Page 61 of Starting Over in Cedarwood

Kevin chuckled, then ducked under the spray. The last of the hot water slid down his back. He washed himself, first his body then hair. His thoughts turned to Shaun. He’d finally found a guy who cared about Leo as much as he did. Shaun was the first guy to absolutely love him and Leo like a package deal. He had everything he’d ever wanted in Shaun with no regrets.

Shaun was his other half.

He turned the water off, then stepped out of the stall and grabbed a towel. He dried himself and listened for Shaun. “Everything okay?” He strode out of the bathroom and ventured into the bedroom.

Shaun stood in the middle of the room, naked. “I got the pizza picked up and the glasses are in the sink. Leo seemed no worse for wear.”

As if on cue, Leo hopped onto the bed, then sprawled out and cleaned himself.

“It would appear.” Kevin ditched the towel in the bathroom, then slid between the sheets. “Come here. We’ve got the rest of our life to worry about Leo and be together. I want to hold you.”

Shaun flipped the light switch and joined him in bed. “You had me at come here.”

Kevin held his lover and snuggled in the sheets. He’d be happy as long as he had Shaun. His life was just as he’d always wanted—perfect.

Chapter Ten

A week and a half later, Kevin followed Shaun into the fourth house. If he’d have known house hunting would be so boring, he’d have stayed at the apartment. He hated traipsing through another person’s house and finding the faults with it.

He stood in the living room of the blue house and admired the bland white walls. The room could use a bolder hue. He liked the view out of the bay window—sunny, but leafy and would be nice with a few plants or a cat tree. The neighborhood pleased him. He could run there and not have to worry about driving to the Metroparks.

Shaun and Tony, the realtor, ventured off, leaving Kevin to himself. Just as well. Kevin trailed his fingers over the woodwork. The plain paneling appealed to him as much as the wall of recessed bookshelves. He liked the cottage feel of the house, too. If he remembered right, the neighborhood had been constructed in the forties and the home certainly displayed the midcentury charm. The window seat in the front room would be a great place for Leo to sun himself. The carpet in the living room might need an upgrade, but that wasn’t impossible.

He’d seen the back yard in the photos online, but wanted to view the space for himself. He made his way to the rear of the home and pushed open the French doors to the patio. The yard was bigger than the photographs displayed. The line of bushes and fencing was higher than he’d thought, too. Walled-in and private, just like he wanted.

Shaun’s voice filtered to him as Shaun joined him on the patio. “Hey,” Shaun said. “What do you think?”

“Read me off the stats again.” Kevin sat on the half-wall lining three sides of the patio. “I like the back yard and the living room is great. The recessed shelves and window seat are wonderful. I’d change the carpet, but I don’t remember if this house was supposed to have hardwood under the carpet. Probably not. Is this the one with the hidden hardwood floors? I can’t remember, and the other houses all sort of looked the same.”

“This one is four-fifty-two Hemlock. It’s got four bedrooms and the two-car garage like we wanted.” Shaun hesitated. “I wanted. The ranch style is nice because it’s all one floor, and the basement is finished. I love the giant oak in the back yard, too.” He folded his arms. “The community is quiet and the sidewalks look wide enough for runs.”

“Agreed.” Kevin wondered if Shaun realized he’d slipped and said ‘we’. He must’ve, as he’d fixed his comment. “I like the dated look of the kitchen. The scalloped soffits are cute and we could refinish them or paint them down the road. It’s certainly all original.”

Shaun nodded. “The blue is fetching.”

“What was the price on this one?”

“About twenty grand over my range.” Shaun sighed. “Tony said the seller will drop the price, but even with a drop, I’ll need help—either a roommate or partner.”

Kevin crooked his brow. “So do you have a roommate in mind?”

Shaun paled. “Kev, I really want you to move in with me, but I can’t force it. I don’t want to put you in that position.”

Kevin took the preapproval form from Shaun and checked over the potential payment if they bought the house just under the asking price. “I can help with this—but it’d be nice if we can talk them down a bit more.” He needed to put down roots. “Why should we have two places when we only need one?”

“Kevin?”

He shrugged. “You love this house. It’s available and mostly move-in ready. Everything is clicking into place and I think this is the cosmos telling us to do this.”

“You want to live with me?”

“Do you want to live with me and Leo?” Kevin asked. “It’s better than trying to steal moments together here and there.” He stood next to Shaun and stared out at the back yard. “I can see that date we discussed, plus a lot more.”

Shaun’s eyes widened. “Kevin?”

“I want to do this. We can spend the rest of our lives here, making this house ours.”

“Guys?” Tony joined them on the patio. “There’s another couple wanting to look at the house, but they’re not overly enthused. We can talk to the seller again and I’m thinking they’ll come down a bit more in price. They want to sell today if possible. The preapproval gives you the leg up. What do you think?”

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