The Only One for Me(21)
“You’re a smart businessman. But I have a question for you? What the hell are we doing here?”
“You’ll see,” Chris said, as he pulled up close to the front entrance.
From the looks of all the building material alongside the house, it was being worked on. At one time it belonged to the richest family in Danville. Who owned it now?
“Come on, this is what I wanted to show you.” Chris climbed out of the car and Corra did the same. He walked around to close her door.
He took her hand and they walked up to the front porch. When he reached in his pocket and pulled out a key to open the door, Corra’s eyes widened.
He pushed the door open and looked back at her, she was stunned.
“After you,” he said.
Confused, she walked in, her eyes darting around the foyer and beyond to the bare drywall and dusty floors, settling on the magnificent chandelier above. “Chris, whose house is this?”
“Moi!” he said, pointing to himself before he closed the door and walked in behind her. “I’m restoring most of the rooms. Come on, let me give you the grand tour.”
Corra wanted to stop him and ask, “No, really, whose house is this?” He did not just tell her he’d purchased the oldest, grandest home in all of Danville. Chris took her hand and walked her through the house pointing out his plans for each room. She was too stunned to speak.
In the master bedroom he held the balcony doors open as she stepped out to enjoy the view. The trees blowing in the wind and the chirping sound of the birds was so calming and serene. She could imagine herself standing there with her morning cup of coffee, dressed in her robe.
“Nice view, huh?” Chris asked, as he walked up behind her.
“The best. What a way to start your morning. And it’s big enough for a small table and two chairs.”
He stood behind her and reached around placing his hands on the railing. “So you gonna sit out here and have breakfast with me?” he asked.
Corra wanted to lean back against his big hard body and have him wrap his arms around her. Secretively, she’d thought about Chris holding her that way for years. She could feel his breath against her neck, he was so close. She bit her lower lip and shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe one day.”
Chris backed away from her and took her hand again. “Then I’d better speed up renovations.”
Chapter 10
They continued the tour until Chris walked Corra out the back door. “I’m going to put a ramp in back here so my mother doesn’t have to take the steps if she doesn’t want to.”
“Chris, can I ask you about your mother’s health? I never knew what was wrong with her.”
“She has a debilitating case of fibromyalgia. It was diagnosed when I was in junior high. She’s always in pain.”
“Oh, wow! I know I used to see your father in Save-A-Lot all the time. I’ve only seen your mother with him a few times. Does she work?” Corra followed Chris to a set of chairs on the back patio that looked over the property.
He shook his head. “She used to be an elementary school teacher, but she’s been disabled most of my life.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know that.”
“Thanks. It’s not something I talk about a lot. She suffered for a long time before the diagnosis. When I was younger I used to get upset because she missed a lot of school activities. By the time I started playing football, I understood she couldn’t make the games.”
“She never saw you play?”
“She saw a few games. But, the pain kept her away most days. And my dad, being the good husband he was, stayed at home taking care of her most of the time.”
“That must have been hard on you.”
He shrugged. “You get over it. They attended the most important games. She came to the All-Star game, and that was good enough for me.”
“Are you keeping the pool?” Corra asked, to change the subject. She wanted to know about his mom, but she didn’t want to cause him to relive any painful memories. She remembered Chris being an outsider, and now she had an idea.
“Of course. Would you come over and swim?”
“Can I bring the kids?” she asked, hoping he wouldn’t have a problem with that.
“You most certainly can. A pool party might be the first thing I do once I move in. You guys are welcome anytime.”
“Chris, you’re really moving in here by yourself?”
“Of course I am. I’ve wanted this house ever since I saw it for the first time from the school bus.”
“Wow, you’re gonna rock this town. A young successful black man living in an antebellum mansion that likely belonged to slave owners.”