Page 20

Bryce doesn’t answer me. We haven’t spoken much since our argument the other day. Instead, he grumbles out something about needing to make some calls. He’s halfway out the door leading into the main pool, the quietest place right now, before he backtracks. In a few strides, he’s closing the distance between him and Josie. Something twists in the pit of my stomach as he kisses her forehead, murmuring something, and then kissing her lips. Without another word or look in my direction, he’s out of the room.

Their relationship is so easy and natural. I can’t help but feel a little jealous. It’s not fair that some people just have it come so easily to them.

Josie slumps in the chair beside me, legs crossed with her laptop open on them. She checks something on her phone, frowning down at it.

The silence is awkward and tense. I need it to be broken, now. “Did you guys really not find anything you liked?”

She startles at the sound of my voice, but shakes her head once she recovers. “It’s been such a mess, Kat. We found a couple we love, but they’re so far out of our budget. Bryce doesn’t want to rent, which I understand, you know? We’re putting roots down; this is supposed to be the start of the rest of our lives. We might not have much of a choice. At least not until the club is up and running, giving us a steadier stream of income.”

I rework my question. “You didn’t find anything you like in your budget at all?”

“Technically, we did, but it’d need work done.” She hands me her phone, which is open to a house listing. “We love it, but Bryce doesn’t want to take on another project like this right now.”

When I look down at the phone, I am pulled in by a quaint two-story brick home. The front lawn looks like it needs some work, and the small porch needs a new staircase and a fresh coat of paint, but it’s in good condition overall. I flip through the pictures, listening to her rattle off all the reasons they’ve both decided this was a no. Despite Josie clearly loving it.

The closer I look at the pictures, the more I believe my initial reaction is correct: the house needs updating and remodeling, but it’s not in terrible shape. There’s some wallpaper that needs to go, a room full of wood paneling that’s giving me a headache, and a kitchen that needs a whole remodel, but those are easy fixes. At least not daunting enough to pass on a house they love.

It was also the kind of house I can picture them in, especially after making it their own. There are plenty of windows, character without being too quirky, and a large backyard for hosting friends. It really is perfect for the two of them.

“Josie, the house isn’t bad.” Her mouth snaps shut at my interruption, turning to look at me with wide eyes. “Obviously I can’t say for sure without getting in there myself or having an inspection done, but most of the updates look like they’d be cosmetic.”

“Really?” Her tone is so full of hope, I instantly make up my mind to help her. The hope is gone as soon as it’s there, though. “Bryce has a point. We have enough going on with his place to balance another renovation.”

“What if you have help?”

She’s shaking her head. “I could never ask you to do that, Kat. You have your hands full with the club.”

“You aren’t asking, I’m offering.” I shrug. “Besides, this is my only project right now, so I can juggle multiples. I have a lot of contacts in Columbia, so I’m sure we can get everything set up. You said it was in your budget?”

“Under, actually,” she admits. “We have about fifty grand to work with. Do you think that’d be enough?”

I glance down at the phone, wondering just how much money professional swimmers make. “That should be more than enough.”

“Bryce hates how small the kitchen is.”

It’s a feeble argument, and I know she’s looking for a reason not to get too excited.

“We can look into building onto it. It looks like there’s space,” I comment, flipping back to the floor plan. “That’s not something you’ll need to worry about.”

“Oh, my god,” Josie breathes as I hand her back the phone. She looks down at the pictures and her eyes practically have hearts in them. “You have no idea how happy you’re making me right now. I love this house!”

I laugh lightly. “Don’t get too excited. You still need to get Bryce on board. We both know I’m not his favorite person.”

A look of determination crosses her features, a glint of something in her eye. “Leave him to me.”

Just like that, I know what I’ve signed up for. There’s no way Bryce will say no to Josie and his behavior when he got back suddenly makes a lot more sense. He’s disappointed he can’t give her what she so clearly wants, but he can. Josie deserves to be happy here, just like Bryce, and I want to be part of that. I want her to start a new life with something she loves, something she can grow into. If that happens to be this house, well, that’s exactly why I went into this business. Unlike Thomas, I mean it when I say I want to help people bring their dreams to life.

I’mpackingupmybag to head home when Bryce finds me, hands stuffed in the pocket of his hoodie, biting down on his bottom lip. “Do you have a minute to talk?”

The front door is less than twenty feet away, and he’s not blocking my path. Theoretically, I could grab my bag and make a run for it. I didn’t have to face this conversation or the consequences of my actions over the last four weeks, but I do owe him an apology.

I’m woman enough to know when I fuck up and I need to apologize for it. That’s what needs to happen, so I nod.

“Josie told me about you offering to help with the house,” he begins. “I just want to thank you for that. I could see it on her face. She loves it and I want to make her happy.”

This isn’t the opening I was expecting. It’s not the two of us revisiting the last conversation we had. Instead, he’s giving me an opening and I’m going to take it. “I think it’s a great house, Bryce, and you’re right about her loving it. I’m more than happy to help. I’ve already got some ideas.”

“I called our realtor.” His gaze keeps shifting around the room, refusing to settle on anything. “We put in an offer. Apparently, the owners are eager to sell, so she’s hopeful we’ll find out in the next couple of days and then we’ll do the inspection.”