want to part with it at first, but I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.”
For someone with his means, Chris lived a pretty low-key lifestyle. Muscle cars were one of the weaknesses he enjoyed indulging when the opportunity arose. He didn’t go looking for cars, but when he saw one that made his mouth water the way that one had, he couldn’t walk away. That was the nice thing about earning more money than he would ever spend. He could afford to treat himself once in a while… or the lady in his life.
Shooting a sidelong glance at Katie, he couldn’t think of a woman who deserved to be pampered more. She hadn’t had an easy time of it growing up. While he was playing sports and fishing, she was dealing with an alcoholic mother and wondering where they would get their next meal. It was no wonder she’d fallen in with the wrong crowd and turned to drugs. She was looking for a place to belong, a family to belong to. She found that with the kids on the streets who were as lost and alone as she was. If things had been different, he would have grabbed her hand, but he had to keep reminding himself it wasn’t a date. That wasn’t easy when her little black dress screamed take me.
“Oh my God,” she said, slowing down in front of what appeared to be a newly renovated building just off a quiet residential street. “I didn’t even know this was here. Did you?”
“Can’t say that I did.” Seeing the way her eyes lit up, he knew they’d have to stop and check it out. “Pull in.” He gestured to the near-empty parking lot.
“I don’t think we should,” she said, slowing to a rolling stop near the curb. “It looks like there are people working. They’ll wonder what we’re doing here.”
“There’s a ‘For Sale’ sign,” he said, gesturing to the realtor’s sign. “I’m sure they expect people to stop and check it out.”
“Wow,” she whispered, looking up at the small building as if she was seeing the Taj Mahal for the first time. “It’s perfect.”
Chris guessed it was a twelve thousand to fifteen thousand square foot building. The newly finished stucco exterior gave it a more modern appearance than the older, more traditional homes surrounding it. It was a great neighborhood, perfect for the kind of business she had in mind. The building had ample parking for staff and parents dropping off their kids and a large grassy area in the side and back, which would be ideal for a playground.
“We should keep that other appointment, but why don’t I give the agent a call and see if she can meet us here in about forty-five minutes?” He pulled his cell phone out and started dialing before he realized she was gaping at him. “Is there a problem?”
“Look at this place.” She gestured wildly. “Do you have any idea how much something like this would cost in this area?”
It was commercial space, so it wouldn’t cost as much per square foot as residential. Given that it was on a large lot, Chris guessed the price tag to be in the vicinity of a cool two mil. “No, but I’d like to find out.”
“But, you can’t—” Katie fell silent when Chris shushed her and smiled. She looked at the building as though she was awe-struck at seeing her fantasy laid out before her.
Chris knew, no matter the cost, the building had to house her new business. After exchanging a few words with the selling agent, he disconnected the call and gripped his phone. “We’re all set. She’ll meet us here in about forty-five minutes, so we should probably make our way over to that other unit now.”
“But this is too big. I mean, it’s exactly the kind of place I imagined having someday, but—”
“Let’s just check out both places. For the sake of comparison.”
“Okay,” she said quietly, stealing one last look at the building before easing away from the curb. “If you say so.”
Chapter Six
The landlady had shown them the storefront unit, and Chris was driving them back to the
For someone with his means, Chris lived a pretty low-key lifestyle. Muscle cars were one of the weaknesses he enjoyed indulging when the opportunity arose. He didn’t go looking for cars, but when he saw one that made his mouth water the way that one had, he couldn’t walk away. That was the nice thing about earning more money than he would ever spend. He could afford to treat himself once in a while… or the lady in his life.
Shooting a sidelong glance at Katie, he couldn’t think of a woman who deserved to be pampered more. She hadn’t had an easy time of it growing up. While he was playing sports and fishing, she was dealing with an alcoholic mother and wondering where they would get their next meal. It was no wonder she’d fallen in with the wrong crowd and turned to drugs. She was looking for a place to belong, a family to belong to. She found that with the kids on the streets who were as lost and alone as she was. If things had been different, he would have grabbed her hand, but he had to keep reminding himself it wasn’t a date. That wasn’t easy when her little black dress screamed take me.
“Oh my God,” she said, slowing down in front of what appeared to be a newly renovated building just off a quiet residential street. “I didn’t even know this was here. Did you?”
“Can’t say that I did.” Seeing the way her eyes lit up, he knew they’d have to stop and check it out. “Pull in.” He gestured to the near-empty parking lot.
“I don’t think we should,” she said, slowing to a rolling stop near the curb. “It looks like there are people working. They’ll wonder what we’re doing here.”
“There’s a ‘For Sale’ sign,” he said, gesturing to the realtor’s sign. “I’m sure they expect people to stop and check it out.”
“Wow,” she whispered, looking up at the small building as if she was seeing the Taj Mahal for the first time. “It’s perfect.”
Chris guessed it was a twelve thousand to fifteen thousand square foot building. The newly finished stucco exterior gave it a more modern appearance than the older, more traditional homes surrounding it. It was a great neighborhood, perfect for the kind of business she had in mind. The building had ample parking for staff and parents dropping off their kids and a large grassy area in the side and back, which would be ideal for a playground.
“We should keep that other appointment, but why don’t I give the agent a call and see if she can meet us here in about forty-five minutes?” He pulled his cell phone out and started dialing before he realized she was gaping at him. “Is there a problem?”
“Look at this place.” She gestured wildly. “Do you have any idea how much something like this would cost in this area?”
It was commercial space, so it wouldn’t cost as much per square foot as residential. Given that it was on a large lot, Chris guessed the price tag to be in the vicinity of a cool two mil. “No, but I’d like to find out.”
“But, you can’t—” Katie fell silent when Chris shushed her and smiled. She looked at the building as though she was awe-struck at seeing her fantasy laid out before her.
Chris knew, no matter the cost, the building had to house her new business. After exchanging a few words with the selling agent, he disconnected the call and gripped his phone. “We’re all set. She’ll meet us here in about forty-five minutes, so we should probably make our way over to that other unit now.”
“But this is too big. I mean, it’s exactly the kind of place I imagined having someday, but—”
“Let’s just check out both places. For the sake of comparison.”
“Okay,” she said quietly, stealing one last look at the building before easing away from the curb. “If you say so.”
Chapter Six
The landlady had shown them the storefront unit, and Chris was driving them back to the
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