I pressed my hand to my mouth. “What? It sold?”
His smile faded. “I’m so sorry if you were wanting it. It was a very popular piece. So many other people have also expressed regret they didn’t buy it when they first saw it. She’s a local artist, you know. I don’t know anything about her though. I’m told she used a fake name.”
I nodded, unable to utter a single word. Did he say that so many people had been interested in it?
“No one knows anything about her, but she’s been the talk of the show. It’s like a mystery—and this town loves a mystery.” He looked at me more closely. “Aren’t you a Bradley? Your parents own the Seaside Grill.”
My eyes went wide. “The talk of the show?”
“Well, like I said, it was a popular piece today.”
I looked at the spot again and then back to Gus. “Um…I’m so sorry. Yes, I’m Palmer Bradley. My mother and father own Seaside Grill.”
He flashed me a bright smile. “I thought so. You’ve waited on me a time or two.”
“Probably,” I said, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that my painting had sold. “Um, do you know who bought it? The painting, I mean.”
“I’m sorry,” he said with a frown. “I’m not sure.”
I smiled. “That’s okay. I was curious, that’s all.”
Turning, I started toward the exit with a smile on my face and a little extra pep in my step.
“What do you mean you’re going to be selling? I thought you loved your house!”
Alice and Doug James looked at each other and then back to me. Alice spoke first. “It’s such a big home, and we’re getting older. It’s time to downsize. I’m so sorry, Palmer. We’ve loved having you here and being able to rent out the carriage house to you. Maybe the new homeowner will let you stay.”
I sighed and sank down onto my sofa as I tried to hold back the tears that stung the back of my eyes. This isn’t happening.
I looked up and asked, “I’ve saved up some money and can put in a down payment. Do you think the new owner would be willing to sell the carriage house to me?”
They exchanged another look, and then Alice shrugged. “I don’t think it would hurt to ask him. He might be understanding considering the circumstances.”
I had no idea what that meant, and was about to ask, but Alice kept talking.
“He’s coming over for dinner tonight. We’ll have him come on back to speak to you about it if you’ll be home this evening.”
Blinking a few times, I stuttered my answer. “A…uh…yeah…sure, that’s fine. My brother will be here, so I don’t see a problem with it.”
Were they really going to send a complete stranger over to my home to talk to me? Were they that desperate to sell? Maybe he was a local resident. I prayed he was.
Doug and Alice both stood.
“Thank you for giving me the heads up, though, I appreciate it,” I said as I walked them to the door.
Alice gave me a hug. “Of course. You’ve been an amazing tenant and it was the least we could do.”
I forced a smile while we exchanged goodbyes. Then I closed the door and leaned against it, letting out a groan.
“My mother is going to have a field day with this.”
Palmer
“This isn’t funny, Brax!” I said as I put a plate of spaghetti and meatballs down in front of him.
“I’m sorry, Palmer. I’m not laughing at you, just at the circumstances of it all. You know Mom is going to ask you to move in with her and Dad if the new owner boots you out.”
Rolling my eyes, I sat down across from him at my little kitchen table. “I know. But I’ve already spoken to Harlee, and she said I could move in with her until I find another place.”
“Harlee?”
I chewed the bite I took and nodded.
“You’d move in with Harlee?”
Swallowing, I asked, “Yeah, why? What’s wrong with Harlee?”
His expression was blank, but I saw something in his eyes I couldn’t put my finger on. “Nothing’s wrong with Harlee. I was simply surprised for a second.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Why would you be surprised? She’s my friend. Or more like a sister.”
He sighed. “I know that, Palmer. I guess I figured she was dating Thomas and…”
I raised a brow. “And?”
“Nothing, it doesn’t matter. You can always move in with me if you need to.”
“Oh God, no!”
He frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
“I’d have to listen to all the endless women you bring home to have sex with. No, thank you.”
“Excuse me,” Brax said, putting his fork down. “I don’t bring home endless women to have sex.”
Laughing, I said, “This is me, Brax.”
He shook his head, and I could see the frustration on his face. “Palmer, I’m not a manwhore. First off, I don’t have time to endlessly hook up with women. Second, I’m not…”
The way my brother’s face had suddenly gone serious made me set my own fork down and look at him closely. “You’re not what?”
“As much as everyone wants to think so, or how I make it seem, I don’t sleep around like that. I like to flirt but…I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind finding someone and settling down and having kids.”
I dropped back in my seat and stared at him. “Wait, are you being serious?”
“Of course, I’m being serious,” he said with a frown. “You don’t think I want to settle down and have a family someday?”
Clearing my throat, I replied, “I mean, sure, I think you do, but I thought you were enjoying being single.”
He shrugged. “I do enjoy being single. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to find someone to love.”
I blinked a few times and then leaned forward. “Is there someone you’re serious about?”
For the briefest moment, something moved across my brother’s face. It almost looked like regret. “No, there isn’t.”
The sadness in his voice made me wonder if there had been someone. Before I could dive in deeper, the doorbell rang.
I jumped up. “That’ll be the guy who’s buying the house from Doug and Alice. I really hope he’s not a dick.”
“What about dinner?” Braxton asked as he stared down at his plate.
“Keep eating. I doubt this will take long. He’s probably some investor who’s going to tell me to push off.”
Braxton laughed while I stopped at the door, drew in a deep breath, and then plastered on a fake smile. I opened the door and started to say hello—but then froze.
The man standing on the other side of the threshold was clearly as shocked as I was.
“Palmer?”
“Mason?”
I heard a loud boom of laughter come from Braxton as he made his way over to where Mason and I stood simply staring at each other. “Holy shit, did this get good or what!” Brax said.
I snapped my head to the right and glared at my brother. “Brax, weren’t you just saying you didn’t want your food to get cold?”