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“Your wish is my command.”
Less than ten minutes later, I pulled up in front of the two-story cream brick house, killing the engine. “Here we are.”
Scarlett stared out the window, her gaze roaming over the facade. Her expression was blank, giving absolutely nothing away.
It took every ounce of my willpower not to ask her what she thought. “Come on, let’s go check it out.”
She hesitated before pushing the car door open and stepping out. “The garden is amazing.”
“Professionally landscaped and low maintenance. I’ll also have this part fenced off,” I gestured along the driveway, “so that cars can still come and go, even if the kids are out front here.” Fuck. That sounded so incredibly surreal. The kids.
Scarlett clearly agreed because she stood there staring at me for a long moment before swallowing heavily. “That’s a great idea.”
Moving right along. “How about I show you the inside?”
“Okay.” She followed me up the cobblestone path to the front door. I unlocked it and stepped inside, holding it open for her.
The entryway opened into an airy living room with gleaming hardwood floors and huge windows overlooking the river. Scarlett wandered in, her arms folded across her chest as she looked around.
The living room flowed right up to the kitchen and had a huge stone fireplace that I knew would be perfect for cuddling up in front of on cold winter nights. Not that I’d be doing any cuddling, of course. This was Scarlett’s home. If she liked it.
“This is... nice,” she said, her voice catching.
Oh fuck. She hated it. “You…you don’t like it?”
It was like she struggled to meet my eyes. “It’s amazing, Rhett. Perfect. But it’s too much.”
“Nothing’s too much for the babies.” Maybe the more I said it, the B word, babies, the easier it would get.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“If you like the house, it’s yours. Just say the word and I’ll get the paperwork happening.”
She gazed around again, rubbing her arms. “It’s a big change.”
“I get it. I feel like I’m living in dreamland right now.”
“Same.”
“Here’s the thing. I’ve bought the house, so it’s available. It seems pointless to just leave it lying around, unused. But also, nothing is set in concrete. You can move in, try it out and if you don’t like it, I’ll get you something else.”
There was that signature eye roll. “It’s not like saying hey, you don’t like that flavor of ice cream, I’ll get you another.”
“It kind of is, to me.”
“You’re a bit psycho, you know.”
I shrugged. “Just let me do this. There’s no need to do it all in hard mode. I might not be father material, but I have a lot of other resources. It would be completely stupid not to use them. Are you stupid?”
That made her smile. “No.”
“Okay then. So you can move in as soon as you’re ready.”
Her lips parted like she wanted to protest, but she simply nodded. “I’m sick of feeling overwhelmed and worried about what to do next. So, thank you for making the next bit easier.”
“You’re welcome.” I kinda didn’t know what to say after that, so I just stood there feeling awkward.
Saved by the sound of a truck pulling up out the front. “Ah, perfect timing. Come with me.”