“Holy crap.” This was what she’d dreamed of, but she’d thought her goals were unrealistic.
With the right help, this could work, and work well. I wonder what Ben meant by they “knew” people?
Ben added, “The Huffields are motivated to sell this property. Mr. Huffield didn’t have any heirs, and he’d like to find a buyer so he can do a little traveling while he’s in good health and can still get around.”
Quinten tugged at her hand. “Come on. You need to see the rest.”
She smiled and allowed them to lead her around as a tiny spark of hope came alive in her heart.
The stockroom was half the size of the interior of the store. The men made quiet comments here and there, and Camilla’s imagination took over. She could picture the dance floor, a stage for a band, a DJ booth, and where all the tables would be. Ben suggested placing the bar along the centerline of the store, where two offices and a pair of restrooms were currently located.
“You could have your office behind the bar, and if you liked the idea of the restaurant, they could build doors accessing either side of the business, the nightclub, or the restaurant.”
Her mind was awhirl with the possibilities as she looked down at the keychain in her hand. It didn’t look like the kind of keychain that a real estate agent would supply.
She held up the other key on the ring. “What does this go to?”
Ben and Quinten glanced at each other, and then both men smiled at her. Quinten chuckled and replied, “We wondered how long it would take you to ask.”
“That’s the key to our house, sugar.” Ben stroked her jaw with his knuckle.
Quinten drew close and kissed her when she turned her head to look up at him. “We want you to move in with us. We want you…permanently in our lives.”
“What are you asking me for?” She had an idea of how things worked in her friends’ marriages, but she wasn’t sure that was what they wanted.
Ben was the one to answer. “We’re hitting you with a lot at once and didn’t want you to be overwhelmed. We’re actually doing things backwards, I suppose. You’ve had several upheavals lately, and we wanted to take it a step at a time. We didn’t want you to be frightened of all the changes, and we—”
“Yes. We want to propose is what Ben is trying to say,” Quinten finally said. “That’s what we dreamed about doing. It’s the reason why I moved in with Ben and the reason we did all the home renovations. But he’s right, you’ve had a lot to process lately.”
“I have,” she agreed. “So what you’re doing right now is stating ‘your intentions’?”
Quinten’s face lit up. “Exactly!” He grabbed her up in his arms and spun her around. “So what do you think?”
“I think it’s quite a bit to think about. For now, I’ll say that I’m considering all of it.”
The look in Ben’s eyes was serious as he said, “I hope you give serious consideration to moving in with us. Remember there’s still something suspicious happening and no answers yet regarding what happened at your house and with your car. I’d feel a lot better if I knew you were safe with us.”
Quinten growled in her ear. “Plus that means you’d be with us every night. Rowr. Bow-chicka-wow-wow.”
Laughter bubbled up in her as the Quinten she knew and loved made his opinion known. “You just want to get laid.”
He nodded enthusiastically like a bobblehead doll and scooped her close for a hard, wet kiss. “Will you?”
“Yes.” It was a lot to be hit with all at once, but both men looked so pleased. They really wanted to back her. Any doubts that lingered seemed silly in the face of their belief in her. Ben gathered her for a passionate kiss that singed her panties and made her pussy clench. “But this huge place will require significantly more consideration.” It was a huge endeavor…a huge investment, and she wanted time to think it through. That didn’t stop a spark of hope and excitement from growing inside her, though.
They nodded in agreement. Camilla pulled her phone from her purse. “I want to take pictures. Do you mind if we take one more look around?”
Ben gestured for her to lead the way. “Take as long as you want. Ethan said that he, Jack, and Adam are taking Grace and Rose Marie to O’Reilley’s for lunch this afternoon if you’d like to talk with them about the place.”
“Yes. The place and the renovation needed. And I’d need to talk to you two about what it is you’re offering in the way of partnership.”
Ben replied, “Sure.”