Anna Sugden - A Perfect Distraction

This was the home she and Tracy had yearned for. From the postcards adorning the fridge to the cute curtains framing the large window and the smell of baking that lingered in the air, it felt cozy and welcoming.

No wonder Jake had found the Trump Place apartment lacking.

“I can see why the houses I sent through don’t appeal.” She picked up the four remaining property sheets. “I suspect these won’t be right, either.”

Surprise lit Jake’s blue eyes. “What’s wrong with them?”

Maggie had a momentary pang of unease. He might not like her disagreeing with him. But it was her job to make his move go smoothly. Tracy would expect nothing less. As uncomfortable as it made her, she shouldn’t hold back her thoughts.

She fought her nerves, then indicated the first sheet. “This has great square footage, but the rooms look dark and poky. You could knock down walls to make it more open, but it would be a lot of work and upheaval.”

“I agree, for sure. I don’t need the disruption.”

Maggie blinked. He’d listened to her opinion.

She set the property sheet aside, then slid the next one to him. “This one has an unfinished basement. More upheaval. Plus, the house is on a steep slope, with the garage at the bottom. There may be problems with water runoff.”

Aunt Karina tsked. “You don’t want to worry about flooding.”

Jake nodded. “I had reservations about the basement, but hadn’t thought about the slope. Good catch.”

Heat tinted her cheeks at his praise.

“I’m sure your thoughts about the other two houses will be on the money. Why bother even having a look at them?”

His faith in her judgment gave her confidence a boost. “You might feel differently once you’ve seen the houses. Also, other things may occur to you as we go round them, which will help guide Mimi and me in finding other properties for you.”

“Yeah. It just seems like a waste of time.”

Maggie’s breath caught in her chest. Had she misjudged his easygoing nature?

“I don’t see why it’s so hard to choose.” Jake’s mum chopped herbs with impressive speed. “You travel so much, you won’t be around to worry about dark rooms or whatever.”

“You and Dad were just as picky before you bought this place, Ma. We saw dozens of houses and you rejected every one.”

Tina smiled fondly at her son. “I know you wanted the best for us, but we didn’t want to waste the earnings from your first big contract.”

Jake bought this place for his parents? Lee wouldn’t have been so generous.

“You could have had a house twice this size and I’d have still had money left over.” His ears were tinged with pink.

“After that cramped, rented apartment, a house of our own was a dream come true. But we wanted somewhere that felt like home. This house welcomed us.”

He rose and hugged his mother. “That’s what I want, too, Ma.”

Maggie swallowed the lump in her throat. “It’s a wonderful home. Jake will have a problem finding anything that’s as nice as this.”

His half smile sent a glow through her body.

“It’s true—this is the perfect house,” Aunt Karina added. “That’s why when my boys offered to buy me my own place, I turned them down. I live in the garden house.”

“She means the carriage house at the back of the property—in the garden.” Jake smiled indulgently. “And Aunt Karina isn’t really my aunt, she’s Mom’s best friend.”

“But I’m the aunt of your heart, no?”

“Of course.”

“Tina and I raised our boys together.” Aunt Karina pulled a photo from her apron and passed it across the table. “These four handsome boys are mine.”

The two oldest looked familiar. “I met these two at Jake’s party.”

Jake nodded. “Tru and Ike.”

Aunt Karina frowned. “When will you invite me and your mama to your parties?”

“That was the last one. No more parties. I’m focusing on hockey.”

The two older women exchanged a worried look. “You’ll become a dull boy, Jakey. All work and no fun.”

Jake’s shoulders tensed. Clearly, this was not a discussion he wanted to have.

Empathy she didn’t expect tugged at Maggie. Time for a distraction.

“Is that the time?” She shoved the four property sheets in her bag. “We should get a move on if we’re to take a look at these today.”

“Good idea.” With a grateful look, Jake grabbed the lifeline she’d tossed him.

The two women saw them off at the front door, reminding them to take care in the heat.

The car was halfway down the street before Jake turned to Maggie. “Thanks for the bailout. They’re still getting used to the idea that I’m changing things up now I’m home.”

“It’s nice they care so much. You’re lucky.” She heard the wistfulness in her voice and cleared her throat to cover it.

For all his reputation, the way he behaved toward the older women said a lot about him. He was fond of them, but he also respected them.

Jake had treated her with respect, too. It had been a long time since anyone other than her sister had treated her like an equal.

For the first time since she’d agreed to help her sister, the knot of tension eased in Maggie’s gut. Maybe she’d misjudged how difficult this job would be. If Jake continued to be this easy to work with, it would be a piece of cake.

A couple of days house-hunting, a week tops, and she would have completed her first contract. Then, who knew what else she could achieve?

* * *

“YOU’VE NEVER SEEN The Godfather?”

Jake’s shocked expression made Maggie smile as she followed the GPS’s instructions to turn right, the following afternoon. “What is it with blokes and that film?”

“The Godfather is an iconic piece of modern culture.”

“You sound like Tom Hanks in You’ve Got Mail.”

“Isn’t that a chick flick?” He frowned.

“You’ve never seen You’ve Got Mail?” She widened her eyes.

Jake hitched an eyebrow.

“He calls The Godfather the I-Ching and quotes it to Meg Ryan as lessons for life.”

The GPS interrupted his reply. “Your destination is ahead, on the right.”

The relaxed atmosphere vanished as she pulled up to the last property on the day’s list.

“I hope this house is better than the other five we’ve seen today.” Jake got out of the car.

Maggie tried to quell the flutter in her stomach at his disappointed tone.

Yesterday’s visits had gone well, even though, as expected, the four properties hadn’t been appropriate. They’d spent the rest of the afternoon driving around the area to fine-tune Jake’s housing likes and dislikes. He’d been open and frank, while listening to her suggestions. Driving between houses, they’d chatted about other things—a real conversation, rather than the self-centered monologue she’d expected.

This morning, after a good-natured argument about who would drive, they’d set off to look at some new properties that she and Mimi had selected. Though the first house hadn’t been bad, the places had gone steadily downhill after that.

With each rejected house, Jake’s enthusiasm had waned and turned to frustration.

Turning off the engine, Maggie fought the urge to run away. What kind of example would that set for Emily? If she wanted her daughter to be proud of her, she’d have to brave it out. Besides, she wouldn’t let Tracy down.

A wall of heat and humidity hit her as she got out of the car. The silk underskirt stuck to her legs, making her wish she’d gone for comfort and cool. Could she get rid of her jacket?

She glanced at her outfit. Even without the matching jacket, the beige linen dress was smart. No fancy frippery, apart from the column of bow-shaped buttons down her back. Lee wouldn’t have allowed her out of the house wearing the simple, knee-length style with its modest neckline, but then he hadn’t wanted her to look understated and professional.