The Hero (Thunder Point #3)(25)

“You poor abused thing,” Sarah said. “You have a terrible life. Your big sister is going to know how late you stay out and how many people you have in your ‘apartment’ until you move away. I don’t know how you will live.”

“Spence, why don’t you and Sarah run over to her house, take a look,” Cooper said. “It might not be what you want long-term, but while you’re still trying to figure out if this is the right town and school for you, it might just work. It’s close to everything. Drop-dead view of the bay.”

“I’ll take you over in the Razor,” Sarah said. “It’s on a month-to-month lease and it’s cheap. Three bedrooms, but the third is like a closet—only big enough for a small bed or a desk and a shelf. I’ve been using that room to store boxes of stuff I have no room for.”

“Now?” Spencer asked.

“Now,” she said.

“Come on, Landon,” Cooper said. “Let’s get to work.”

When everyone stood, Landon muttered, “I came this close to having a bachelor pad...”

Driving across the beach, Spencer found himself feeling guardedly optimistic about this opportunity. He’d been all over this little town. Some of the neighborhoods were quaint, some very nice, some pretty run-down and worn-out, but one thing was a constant—property didn’t become available very often. He’d looked at several rentals and even a few houses for sale, but nothing met his needs—they were either pathetic dumps or far too big and pricey for a high school football coach. And as a transplanted Texas boy, he was getting pretty well hooked on this Oregon beach and the lifestyle here.

As Sarah drove them up the hill to her house, he recognized the neighborhood. Yes, he’d driven up and down this street a few times; it was a pleasant, well-kept area—large pines behind and between the houses. Sarah’s place was one of the smallest on the block, but as they pulled up in front of it, what really caught his attention was the view from the front of the place. From right outside the front door he could see the entire bay, all the way to Cooper’s bar and beyond.

“If I were going to be here one more summer, I’d put a small patio right here,” Sarah said.

“One thing I’ve figured out about this town—it is all about the view and Cooper’s in the catbird seat. And to think he fell into it.”

“Well, want to just stand here or go inside...?” Sarah asked.

Right then Ray Anne’s car pulled up in front of the house. She rolled down the window to wave a greeting, and from the passenger side, Devon opened the door and stood in the street, waving over the top of the car. “Sarah! I found a house! Sort of! Right down the street!”

Sarah walked toward the car and Spencer found himself following. “What house?” Sarah asked.

“A duplex,” she said. “At the end of your street.”

“What duplex is that? I didn’t know anything was vacant in this neighborhood.”

“That old Dunwoody place,” Ray Anne said. “You know—it’s looking a bit...needy?”

But Devon’s face was absolutely shining. “It’s going to be beautiful!”

“There’s lots to do,” Ray Anne said. “It’s past its prime. But it’s a solid little place with a very nice neighbor.”

“There isn’t anything to do that I can’t handle,” Devon said, beaming. “I didn’t think I’d get this lucky! This fast! It’s going to be wonderful. We’re going to love it.”

Ray Anne just shook her head and laughed. “Oh, if only all my clients were this easy to please. Have a great day. We have to go find Devon a bed.”

Spencer watched as they drove away. The first time he saw Devon, he thought she was cute. As the days became weeks, she grew more beautiful to him. Striking, in fact. And that laugh—it cut right through him. He couldn’t seem to stay away from her and there was no logic to it.

He shook himself. “Let’s have a look inside, Sarah,” he said. “In case I haven’t said so, this is really nice of you.”

She unlocked the front door and entered, looking at him over her shoulder. “We have to look out for each other. We’re combining families here.”

“It’s all good,” he said. But it wasn’t all good. He had no regrets about coming to Thunder Point. It was a great move for a lot of reasons and he was more than a little anxious to meet and start working with his colleagues and the team. Everyone he knew was growing deeper connections—Austin had gained a second father and soon, a stepmom and stepbrother. Cooper had gained a son and would soon add a wife and brother to the mix. Sarah and Landon were expanding their intimate circle. But in the midst of all these people, Spencer was alone.

He missed his wife. The past few years she’d been so sick, but he often missed the girl he’d married. It had been so long since he’d seen or held that girl.

The house was unremarkable, but had so many of the things he wanted—a large kitchen, a comfortably big bathroom, a living room with a fireplace, a backyard, a view. It was a simple house. Nothing flashy. Not the kind of house one aspires to. Not what he’d build if he could. Certainly not what Cooper was going to build next to Ben & Cooper’s.

And yet it was perfect. Just what he and Austin needed.