Maureen Child - The Baby Inheritance

“Security,” Lilah mused thoughtfully. “So this isn’t a good neighborhood?”

The Realtor paled while Reed smothered a smile.

“This is one of the finest neighborhoods in Laguna,” the Realtor protested. “A security system is simply for peace of mind.”

Reed saw the humor in Lilah’s eye and knew she was just giving the other woman a hard time.

“I do like this yard,” she said, turning in a slow circle to admire the picture.

Reed did as well, and he had to admit that of the houses they’d seen so far that morning, he preferred this one. The house itself was a larger version of a California bungalow. It had charm, character but plenty of room, and it wasn’t sitting on top of its neighbors. He liked that. Reed also liked the yard. The pool took up a third of the lot, but alongside it ran a wide green swath of lawn that would give a kid plenty of room to run. There were trees and flower beds, and since they were situated high on a hill, there were spectacular views of the ocean. The brick terrace boasted an outdoor living space, complete with a backyard kitchen, and the interior of the house was just as perfect. Five bedrooms, five baths and a kitchen that looked fine to him and had had Lilah sighing.

Standing in a tree-dappled patch of shade, Lilah looked at him. “What do you think?”

Both women were watching him, but Reed’s gaze met Lilah’s alone. “I think it’ll work.”

The Realtor laughed sharply. “Work? It’s a fabulous piece of property. Completely redone two years ago, from the roof to the flooring. It’s only been on the market for three days and it’s priced to sell and—”

Never taking his gaze from Lilah’s, Reed held up one hand for silence and hardly noticed as the Realtor’s voice faded away.

Lilah grinned at the woman’s reaction to his silent command. “I like it.”

“Me, too,” Reed said, and spared a glance for the Realtor. “I’ll take it. Have the paperwork drawn up and delivered to me at the Monarch this afternoon—”

“This afternoon? I don’t know that I can get it all done that quickly and—”

Now he shot the woman a look he generally reserved for hostile witnesses on the stand. “I have every confidence you will. And, while you’re working, you should know there’s a nice bonus in it for you if you arrange for a seven-day escrow.”

“Seven—”

“And,” he continued as if she hadn’t interrupted, “since I’ll be paying cash for the house, I’d like the keys in five days. Furniture has to be delivered and arranged so that we can move in at the end of the seven days.”

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.