Page 8 of The Wedding Ranch
Lorri shrugged, but she’d been thinking the same thing.
They walked through the model home and neither one of them said much until they walked upstairs to the second level. Expansive windows ushered light into the space.
Lorri stood and turned around. “This would be perfect for a studio.”
“You could paint again,” Pam said with a nod. “You were so good. You should definitely make that a priority.”
“It’s been so long I’m not sure where to start, but I did an original piece of art on my last work assignment, and it has me itching to paint again.” She walked back downstairs. “This being for sale now couldn’t be more perfect timing.”
Pam agreed. “There’s plenty of room for Mister to run, and if there’s decent internet connectivity you could work from home, right?”
Lorri walked to the far end of the living room. “There’s great light in this room too. I could set up my desk right here to work from home.” The agent was seated at the desk already there and smiled.
“It’s a wonderful spot to work with the sun coming through the French doors,” the agent said. “I expect this model will gofast. With all the upgrades it’s a really good deal.” She handed them a sheet of paper with the breakdown of the price that the property was being listed for.
“I love this house. It has such a great vibe.” Lorri turned to Pam. “It’s perfect for a new beginning. I’ve been tucking money away for a year just in case. It’s all still sitting there.” She folded her hands under her chin and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to make a rash decision, but this felt so right.
“You can do whatever you want,” Pam said.
“I know, and it’s so strange to not have to ask anyone for agreement. I’m going to get used to that fast.” Lorri took one more walk-through. “If our house doesn’t sell for a long time, I’d have to do some side jobs to make it work, but I’m worth it, right?”
“It’s your freedom. Of course you’re worth it. Better than throwing money away renting a place too.”
“Plus, I need distance from Craig and his new girlfriend.”
“That’s understandable.”
“What’s the internet situation out here?” Lorri inquired.
The agent spun her laptop screen around toward them. “Great. The farmers market next door is connected to the university and they have great high-speed internet. I’m streaming a movie right now. Look.”
“Can’t ask for better than that,” Pam said.
“Yeah, I’ve taken online meetings here,” the agent said. “Never had a problem. I can’t think of one thing to warn you about on this house. Well, except you better be ready for this much land. A few of the new owners didn’t realize just how much work it was to keep up five acres. A lot of them are usingthe same landscape company to take care of their properties instead.”
“I’d probably do that too.”
The woman reached over and picked up an envelope. “Here’s the landscaper’s information and pricing. His card is there too.”
Lorri looked at the estimate. “Something in my gut says this is where I should be. I’m going to do this.” She handed the envelope to Pam and turned to the agent. “What do I need to do to put in an offer?”
Chapter Two
One year later
Lorri wondered if she’d ever get all the moving boxes unpacked.If I haven’t missed what’s in these boxes in a year do I even need to go through them?She considered putting the rest of the boxes in her SUV and taking them straight to the landfill.
That was the easy thing to do, but her sensible side won in favor of possible donations. So, she’d gone through one box each morning, and that had already made a significant dent in the pile. She could even see the dresser in the guest room now.
Today, since she’d taken the day off to lunch with her girlfriends in Raleigh, she grabbed a smaller box and carried it to the living room to sort, toss, or donate.
It wasn’t until she set the box on the coffee table and ripped the tired tape from the top that it registered what was inside.
“Personal” had been written in blue marker that had faded so much it was hard to read.
The paper on top caught her eye. A third-grade report card. Not her personal things, but rather her brother’s. Jeff’s. This was the box of things Mom had given her in an attempt to smooth over the rift that had formed between Lorri and her parents the year following Jeff’s death.
I’ll never see it your way, Mom.
