3. Jasmine
1275 Words
Jasmine
“I was gonna hit the diner for lunch, see if Rear’s free to join. You wanna go?”
I looked up from my desk to see Dillon, my twin, leaning against the door to my office. We weren’t identical, but had similar features and red hair, although his had more auburn tones than mine.
“I’d love to, but I’m actually supposed to be meeting a realtor in…” I looked at the clock on my computer. “Fifteen minutes. I should probably get going myself.”
“A realtor? You thinking about buying a place?” he asked, stepping into the office. “You haven’t said anything.”
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but we’ve been so busy. Now that I’ll be home for a while, I figured it was time to stop stalling and go after what I want.”
“That’s great, Jazz. I’m sorry if I’ve been preoccupied,” Dillon began, looking guilty.
“Hey, it’s fine. You and Laurel both have a lot going on, I know that. I literally just contacted the realtor this morning and told her what I’m looking for. She said she has a few listings that fit the bill and had time to show me at lunch. I haven’t been holding out on you, promise.”
“Do you want me to go with you?”
I shook my head.
“No, that’s okay, it’s only my first time out. Go ahead and have lunch with Reardon.”
“Okay, but make sure they don’t take advantage, there’s always room for negotiation.”
I rolled my eyes at my brother.
“I’m pretty sure I know how to negotiate,” I said sarcastically, throwing my arms out to indicate the office we were in.
I had just landed us two new deals for the expansion.
“I know, I know,” he replied with a gentle smile. “You can’t fault me for looking out for you.”
I stood and rounded my desk.
“I do know, and I appreciate it.”
“So, what are you looking for?”
“Something like your place. A great home to grow up in, like we had, with some land, but still close to town.”
“I didn’t know you wanted the house,” he began, guilt crossing his features. “I never should have assumed you didn’t want it. I kinda just swooped in and took it over when Mom and Dad said they wanted something smaller.”
I reached out and put a hand on his arm.
“Hey, no, don’t even worry about it. I always knew you’d get Mom and Dad’s house, we all did. It was yours long before they decided to move. And, Dillon, back then moving into a big old house like that wasn’t even on my radar. I wanted to have fun, be single … work hard and have little responsibility when it came to bills and a mortgage.”
“And, now you want a mortgage?” He looked at me like I was a little nuts.
“Well, yeah, I guess,” I said with a laugh. “Although it’s not the mortgage so much as I want a place of my own. A home. Somewhere I can eventually have a family and live out the rest of my life.”
Dillon nodded and pulled me in for a hug.
“I think it’s great.”
“Thanks, bro. Now, I’d better get going. I don’t want to be late for our first meeting.”
“Okay, but, come over for dinner tonight, yeah? Laurel’s missing you.”
“Sure, I can do that. Let her know I’ll bring the wine.”
I said, “Goodbye,” and headed out, excited to look at a couple houses on my break.
I put the first address into my GPS and felt a ripple of happy nerves. Turning onto the lane off of the main road, you couldn’t see the house from the street, which I liked. The road was paved and lined with trees, and when it opened up, I could see a beautiful white colonial home, with a manicured lawn, blooming flowers, and a little shed out back.
It was perfect.
Complete with a white picket fence, a long porch with rocking chairs and more flowers, and a swinging bench hanging from a tree in the front yard.
I told myself not to fall in love …. Not only was it the first house, but I hadn’t even seen the inside yet. But, I was afraid it was too late. My heart tripped in my chest and landed right at my feet on the pretty green grass.
The sound of a door opening had me swinging my gaze to the front of the house.
“You must be Jasmine,” the pretty blonde said as she stepped onto the porch. “I’m Gloria.”
I walked to the house and up the steps to shake the realtor’s outstretched hand.
“This is gorgeous,” I told her, taking it all in.
“Isn’t it? I just love it.”
Gloria held the door open, indicating I should go inside.
“This house has only had one owner, Imogene Rankle. Sadly, she passed away a few months ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Open floor plan, with new appliances in the kitchen. Now, the bathrooms could stand some updating, and the shed outside needs reinforcement, but those are things that could be done over time. Go ahead and look around. Let me know if you have any questions.”
As I moved through the rooms, I fell harder.
Four bedrooms, three upstairs, with the master on main. Three and a half baths. The kitchen was beautiful, with stainless steel appliances and marble countertops that would make Laurel scream with excitement. There was also an unfinished basement and a two-car garage. Plenty of room to grow and the ability to make changes and updates to get it exactly how I wanted it, or eventually, how we wanted it.
I knew it wasn’t practical or necessarily advisable to go with the first and only house I’d seen, but I was a big believer in following my gut. And, my gut was telling me this was the house I was meant to own.
I went back into the kitchen, where Gloria was waiting, my eyes snagging lovingly on the fireplace in the den.
“It’s gorgeous, right?” Gloria said with a smile, but then her lips turned down as she looked at the paperwork in front of her.
“Yes, I love it,” I said, her expression causing my stomach to tighten.
“Now, I contacted the listing agent while you were looking around and she asked if I’d read over the stipulations in the notes … Since we moved so quickly this morning, I hadn’t noticed it.”
“Stipulations?” I asked warily.
“Mmmm,” Gloria said, her eyes on the papers. “Turns out Ms. Imogene had never been married or had any children. She’d been a businesswoman who bought this home in her early thirties, when she was engaged. The marriage never happened and she ended up living here alone until she suffered a heart attack thirty years later.”
“Oh, that’s so sad,” I said, looking around and sympathizing with Imogene.
“Apparently, she thought it was a disservice to the house and the land to not have children running the grounds … a family filling these walls.”
“I don’t understand,” I replied, totally understanding Imogene’s thoughts, since I’d had the same ones, but not getting what that had to do with the sale of the house.
“Her stipulation is that the house can only be sold to a married couple, or a family.”
“What?” I asked, my jaw dropping.
Gloria nodded.
“Imogene was a very successful woman and owned the house outright, so it isn’t owned by a bank or lender. She wishes the home to be on the market for ten years, during which it will be maintained by an agency, and if we cannot find buyers, it will be donated to the local children’s hospital.”
“That can’t be legal,” I protested.
“I take it you’re single?”
I gave a sharp nod.
“Well, not to worry, we still have a couple more houses to see, and, if you’re status changes, you can let me know.”
- Writer
