Finding Promise (The Promise Series, A Small Town Romance) (4 page)

At the fourth and final real estate office, as luck would
have it, she hit gold. Here she met Suzy, a short, plump woman dressed in a
summer suit with permed, bottle blonde hair in a banana clip. She was a shock
to behold. Caroline felt as though she had stepped back into the 1980’s. Suzy
wore heavy plastic yellow, white and blue jewelry coordinating with her
geometric short-sleeved shirt over a blue skirt and a broad, yellow belt, to
match her low-heeled shoes. But, looking into her light blue eyes crowned with
yellow and blue eye shadow, she lost her fatigue from her prior real estate
office visits. It was as though the bright colours shocked it out of her
system.

Suzy herself was extremely energetic and inquisitive and
after returning her greeting, Caroline decided to cut to the chase. “Could I
speak to you about a house I’m interested in? I…” Caroline was stopped short by
an enthusiastic Suzy, eager for a sale.

“There’s not a lot of property on the market at this time of
year but, you may just be in luck. I have a gem of a place that’s just come up
for sale. Even if I say so myself, it is a wonderful two bedroom cabin set in
one of the vacation estates, in a woodland, just outside of town. It’s
virtually maintenance free. A lock up and go sort of place. The ideal vacation
home. It’s just five minutes away and there’s been a lot of interest…”

“I’m afraid that the cabin is not what I’m looking for…
Actually, I’ve already seen a house I like but can’t remember the real estate
agent’s name that was on the For Sale sign.” Inwardly sighing, Caroline
realised that she should’ve taken down the realtor’s mobile number. She really
didn’t want to look at another catalogue again to see if it was listed.  I
was wondering if you were the agent for it. I’m afraid that I don’t know the
name of the road or the number of the property. I drove past it yesterday. I
was intrigued and thought I’d find out a bit more. Perhaps if I describe it to
you, you can tell me if it’s on your list of properties for sale?” She did so,
watching Suzy’s eyes pop open wide.

“Why, that old place? It’s been on the market for some time.
There’s a lot of work to be done on it, you know. The last owner, Frank
Whittlesea, from England, was a lovely man. His children, still living in the
UK haven’t been able to maintain it. Dear Frank, being ill at the end, didn’t
have the strength to do so himself. I suppose when one is ill and old, you
don’t get as caught up in things like painting and repairing.” Suzy fluffed up
her hair, the act pointless and more habitual as Caroline was sure that there
was an entire can of hairspray holding it in place. “Well, dear, as most of the
people buying homes here are vacationers, they haven’t really shown interest in
buying the house as it would take time and being here, to see to its
restoration.”

Liking the shy woman across from her, no matter how much she
wanted the sale, Suzy thought herself an honest woman and felt that she had to
tell her the truth. To her, Caroline looked young, fragile and naive. “Honey,
are you sure? It’s not really the vacation home type of property. It’s the type
where you lay down roots. Unless it’s the land you’re after. It does have a
marvellous view. If so, I have a few lots for sale too that you could look at?”

“Well, I’m looking to relocate here and laying down roots
sounds pretty good. I want the quiet life offered by a small town and Promise
fits the bill.” Seeing the questions lurking in Suzy’s eyes, she quickly said,
“I’m a widow and looking to start afresh. It’s still too painful to speak of
though. But I think that living here can help me get back on my feet.”

Feeling maternal towards the young woman, Suzy smiled warmly
in response. “Then, my dear, this is the town for you. Our Promise is a lovely
town, as you’ve seen for yourself. The house, though, will mean some work and
if you’re up to it, then it may be the place for you too. There’s nothing like
a project to renew the spirits and keep one’s mind occupied. The devil finds
work for idle hands, after all. Why don’t you and I take a drive up to the
house and you can see how you feel about it.”

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Back at the house, it was just as she remembered on the
outside and the inside had more promise than she’d expected. When she peaked through
the windows the day before, she didn’t see the lovely oak cupboards in the
kitchen and bedrooms or the size of the rooms. The way the house was built with
its high ceilings and easy flow, gave the illusion of space and impression of
possibilities. Though most of the house had hard wood floors, some rooms were
carpeted, as was the case in the kitchen, linoleum tiles, covering it. The
lounge was the worst as it had a horrible, stained dark blue carpet in it,
absorbing the light in the room. Fortunately, lifting up a loose corner of the
carpet revealed the same hard wood floors underneath it that were evident in
the rest of the house. The first storey of the house consisted of the public or
entertainment areas. The lounge was a good size with enough space to entertain.
The bay window, that she’d noticed yesterday, was part of a dining room big
enough to seat twelve people. The kitchen, to her delight, allowed her to
easily cater for much more than the twelve people the dining room accommodated.
It was a country-styled kitchen and was obviously put to a bit more use than
the rest of the house. It showed a bit of wear and tear but this was not the
wear and tear that comes from neglect but rather from being used well and
often. The kitchen even boasted a separate pantry and an old-fashioned mud
room.

The top storey of the house was reached by a staircase, its
railing an unknown wood that was covered in multiple coats of paint, if the
various levels of chipped paint on it were any indication. There were three
bedrooms. One of the bedrooms had a view of the front garden and ocean. It had
to be the master suite as it boasted an en suite bathroom. Also overlooking the
front of the house was a smaller room without any clear purpose, which would do
nicely as a study cum library. Two more bedrooms provided a view of the back
yard and the woodland area beyond.

It was a house she could see herself make into a home with,
hopefully, children gliding down the balustrade and a huge tree in the lounge
at Christmas. Halting that thought, she reminded herself that to have children,
she’d have to be involved with someone and that was not on the cards for her in
the immediate future. Unless she considered adoption but that could wait.

It was a house of possibilities, of promise. She felt a
certain kinship with it, as though it agreed with her that it could be the
place she was looking for, a place to plant the seeds of a new beginning and
allow roots to grow.

She made an offer to purchase then and there. The price of
the house was lower than that of the others she’d seen for sale in the local
newspaper due to the work it required to make it liveable again. Being part of
a deceased individual’s estate and its heirs wanted to sell it urgently; Suzy
didn’t foresee any objections to her offer.

Not having been involved in such transactions before,
Caroline asked, “How long do you think it will take to finalize the sale of the
house?” She wanted to get working on the house as soon as possible and with
this purchase, she could not afford to stay at the inn for an extended period
of time.

“The heirs to this house would like to get it sold quickly
and because you’re paying cash, that should speed up the process. Fortunately,
when the previous owner’s children had come from the UK to attend the funeral,
they provided a local attorney with the legal authority regarding the sale of
the property, so we won’t have to courier forms between here and the UK. I’ll
chat to Mr Stewart. He’s the local attorney.” Fluffing her hair, Suzy considered,
“Perhaps I can set up some time for us to meet with him tomorrow. As it’s
usually quiet this time of the year, I don’t see why not and as far as I know,
he’s not on vacation yet. I’ll chat to some people and hurry things along.
Don’t you fret, dear,” Suzy patted Caroline’s arm sympathetically, “It
shouldn’t take longer than a week or two.”

“Thanks. I really appreciate it. Maybe I’ll use that time to
browse around for furniture, appliances and other things I’ll need. Would it be
okay if I get the key from you at times so I can start getting quotes for the
work that must be done?” The house’s contents had already been auctioned off,
so there wasn’t a chair to sit on in it at the moment. IN its current state she
could hardly move in too. But, it was that she was doing it on her own that was
exciting her.

“That’s the spirit! See, didn’t I tell you? There’s nothing
like a project to lift the spirits and keep the mind occupied. But, don’t
forget to have some fun too, dear. Don’t worry about the sale, I’ll see to it
and will let you know when I need you. I have your mobile number and if I can’t
reach you, I’ll leave a message for you at the inn. If you need the key for
those quotes, you’d be very welcome to it too.” Suzy was already getting into
her car, so she stuck her head out the window to continue speaking with
Caroline. “I’ll call you tomorrow to let you know when we’re meeting with Mr
Stewart.”

Feeling like celebrating her first adult and independent
purchase, she climbed into her car and headed back towards the inn. She planned
to pamper herself, dress up and go out for a celebratory dinner.

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An hour later, she stepped out of the elevator, into the
lobby and accidentally bumped into Faith.

“Oops! I’m sorry.” “Are you okay?” They both said
simultaneously then burst into laughter.

“Wow! You look great “. Eyeing the red, halter neck top,
matching red strappy sandals and black Capri pants that Caroline wore, Faith
enquired, “Are you going out?”

“Yes. I’m celebrating. I just bought a house today and will
soon officially be a full time resident of Promise! So, I’m treating myself to
a nice dinner at one of those seafood places out at the waterfront.” Face
beaming, Faith felt too proud to be shy. Besides, her natural reserve had worn
off progressively, since she started traveling on her own.

“That’s great news! Congratulations! That was fast though.
You don’t gather any moss, do you? Were you planning to relocate to Promise?”

“I was planning to relocate but didn’t know where. I guess
you could call it love at first sight – Promise and the house!”

“I love this town and naturally, think you couldn’t have
made a better choice.” Faiths face split into a huge grin, transforming her
from a perky blonde to an ethereal beauty. The effect wasn’t lost on Caroline.

“Wait a minute,” Faith stopped her as she moved on, “you
can’t celebrate something like that on your own. You’re one of us now. I just
finished work and I’m on my way to change. I’m meeting some friends at a local
hang out, a bar called, Waves. I mentioned it to you yesterday? Why don’t you
join us after you’ve had your dinner? I could introduce you to some people so
you won’t feel so much like a stranger in town.”

“That would be nice. Thanks. I appreciate the invitation. I
guess there’s no time like the present to start getting to know some people.”

“With that enthusiasm, you’ll do just fine here. Waves is at
the top part of Main Street. Here, give me your map.” Taking the map the inn
provided out of Caroline’s hands, she circled the location of the bar. “See you
later.” 

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A few hours later, Caroline was having a blast. She had
never been to a bar like this before to meet with people. Back in New York, she
would meet for high tea at the Peninsula or attend high society dinners. James
had reserved outings to clubs for his mistresses. No doubt his friends did the
same thing. Feeling like a teenage finally legally allowed going to night
clubs, she went inside the bar. 

The bar seemed packed with a variety of men and women in
their twenties and thirties. The smell of fried shrimp and clams and beer
permeated the air. A bunch of guys sat munching on this while nursing bottles
of beer, laughing at a joke. Men sat at the bar counter looking as though they
were having deep, philosophical conversations. Walking past them, she grinned
when she realised that they were discussing baseball or sailing. The music was
blasting, urging people onto the small dance floor in the centre of the bar.
Hearing her name being called, she turned around and saw Faith waving from a
corner table where she sat with two other women. Walking past the pool tables,
she circumvented the dance floor and made her way to them.

“Caroline Lowell, this is Bess Evans” Faith indicated a
homely looking redhead in the corner. “And this is my best pain in the ass
friend, Rachel Cummings” pointing to a serious looking brunette in the corner.

Faking a sneer, Rachel slapped Faith’s hands away. “Ignore her.
Her mouth opens and spits out garbage before anyone has the chance to stop her.
Well, we heard the good news. Welcome to Promise. Where are you from? Did you
plan to move here? Are you staying by yourself? What house did you buy?” While
Caroline was digesting this flood of questions, Bess intervened.

“Give her a chance to sit down and catch her breath, for
goodness sake. I swear, you ask so many questions I think you missed your
vocation. You should’ve been a lawyer instead of an accountant.”

“It has nothing to do with my mouth. It’s entirely your
fault for feeding me nasty drugs. Besides, it’s only natural that I’d be
curious. From what Faith said, Caroline only checked into the inn yesterday and
today she’s already bought a house here.” Rachel retorted, grumbling about
pushy friends and having thought that peer pressure was supposed end with High
School.