Page 68 of Hail Marry
“Look.” He points away from the shore. I scan the area until I find it: afor rentsign in the yard of one of the houses up ahead.
I raise my brows and look at him. “It’s gotta be ridiculously expensive.”
“Wanna go check it out anyway? For fun?”
I scoff. “Absolutely I do!”
We toss our garbage in a bin and jog up the closest set of stairs we can find that leads into the neighborhood. It’s got light suburban vibes, but the houses are all completely unique.
We walk the sidewalk that leads to the house in question, surrounded on both sides by well-maintained plants, then step up to the ocean-blue front door. Luca knocks firmly three times, and we wait for a couple of minutes.
“Well, dang,” I say. “I was excited to pretend I lived here for a few minutes.”
“Me too.” Luca turns with me just as the door opens.
We stop and look back at the white-haired man standing in the doorway. He looks confused. “Can I help you?”
“Hi,” I say, suddenly doubting myself. There’s nofor rentposter in the front yard, but I’m pretty sure we got the right house. “We thought we saw a sign in the backyard about the house being for rent…”
The man looks between us for a second, then his mouth spreads into an amused, denture-filled grin. “You did see that. Come on in.”
I glance at Luca, confused by the man’s strange reaction, but he just shrugs and nods for me to follow the man inside.
He shuts the door behind us, then shuffles along the hallway, motioning for us to come along. We walk the sand-colored hardwood until we reach the living room. The back wall is lined with windows with a view to a big deck, a yard, and the beach beyond. To our right, a large, L-shaped sectional invites us to sit down and watch TV, while gray shaker-style cabinets line the kitchen on the left.
The man stops just beyond the opening to the kitchen, then reaches for something against the wall and pulls it out. It’s afor rentsign.
“I put up that sign half an hour ago,” he says with a smile. “The reason it took me so long to get to the door was because I went to take it down.”
My brows shoot up. “Oh! Um, okay. Well, that’s totally fine. We can just?—”
He puts a hand up to stop me. “This house has been in my family since I was a boy.” He looks around, a deep fondness in his eyes. “It’s the house I brought my young bride home to.”
I smile grimacingly. From the sheen in his eyes, I get the sense he’s a widower.
“We’ve never rented it,” he goes on, “but I’m going to Arizona to take care of my sister, and she’s been trying to persuade me to. Today, I finally put out the sign. Until I got cold feet.” He chuckles self-deprecatingly and looks at Luca and me again. “You look like a nice young couple—not the type to party a place into the ground. Are you really interested in renting?”
I look at Luca again. This was supposed to be a “for fun” thing. There’s no way he can afford to rent a house right on the beach. Or at least, there’s no way heshould.
“Yeah, we are,” Luca replies, not missing a beat. “What sort of rent are you looking for?”
The man tips his head from side to side. “That’s negotiable. Why don’t I show you around first, then we can see if you’re still interested?”
Only an insane person wouldn’t be. It’s a large beach-front property, for heaven’s sake. It’s in great shape, but you can tell it’s been a beloved home. It has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a garage plenty big enough for Luca’s workout equipment. The yard facing the ocean is the biggest selling point, though, with a deck that runs the length of the house, a hot tub on one end, and a grassy area surrounded by various types of cacti and flowering plants and bushes. A few boogie boards and beach toys sit atop a storage bin in the corner.
“What do you think?” The man—Mr. Ross—asks.
“It’s amazing,” I say, touching a finger to the enormous succulent in the tall pot next to me.
“It is,” Luca confirms. “Why don’t you tell me what you think a fair rent would be?”
Mr. Ross thinks for a minute, then shoots out a number that has my jaw on the floor.
“But,” I bumble, “that’s nothing.” I don’t know for certain, but I’d guess places in this neighborhood rent for at least three times what he’s asking.
Mr. Ross just laughs. “I’m not trying to make a fortune here. The house has been paid off for years and years. I’d like to cover the costs and make sure it’s well cared for is all. I’d rather leave it vacant and send someone out to check on things once a week than rent it to the wrong people.”
Luca nods. “If you feel comfortable with it, I’d love to rent it from you, sir.”
