Page 44 of This Is How It Started
Until a few seconds ago, I felt pretty good. I’d made it here in one piece. I didn’t have a heart attack behind the wheel of Josh’s old car. And Brooke was still asleep when I left.
“I am,” I say and turn to the house. “What do you think?”
Jess bites down on her lip and waggles her hand from side to side. “Campbell says it just needs some spit and polish. But I don’t know. What do you think?”
“I think it’s a hell of a deal as long as we don’t find anything significantly wrong. But you’re the one who’s living in it, so it’s a really personal decision.”
“I like the neighborhood.” But even that she sounds iffy about.
Hey, I get it. It’s their first house, and she wants everything to be perfect. Unfortunately, to get perfect on their budget, they’ll have to move to Bakersfield.
“Let’s go inside,” Campbell says.
The smell isn’t as bad today. But it’s stuffy, and with the morning light the nicotine stains on the wall are more evident than they were yesterday. But damn does the house have potential.
I sneak a look at the kitchen counter, where the pile of agents’ cards has quadrupled in size. We’re going to have to come in with an aggressive offer if Campbell and Jess want the house.
“Did you talk to your friend about looking at the foundation?”
“Yeah. He can do it this weekend. I’m still on the hunt for a good roofer. But if Jess likes it, I’ll have someone here by next week.”
“I just hope we’re not biting off more than we can chew,” Jess says and looks up at the popcorn ceiling in the dining room and grimaces. “I mean, with the wedding in summer and all, we’re stretched pretty thin.”
I slide a glance at Campbell, who rolls his eyes.
“I’ll give you two some privacy to check it out on your own. If you have any questions, I’ll be out front.”
Unlike yesterday, there’s no sign of rain, only the promise of sunshine.
I lean against Campbell’s truck—wouldn’t you know he got a space right in front of the house—fish my phone out of my purse and scroll through emails. Adam wants to go to dinner. Josie is just saying hi, which I know is a mea culpa for not inviting me to the movies with her and Hannah. And Hannah wants to know if she can borrow my old ski pants. She and Stephen are going to Tahoe for the weekend. Why not? She already borrowed my best friend. At least she and Stephen appear to be getting along. Mom, who doesn’t do email, left me a voicemail, which I’ll listen to later, after I’ve had coffee.
For shits and giggles, I do a Google search for Beth Hardesty, of whom there are legions. I start to tailor my search to the Bay Area when Jess comes out of the house.
“What did you think?” I push off Campbell’s truck.
She puffs out a breath. “I don’t know. Campbell thinks it’s a good investment. He’s in there taking measurements. I’ve got to run.” She pulls me in for another hug. “Let’s go to dinner soon. We’ve missed you, Rachel.” She says it like I’ve been locked away in a mental institution for a while.
“Absolutely,” I say and watch her walk down the block to her car, then go in search of Campbell.
“We’re doing it,” he says. “I’ve still got to crawl under the house and climb up to take a look at the attic. Can we do that tomorrow? Hopefully I can get my foundation expert and roofer here at the same time.”
“I’ll see what I can do. But, Campbell, Jess didn’t seem too thrilled with the house.”
“Jess still thinks we have a shot at finding something in Pac Heights or Cow Hollow. Hell, while we’re at it, maybe Sea Cliff, right next to Robin Williams’s old place.”
I laugh because that’s the way of all first-time home buyers. They want to shoot for the stars. At least Campbell is realistic.
“I get it. But is she going to be okay with you moving forward on this?” To be a good real estate agent, you sometimes have to play marriage counselor. But I don’t want that role with Campbell and Jess.
“Yeah, she’ll come around. It’s the best thing we’ve seen since we started looking, and I don’t want to lose it.”
Pressure much? “It’s going to be competitive, Campbell. This is the kind of property that could easily go tens of thousands over asking. Are you prepared for that?”
He holds my gaze and grins. “I’d rather not. But yeah, if I have to.”
He comes closer and tucks a strand of loose hair behind my ear, the gesture a little too intimate for two people with our history. But I don’t step away.
“I’m sorry if Jess was weird before,” he says. “Neither of us know what to say. What to do. But we’re here for you, Rach.”
