Homebody: A Novel Read Online Free PDF

she took informed her that she had twisted her ankle a little when she stumbled. She winced and limped.
    "You hurt yourself," said Don.
    "Nothing, a twist, I'll walk it off."
    "Let me give you a hand."
    Cindy had such contempt for women who flirted by leaning on men at every opportunity that now, when she would have liked very much to have a hand getting downstairs—especially his hand—she found herself refusing him by reflex. "Really, finish up here and join me when you're ready, I'll be fine."
    Don took her at her word, dammit. But in fact she was right—by the time she got out onto the porch, her ankle was working fine again. No pain. But also no Don. His arm must be muscled like iron under that sleeve. He could toss me in the air like a baby.
    It didn't take long for the men to get downstairs. Don wasted no time. He did ask if her ankle was all right, but as soon as she assured him that she was fine, he came straight to the point. "If the price is right, then it's worth the work to me. House is solid but I've got to strip out almost everything and start from scratch. So I have to hold on to enough capital to do that."
    "If you need time to make an estimate," she began.
    "Don't need time," he said. "I already walked the outside of the house and counted the floors and multiplied the square footage. Before I called you. The price has to come in under fifty."
    She raised an eyebrow. "Am I to take that as an offer?"
    "I don't dicker," said Don.
    "That's the truth," said Jay. "He can't play poker because he doesn't even bluff. If he bids on a hand, fold, because he doesn't bid unless he's got a sure thing."
    "I don't play poker," said Cindy. "I just sell houses."
    "What I'm saying," said Don, "is that I'm not saying under fifty so you'll come back with seventy-five and then we'll settle on sixty-two."
    "I know," she said. "You're saying under fifty because if it goes over fifty you aren't taking it."
    "If it goes over fifty I have to go to the bank for part of the money and then pay interest the whole time I'm working on it. And I'll be working on this one for most of a year. Biggest house I've ever tackled. So I can't afford to borrow. Cash or nothing."
    "You have fifty thousand in cash?"
    "I said
under
fifty."
    "I hear a mistake being made," said Jay.
    Cindy looked at him in surprise. "You mean the house isn't sound?"
    "Sound as a dollar," said Jay. "Or a yen, or whatever. I just don't think he's going to make back what he's putting into it. Not in this neighborhood, not this year."
    "If he's putting in less than fifty thousand—"
    "But he's putting in twice that by the time he's done," said Jay. "Plus a year of a highly skilled carpenter's time. Call it a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. And I'll bet nothing in this neighborhood sells for more than a hundred."
    Cindy smiled her killer smile at Jay. He was out of his expertise now and into hers, and she was going to enjoy showing off a little. "Actually, most things around here have lately been going in the one-ten to one-twenty range. And part of what's keeping them
that
low is this house—runs down the whole neighborhood. Besides which, this house is something special. Look around. The house next door is the
carriagehouse
to this one, for heaven's sake—and it's the second-nicest house on the street. So when this one comes on the market, it'll sell for at least thirty above the rest of the neighborhood. If you find the right buyer."
    "Which is where you come in, no doubt," said Jay. His cynicism infuriated her.
    "Yes, Jay, that's where I come in. Because I am to real estate what you are to engineering, except that I can do it without making little dirty references to members of the opposite sex. So when it's time to sell this house, I won't even offer it to anyone looking for a bargain. I'll offer it to someone looking for a jewel and willing to pay top dollar for it. And
if
Mr. Lark is as good as you seem to think he is, I'll bet you right now that the selling