“Fuck, I can’t believe it’s done,” he said, tipping his head back to take in the work the contractors had done on the exterior and the roof. “It’s looking good already. The garden looks great.”
“The landscapers did an exceptional job.” Let’s just hope you feel the same about what I’ve done.
He did a half turn to look at me, his hands in his pockets, but his elbow nudged me as he grinned. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”
I dropped the keys into his hand when he pulled it out of his pocket. I sighed and squeezed my eyes shut. Please let this go well.
“If you hate it, it’s on you,” I murmured when he took off, but I didn’t think he heard me since he was already at the stairs leading to the front door.
As soon as he opened the door, he bounced a little on his feet like he was getting ready for a big game. I wondered if I should do the same. This was my game to lose, after all.
Deciding against it, I cleared my throat and followed him in, about to start what felt like the highest stakes tour of my career so far. “So, uh, this is the entrance hall. Obviously. I wanted it to feel warm and welcoming, which is why I added the navy blue accents to the first wall you see when you walk in. That’s your color, isn’t it? Navy? Anyway, the coatrack was handcrafted by the same local guy who did the dining table in the kitchen, and I’ve put some mints in the bowl on the side table for now, but you could also use it for keys and whatnot. The mirror on that wall is supposed to create the impression that the space is bigger than it really is, and I think it does a good job of it.”
Tanner whistled between his teeth and sent me a huge grin once he’d taken it all in. “This is looking really good so far.”
I allowed a tiny bit of relief to creep into my heart. “Thanks, but it’s just the beginning. Let’s not get too excited just yet.”
The words turned out to be prophetic. As we walked deeper into the house and the tour progressed, the expression on his face seemed to become more and more strained, and my stomach dropped.
Shit. This isn’t good. In fact, this is exactly what I was hoping to avoid.