The Only Purple House in Town (Fix-It Witches, #4)(87)

Eli went straight to Keshonda’s office, and even though he was early, the newlyweds who’d offered first were already on site, happy as two summer days, and nudging each other in excitement. Their joy put a smile on his face. Everyone settled at the table in the conference room as Keshonda passed around the perfectly organized packets.

“Thank you for agreeing to let us move in right away,” Natalie Moreno said.

Her husband, Ruben, echoed the sentiment. “Yes, thank you! Keshonda told us you had other offers, so we were on pins and needles until you confirmed.”

“It’s what my grandmother wanted,” he told them. “She likes the idea of another family finding happiness in the house.”

“The yard will be perfect for a playset,” Natalie said.

“Yep, I’ll build one next summer.”

“The baby won’t even be old enough to play on it,” his wife protested.

He hadn’t known they were expecting. “Congratulations!”

Keshonda sat at the head of the table and interrupted their chitchat with instructions on how to proceed. Really, it didn’t take long at all to sign the forms, finalize everything, and get the funds released from escrow. They went straight to Gamma’s account, and it made Eli happy knowing she was set financially. And if she ran into trouble down the line, he could afford to help out.

He shook hands with the Morenos, then waited for them to head out because he had a question for Keshonda. “I have a condo in Cleveland. High-end with amenities like climate-controlled parking and on-site fitness center. It’s two bedroom, two bath, hardwood floors, view of the river, walking distance to everything, and a private rooftop deck accessible from the loft.”

“It sounds gorgeous,” Keshonda said. “But why are you telling me this?”

“Because I’m looking to sell it, and I might be interested in property in or around St. Claire. I don’t expect you to help me with the first thing, but—”

“Oh, I can find you a place here,” she cut in.

He nodded. “I’ll be in touch once I get the ball rolling.”

As he turned to go, Keshonda said, “Actually, I do know somebody in Cleveland. I met her at an expo in Florida. Let me see if I can find her contact info.”

“That would be great.”

Soon, she shot him a text with a name and a link to the real estate agent’s website. “You can find everything you need to know about Maribel on there.”

“Thanks.”

Keshonda nodded briskly. “When you get time, shoot me an email with your must-haves in writing and your price point. Also whether you’re looking for single-family, condo, how much you’re willing to pay for an HOA, whether a duplex or multiple-dwelling structure might work. Some people like to buy a building, live in one unit, and rent the others. Well, provided they can afford it, but I already know you can.”

At this point, what he wanted was to move back into Violet Gables, but the next best thing was making plans to stay in St. Claire, proving to himself that he wouldn’t run away just because things got tough. He’d come a long way from the person with no close ties, inches away from retreating from society entirely.

“Understood. You’ll hear from me tomorrow, probably.”

Once I get my thoughts in order.

Ironic that he hadn’t liked St. Claire as a little kid, and he couldn’t wait to leave once he graduated from high school, but the third time was the charm, as now he couldn’t imagine himself anywhere else. It felt faintly ridiculous to be homesick for a house he’d only lived in for a couple of months, but he missed the people too. Sally had promised him a scarf for the winter, and everyone had agreed to cook together for Thanksgiving. Christmas too. He’d been looking forward to all that, dammit.

Silently, he let himself back into the rented apartment and called Gamma. “Everything’s finalized. You should have the money from the sale.”

“Yes! I’ve got the wire transfer, though all the funds won’t be available for twenty-four hours. Thanks so much, little man.” Gamma paused, and he could hear somebody talking to her in the background. “Just a minute, Jim. I’m talking to my grandson.”

“Did I call at a bad time?”

“Not bad. Breaking Bad.”

Eli laughed without quite understanding what Gamma was getting at. “What?”

“We’re going on a Breaking Bad RV tour! We’re leaving in ten minutes. I’d love to chat more, but I don’t want to be the last one on board. I’ll get stuck sitting by Mary Jo.”

“Uh, yeah, definitely try to avoid that. Have fun!”

Gamma sounded as excited as a little kid. “I’ll send pictures. Supposedly, we’re visiting a bunch of actual film sites. I can’t wait.”

He couldn’t resist teasing her a bit. “Who needs Universal Studios, right?”

“Exactly! Love you. Talk to you soon, little man.”

The conversation lightened his worries a bit. At least Gamma wasn’t regretting her decision to upend everything and move to a retirement community. It sounded like there was always something going on, new friends and new adventures. She’d carpe’d the hell out of that diem, by any standards.

Time for him to do the same. He sent the initial email at once with a subject of I’m interested in selling my condo. Next he went into his bathroom to strip.