Page 67 of Kiss Marry Kill
“I’m closed for the day.” Reginald laughed.
“Is that right.” My gaze dropped to his bare feet.
Mrs. Numi smiled. “This is a mixed-use building, Dr. Thornton. Much like what your other location was. Reginald lives upstairs.”
“Really?” That sounded promising. Very promising.
Mrs. Numi winked at Reginald. “Why don’t you show him around?”
Reginald nodded. “Sure.” He turned and headed past the chairs in the waiting area toward a hallway. There were doors on either side of the hall, indicating a total of four rooms. Reginald pushed open one of the doors. “This is examination room one. There are two others, and the fourth larger one I use as my office.”
“That’s… amazing,” I said, feeling breathless. I had to be dreaming. The setup was so similar to my old one, it felt too good to be true. “Mrs. Numi said you’re selling the building and the land?”
“Well, that was the plan. But it seems there isn’t a huge market for both at the moment. People either want the land, or they want the building, but so far, nobody wants both.”
I want both.
I had to stop myself from blurting that out. I had no idea what he was asking price-wise. It was entirely possible that he was asking way too much, and that was why he’d had no nibbles. Or maybe there really was something wrong with the place. Mrs. Numi could easily be lying about that part of the equation. I also hadn’t seen the entire building or land. I needed to calm down and be logical about all of this. In business, emotions led to bad decisions. It would be best if I kept my head and focused on things analytically.
With that in mind, I stepped into examination room one. There was a dental chair in the center of the room, and to the right, cupboards over a sink. It wasn’t a big room, but definitely big enough. I also found it soothing that everything was clean and organized. We’d dropped in on him so suddenly, I doubted he’d have had time to stage the place for our visit.
Reginald said, “The other two rooms are very similar. I find it handy to have three rooms because I can work on three patients at once.” He grimaced. “I should say I used to find it very handy. I haven’t booked many patients recently because I’d been so busy trying to figure out my retirement plans.”
“This is a really nice setup,” I admitted. There was no harm in being honest about that. I’d become conditioned not to expect too much while living in Rainy Dale. But I really didn’t want to settle. I thought about that other spot in the Bandito Business Park, and I shuddered. This building had life. Potential. I could see myself here.
Reginald sighed. “I’ve loved working and living here the last thirty-five years. But it’s time for my next chapter. My wife, Stella, died last year, and if I’m honest, I regret not retiring sooner.”
I frowned. “I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. I… I loved my work, but I dropped the ball in my personal life more than I should have.” His voice was painted with regret. “That’s why I want to be near my daughter and her kids in Florida. I spent far too many years working and ignoring the people I loved. I kept thinking I’d make it up to everybody once I retired. Then Stella died.” He grimaced. “Best-laid plans, right?”
“It’s important to put effort into the people we love.” I was surprised when that sentimental statement slipped out. But Reginald seemed pleased, so I decided it was okay. “So, you also live here?”
“Yep. There’s a suite upstairs. The kitchen is downstairs, and Stella always hated that.” He gave a melancholy smile. “But frankly, it’s more convenient during working hours. I could get my caffeine fix more easily.”
“I agree. I suspect my blood is more caffeine than plasma these days.” Again, a niggle of excitement tried to take root. There was no denying this setup was exactly what I’d wanted. I’d planned on upgrading my old layout during the rebuild to add an extra examination room. This place already hadthreeexam rooms. That was amazing. Naturally, I’d need to tweak things. I’d have to remove the dental chairs and put in examination tables. But it was probably as close to perfect as I was ever going to get.
Behind me, Mrs. Numi chuckled. “It’s just what you’re looking for, isn’t it, Dr. Thornton?”
I turned to face her, trying to keep my face blank. “I haven’t seen enough to know,” I lied.
“If you say so.” She had a knowing twinkle in her eye. “How about you show him upstairs, Reginald?”
“My pleasure.” Reginald left the room.
I followed him out of the room and up the stairs. As I moved up the wooden steps, I ran my hand along the smooth oak banister. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I belonged here. The minute I’d entered the building, it had just felt… right. But I still didn’t want to get too excited. Whether this was everything I’d hoped for or not, it was ahugedecision. If I bought land in Rainy Dale, that was a big deal. It was a real commitment.
Upstairs, there was a bonus room with a TV and couch. The extra living space was a nice upgrade from what I’d had before. In my last place, the upstairs had really only been the bedroom area. It had been fine for me, but there hadn’t been anywhere to entertain guests. Here, I could picture me and Royce spending a cozy evening watching a movie.
Don’t get ahead of yourself.
Reginald led me to the master bedroom, which was slightly bigger than the one I’d had before. The master bathroom was quite a bit bigger and upgraded nicely. I caught my reflection in the mirror over the granite sink and was startled by how thrilled I looked. My poker face was failing miserably. I looked flushed and excited at everything I was seeing. No wonder Mrs. Numi had seen right through me.
“It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” Mrs. Numi nudged, standing just outside the bathroom.
“It’s fine.” I turned and walked out of the bathroom to stand near the window next to the bed.
“The light in here is very cheerful,” Reginald said.
