Gretchen is lucky Clark makes such offers. What an awesome guy to handle a crabby baby and not expect his wife to do it.

  “I ran out of there like the Flash. Don’t misunderstand me — Clark does his part every day, but my ears can’t take it anymore.” She covers her ears with her hands and drops them. “So, anything exciting here?”

  “You can’t see the dozens of people here?” I scout out the room, pointing in every direction.

  She twists her lips and her nose cringes. “That bad, huh?”

  “That bad.” I don’t want to complain, though. She left the house to get away from whining. “How did you find me?”

  “I spoke with Kellan this morning. He told me you had a showing today.”

  So he talks about me when I’m not around? This lifts my heart. I love that he remembered about the open house as well. He’s listening when I talk to him. Always a plus. “Want to sit down?” I don’t have a comfortable seat to offer her, so I give up mine.

  “Thanks.” She crosses her legs and leans forward, bouncing in the chair. “I’m not used to sitting without a baby on my lap.”

  “What do you think of the house?” Even though she’s not one of my prospective buyers, not by a long shot, I value her opinion.

  Her silence speaks volumes and as she nods, it’s obvious she’s doing what she can to come up with something positive. “Well…”

  “You can say it.” I close my eyes and fan myself. “I can handle whatever you say.”

  “Wretched. Horrible.”

  I open my eyes and mirror her smile. “It really is.”

  “But,” she stands up and moves about five feet from me. “Put in some hardwood floors, paint the walls a soft green, add a throw rug and dark furniture, you’ve got yourself a gorgeous living room.”

  “There! That!” I snap my fingers. “You’re the buyer I need. Someone to focus on how to transform the space. Do you and Clark want to buy a new house?”

  “No, but nice try.”

  I shrug. “Can’t blame me for trying.”

  “What’s she asking, anyway?”

  I’m embarrassed to share the price. Instead, I hand her a flyer and point to the number.

  “What?” She whips the paper back at me. “That’s ridiculous!”

  This is the reaction I expect from most people and the exact reason I fear this place will be damn near impossible to sell. “I’ll try this her way until she realizes she’s out of her mind.” Or I decide I quit because I can’t deal with her unreasonableness. Whichever comes first.

  Gretchen checks the place out and offers no further suggestions how to improve on it. I manage to find a wooden box I can use as a chair.

  “Great game on Friday.” She gives me a thumbs up sign.

  “I wish I bowled better.” Overall I did fine, but I can’t stop thinking about my gutter ball. Not the impression I wanted to make.

  “You did awesome!” She looks at me and we both start laughing. “Okay, except for that first frame. Otherwise, you did great.”

  “Thanks. You, too. I can’t wait for the next game.”

  “Me neither, but the one after that is the one that’s making me nervous. We play Lucy’s Lucky Strikes. I used to go to high school with one of the girls on the team. I despise her, so it’ll be fun.”

  I love Gretchen’s malice. She’s not afraid to speak her mind, and I admire that.

  “Bad history?”

  “Meh. She’s never been the nicest person to everyone. Still isn’t. I always thought people changed after high school and matured. Not her. In fact, she and Macy probably could be best friends, or even sisters.”

  “I’ve been wanting to ask …. what’s your issue with Macy?” I need to dig in, put my hands in the dirt, and pull out what information I can. I haven’t even seen a picture of this girl, but I’m imagining her tall, like five-nine, long blond locks and green eyes. I envision her with perfect skin and pulling off red lipstick like Cindy Crawford.

  “Feelings? Non-existent.” A shrug releases from her shoulders as she pulls a snack out of her purse.

  I frown, unconvinced by her response. Someone bothered by even the mention of a name has some sort of feelings, even if only bad ones.

  “Okay. Non-existent to tolerant. The best I can do.”

  I want the history. Why does she dislike her so much? Have they ever been friends? Did something happen in their past causing a lifelong rift?

  “I shouldn’t tell you much else. My brother hates when I talk about her.”

  “I understand, but if she’s going to be a part of your family, you should try and be friends with her.” I shift my weight on the box as I wait for a reply that doesn’t come. She and Kellan seem to maintain a strong relationship, and her dislike for his fiancée is evident. Does he take into consideration what she thinks? Here I go again, thinking about Kellan. He won’t leav
e my mind. I need to force him out. “Speaking of couples—“

  “Were we?”

  “Well, Kellan and Macy.” My throat swells as I attempt to push pass the awkwardness of asking this. “I was wondering if you know anyone.”

  “Sure. I know a lot of people.” She’s as sarcastic as her brother.

  Dating hasn’t been top on my priority list, and never in my life have I asked to be set up. Back in high school and college, I dated my fair share of guys. Meeting someone never was an issue for me. Then, I met David and fell in love. Once I realized the love was one-sided, I locked my heart away. Now, at thirty-five years old, I’m not sure how to jump back in and meet someone. But I want to. I’m ready to. That’s what I’m missing in my life.

  “A guy. I mean, a man. Do you have any male friends?”

  “Like single men?” Pretzel shavings spill out of her mouth onto her shirt. “Sorry.” She sweeps them onto the floor and I don’t care. I’m not getting any activity on the open house.

  “Yes.” I’m embarrassed she even felt the need to specify. “Any single ones?” Though I would love the chance to date her brother.

  “I thought Tiffany and I tried to set you up with Ned and you refused.”

  “Yeah, I did. I thought about it some more, and I’m reconsidering.”

  “I must be honest, I’m a tad shocked you aren’t dating anyone right now anyway.”

  “Really?” I don’t think I’m unattractive, but it’s not like I walk down the street and guys fawn over me. “My life is a little chaotic. Well, until recently. I never took the time to date.”

  “Well, let me think here.” Gretchen rests her finger on her chin. “Most of the guys I could introduce you to are from Clark’s work or bowling.” She clicks her tongue against her teeth.

  “Forget it.” I give up. She can’t think of one person.

  “No, no. Don’t say that. I’m thinking.”

  Don’t think too long!

  “Ned is the only one who comes to mind. Unless you like younger guys, and then there’s Taylor.”