“Great like always, Mom,” Camden answered.
Her eyes sparkled with love at her son. We all continued eating, making small talk here and there. I chose to stay quiet. I didn’t have much to add to the conversation, and the food was so good, I was barely coming up for air while I Hoovered my plate clean. Nobody took notice that I had taken more than they all did, nor did they when I finished before them. Or maybe they did and they were just being polite and not bringing it up.
“Dodger, have you heard back from the owner for the space next to the gym?” Paul asked.
“I have.” He set his fork down and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not sure it’s something I’m going to continue pursuing.”
“Why not, son? Patients wouldn’t have to go hunting for your new location, you’d have ample room to set up more equipment that you’ve been wanting, and you may even be able to bring in another physical therapist to offset your patient load. I don’t see what the problem is. Is the cost too steep?”
“No, the cost wasn’t an issue.” Dodger looked over at me. My eyes got huge. He wasn’t going to say something to them right now was he? I wasn’t even close to mentally prepared. When he looked back at his dad he said, “I just think waiting another year or so to keep building my clientele will be best.”
Paul pondered his words. “You may be right about that. Are you sure though? That space likely won’t be there when you decide you’re ready to expand.”
“I know, and I’m sure. If it all becomes too much, I’ll do it before a year.”
His parents smiled at him.
When lunch was over, we all got up from the table and brought our plates into the kitchen. I did some light picking up in the dining room when my phone rang. I pulled it out of my back pocket and saw it was James. Holy excitement, this was the moment.
“Hi James, how are you?”
He was pleasantly surprised to hear my greeting. “I’m good, how are you?”
“Impatiently waiting to hear from you, to be honest.” I nervously giggled.
Keegan was standing next to me and she grabbed my hand. Dodger came into the room, standing across the table from me. Keegan whispered to him who I was on the phone with. I noticed him become ridged and he quietly said “oh shit.” He must be nervous too, which was pretty cute.
“Ah, well I’m sorry for keeping you waiting there was some back and forth between myself and the listing agent.”
I started dancing on my toes, “Just tell me already.”
“You didn’t get the house.”
And just like that, I deflated.
“I didn’t get it?”
“No, I’m sorry.”
“What didn’t she get?” Donna asked as she came up beside Dodger.
He ignored his mom.
“What happened, James? I thought we were putting in a pretty strong offer. How could I have lost it?”
He sounded hesitant. “Erm, well that’s the thing. Someone else came in with a better offer.”
“What? Wait, you said no other offers were on the table when you submitted. I’m sorry but I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around this.”
“There weren’t. But apparently someone submitted shortly after we did, and theirs was accepted.”
I was on the verge of tears. That was my house. I wanted it so badly I could taste it. I envisioned my child running around and playing in the yard. I had already window shopped the furniture stores in town and figured out everything that I wanted to buy to fill it up. Ugh! As much as I didn’t want to start over, I would. I just knew I wouldn’t likely find one that I loved as much as that one though.
I sighed and blinked back my tears. “Well, damn. I hate the person that got the place, but maybe in a couple of days we can make a new list of homes to visit.”
“Macie, there’s something else.”
My brows furrowed. “Something else?”
He coughed, and for whatever reason he seemed uneasy. “Yes, ma’am. It’s about the buyer.”
“The buyer? I’m lost.”
Dodger took a step back from the table. I watched him curiously. His face went ghostly white, and I watched his Adam’s apple bob in his throat. What was going on with him. Keegan gave my hand a squeeze.
“You’ll find another, Mace,” she said softly.
I held my finger up in the air. I was trying to listen to what James was saying.
“You know the buyer. I shouldn’t have looked, but there was a name disclosed by the previous homeowners that caught my attention. When he brought back your check and contract, they mentioned who they accepted the offer from.”
This was all sorts of confusing.
“Dodger bought the house, Macie. He came in above you, and they accepted his offer.”
My lips parted and I gasped. My eyes darted to the man across the table and by the look on his face, he knew that I knew. He started waving his hands around in front of him.
“Now, Macie, I can explain if you’ll just let me.”
I handed my phone to Keegan, who had no idea what on earth was going on. She took it and told James I’d call him back.
“You dirty . . . fucking . . . dog.”
“Macie, just listen.”
I took a step forward. “Listen to what? That you lied to me? That you went behind my back and took something from me?”
“Now, don’t make it into something that it’s not, I didn’t take anything from you.”
“What’s going on?” Paul asked. He approached me, concerned.
“You didn’t take anything from me?” My voice went an octave higher. “You have got to be the world’s stupidest man on earth. That house was mine. You went and saw it with me. You knew I was putting an offer on it.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Macie, you put in an offer on a house? Oh, honey, I didn’t know you were looking. Congrats!”
I barely registered Donna’s jubilant voice. Nor did I pay attention to the fact that Keegan was currently griping my forearm to prevent me from moving forward.
“How could you?”
Dodger attempted a smile but failed. “I did it for you, for us.”
I laughed sadistically. “You did it for you.”
“No, Mace,” he stated firmly. “If you would just come somewhere to talk to me, I will explain everything. Why I felt I needed to buy the house. Why I didn’t tell you. All of it.”
“Hold the phone,” Paul said. “Dodger, you bought a house? Is this why you’re not getting the office space anymore?”
“Dad, not right now,” Dodger pleaded.
“My house, Paul. Your son, bought my house. The one he and I went and looked at together. The one that I fell in love with. The one that he knew I wanted more than anything.”
Donna was completely perplexed and out of the loop. “You both went house hunting together? Are things that serious between you both?”