She checked out the two tiny bedrooms and the single bath, then went out into the backyard. It was a decent size, with a fence. No view—not this far east of the ocean.
All the windows were open and she could hear the other couples talking.
“I like it, too,” a man said. “But, sweetie, could you be happy in this kitchen? You love to cook, and the right layout is important to you. We couldn’t afford to remodel for a few years.”
There was genuine concern in his voice. Love, she thought wistfully. He cared about her. Wanted her to be excited about their first home.
She went back inside and found her way to the small dining room. Jimmy had placed a notebook there with different pictures of the house along with information about the area, including schools and local restaurants and shopping. With three large companies moving to the area, they were getting plenty of relocations. The town was growing fast.
She sat at the table and looked through the notebook. Although she studied the pages, she didn’t read the words. Instead of pictures, she saw David’s face and wondered if anyone could hear love in his voice.
Their relationship confused her. On the one hand, he was sweet and supportive. On the other, she worried he was obsessed with her looks. Even more troubling, she couldn’t pin down what she felt. Sometimes she was convinced she barely liked him, and other times she really wanted to be with him.
Was that love? It didn’t sound like any of the definitions she’d ever heard, but maybe it was different for everyone. Maybe this was her version of love.
It wasn’t like what her mom had with Neil. Just looking at them she could see they belonged together. They were happy. She would have put Rachel and Greg in that category, but they were divorced now. Even so, there had been a rightness to their marriage. Courtney had always avoided long-term commitments. Maybe that was going to change with Quinn. As for herself—she still had more questions than answers.
A few minutes later the last of the prospective buyers left, and Jimmy joined her at the table.
“Successful?” she asked.
“I’m expecting an offer in the next day or so. Maybe more than one.”
“You do good work.”
“Thanks.” He studied her. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. A little introspective, but it will pass.”
He took a bottle of water from the collection at the center of the table and opened it. “Want to talk about it?”
Discuss David with Jimmy? That would be awkward. “Have you ever been in love?”
He paused in the act of taking a drink. “You are introspective.” He put the bottle down and considered the question. “Once, there was this girl. She was blonde and funny, and when she smiled, it was like the best thing in my world.” He shrugged. “But we were young and it didn’t work out.”
“There has to have been someone other than me,” she told him. “Not that I don’t appreciate the compliment.”
“I’m pretty sure you were the only one I could say I loved. There have been other women, but it wasn’t the same.” He took a drink. “I’m not worried. The right one will come along.”
“You are a catch.”
He flashed her a grin. “So they tell me. What about you? Besides me, of course. That Chicago guy and David. Anyone else?”
“No.” She wasn’t even sure about Hugh anymore. Had she loved him, or had she loved what he represented? And David...
“Are you coming to my mom’s wedding?” she asked, not wanting to talk about love anymore.
“You know it. I got my invitation the other day. I’ve already RSVP’d.” He frowned. “It was very pink.”
“The invitation? I saw.” She laughed. “You might want to brace yourself. There’s going to be a lot of pink at the reception. Are you bringing a date?”
“Nope. I’m going to be cruising the single ladies, though. Maybe I can hook up with one of the bridesmaids.”
“Unlikely. It’s me, Courtney and Rachel. I honestly can’t see you wanting to sleep with one of my sisters.”
“That’s true.” He winked at her.
Oh! Did he mean to imply...her? The thought hit her low in the belly. But she was with David and they were engaged.
“I’m teasing,” Jimmy told her. “Don’t panic.”
“I wasn’t.”
“You looked ready to run.”
Maybe, but not for the reasons he thought. She reached for a bottle of water. “Want me to save you a dance?”
“Absolutely.”
Courtney had been to Los Angeles before. There had been a couple of trips to Disneyland—which was technically Orange County, but close enough—along with Universal Studios. She’d spent a weekend with a girlfriend in Mischief Bay. But her only knowledge of Malibu came from what she’d seen in magazines or on TV.