If I played my cards right, I'd have at least thirty thousand dollars after taxes. Was it enough for a down payment on the house?
I tried to think. No. Not according to Brody. He'd told me so himself way back in the beginning, and I had no reason to doubt him.
To Cami, I said, "Honestly, I don't think I could afford it."
"But why not?" she asked.
"Aside from the fact it's waterfront property?"
"Yeah. Aside from that."
"Well, for starters," I said, "you should see what Brody's doing to the place."
"Really?" She hesitated. "Good or bad?"
"Good. Really good." Now I couldn't help but smile. "You should see it, Cami. It's amazing. Granite countertops, marble sinks, a brand-new kitchen. I mean, it's not finished yet, but I've seen almost all of the plans."
I'd had a hand in creating those plans, too.
As I told Cami all about it, I heard the excitement in my own voice as I detailed the many improvements Brody would be making – or in some cases, had made already.
I loved every single thing on his list. And, later this year, when the next season of "Blast Brothers" would begin airing on the Home Network, the rest of the world would love it, too.
I just knew it.
Inside and out, Brody was working some serious magic. And me? I had the happy luck of seeing the magic unfold in every area of the house, well, except for the attic, which was still off-limits for safety reasons.
On the phone, I finished by saying, "And when he's completely done, it's going to look brand new, but even better because he didn't ruin the original character." I gave a happy sigh. "It really is amazing."
And it wasn't just the house that was amazing. It was Brody, too. Even if we hadn't been romantically involved, I still would've admired not only his work ethic, but his skill in bringing out the home's natural beauty.
On the phone, Cami said, "Well that stinks."
My smile faded. "Why?"
"Because," she said, "if he were taking a more modest approach, you might be able to afford it, the house, I mean."
Well, there was that.
When I said nothing in reply, she added, "And granite countertops? Seriously?"
Her words stung. "What's wrong with granite countertops?"
"Nothing," she said. "They're beautiful if you can afford them. But you can't."
She was right. And yet, I couldn’t really complain. After all, I'd had a hand in selecting those countertops. In fact, I'd helped select a lot of things – flooring, kitchen cabinets, appliances, and more.
At first, I'd gravitated mostly to the cheap stuff, but Brody had insisted on going high-end with everything. And, I had to admit, he definitely knew what he was doing.
Plus, I had to face facts. It was his house, not mine.
There was a time, not too long ago, when I might've blamed Brody for buying it out from under me. But over the last few weeks, I'd come to realize something. It wasn't Brody's fault.
For whatever reason, my cousin had decided to sell. And Brody had decided to buy. He'd probably paid cash, too.
Sure, it was a crazy coincidence that Brody of all people had been the buyer, but at least the house was in good hands – very good hands.
And besides, I reminded myself, even if my cousin hadn't screwed me over, I still would've been screwed in the end when the house caved in around me. Repairs were expensive, especially for a house that big and in that bad of shape.
Forget the granite countertops. The roof alone would've busted my budget. Just last week, I'd seen the roofing bill with my own two eyes. It was a doozie.
To Cami I said, "Look, I get what you're saying, but going high-end was the right decision."
Sounding less than convinced, she said, "Oh yeah? Why's that?"
"Because it's a huge, waterfront home." I recalled what Brody had told me when I'd tried to go cheap on the countertops. He'd explained that a house in such a prime location should have the interior to match.
He'd been right.
Still, Cami did have a point. If Brody had stuck with basic repairs and nothing else, maybe I could've afforded the house on my own eventually.
I was still mulling all of this over when Cami said, "And really, you wouldn’t even need a bank."
I wasn't following. "Sorry, what?"
"I'm just saying, Brody owns the house on his own, right? Like, he doesn't have partners or a mortgage, does he?"
"I don't think so."
"And he's got plenty of money." Sounding more excited now, Cami said, "Maybe he could give you a loan."
I stiffened. No. Absolutely not. I was horrified by the mere idea. "I'm not gonna ask him for money."
"You wouldn't be asking him for money," she said. "You'd be asking him to do what a bank does."
"Except he's not a bank."
"But so what?" she said. "Bank or not, he could still charge you interest. And you'd get the house. See? It's a total win-win."
She made it sound oh-so simple. But I knew it wasn't. "Honestly, I don't think Brody would see it that way."
"Hey, you never know," she said. "It's called a land contract. I looked into it." Sounding even more enthused, she explained, "It's where a private person finances a property they already own. They sell the house, and you pay them directly."
I'd heard of such things, but I still didn't see it working out. "So he'd be what?" I tried to laugh. "My landlord?"
"No. Because you'd be buying it, not renting it. And as long as you made the payments, the house would be yours in the end, just like if you got a mortgage from a bank."
I had to admit, it did sound like an interesting idea. Still, I had to say it. "I can't ask Brody to do that."
"Why not?" she said. "You know you'd do it for him if you had the money."
She was right. The truth was, I was coming dangerously close to falling for him. Or maybe I already had.
He was fast
