17. Memory Of Him

Sage didn't know what to expect when she pulled in front of Knox's house.

It was a white one-story home with blue shutters. She didn't know the style of the house. Not a true ranch that popped into her head as a rectangular home completely either.

Knox had made a comment about his bedroom on the second floor so that had to be in the back of the house possibly, but didn't look it from the front.

She grabbed her bag from the passenger side and got out of her SUV, then walked to the front door.

It was opened before she could ring the bell.

"You found it okay," he said.

"I did," she said. "It's hard to get lost when you have navigation on your phone."

"True," he said. "I use mine all the time to get around to jobs. Come on in."

"It's a nice area. The houses are close but not like you can see into their windows."

"No," he said. "If I'm on the patio and they are outside I can hear them or they can hear me, but it's not like holding a conversation with them either. The fence helps in the back."

"Does it block your view of the water having the fence up?"

"No. I've got houses behind me and they've got a fence so it was blocked from them anyway."

"That stinks," she said.

"It was there before I moved here. But I can see the water from my room. I'll show you around."

He took the bag out of her hand and held onto it.

"This is a big living room," she said.

"It is. This room gets a lot of sun, so I'm out here when we have less daylight. Probably crazy, but the windows help a lot."

"I can see that," she said. "So you must have another living area?"

"I do in the back. It's small, kind of an afterthought behind the garage."

It wasn't open concept so there was a big doorway that moved into a kitchen straight ahead and a hallway with bedrooms she was assuming to the left.

The kitchen was a decent size but not large and took up two walls with an island that faced out to where there was a dining room table. Past that was a small seating area that held two chairs and a TV on the wall.

The front room was much more inviting in her eyes. This back room looked like a den area. There was even a wood burning stove in one corner.

"It fits you," she said, grinning.

"The leather recliners and stove," he said. "I guess so. My father used this room the most. It's his furniture back here."

"Did you make any changes to the house after he passed?" she asked. She found it sweet that he might have kept that room the same.

"I did," he said. "I updated the kitchen with new counters. The cabinets were fine. I like the wood floors throughout, even in the bedrooms, but I've got throw rugs down. Or my father did and I kept them."

"That's nice," she said. "You get a little memory of him then without thinking of it."

"I suppose," he said. "I never thought of it that way. Most of the furniture, like the dining table, was his too. It's not like I entertain much, but it needed something there."

"It's nice," she said. "A little dark for my personal tastes, but that is what tablecloths are for and it serves its purpose."

"One of those things I had to dust before you came over."

She bumped her hip into his.

"I'm sure it's not as bad as you make it out to be."

"Let me show you the rest and then we'll go upstairs. I did paint all the rooms. Even this back area. My father had it this tan color that seemed dirty to me."

"I like the light gray better," she said.

It did brighten the place up. She suspected with the lighter wood floor and tan on the walls, even the same lighter wood molding throughout, it was all one tone.

"I almost went white but thought that was too stark. This works in here." They moved down the hall. "Three bedrooms and two baths. The bathroom in the primary just has a shower and I updated them both in the past few years too."

She popped her head into the hall bath and noticed it was blue with a white counter and the same wood maple-colored molding, but had gray tile floors.

The bedroom doors were open and the two spare rooms had beds in them with different colored throw rugs under them. There were shades on the windows, not curtains and that was fine in her mind. Most men didn't have those things.

"This is the primary?" she asked. "But you said your room is upstairs."

This room was gray. Darker than what was in the kitchen. The throw rug was off white and only covered a foot around the bed. The bedspread was gray and white with shades on the windows.

There was no decor, but the furniture was nice, even if it looked older.

"This was the primary before I converted the attic. So this was my father's room and then mine. This is his furniture too. Mine is upstairs. I had this in storage and brought it back."

"All the furniture in the rooms were his?"

"Yeah," he said. "So my old bedroom set is in the first room when you came in the hall. The second room that was smaller was his office. I put a bed in there so it wasn't empty."

"You don't have an office?" she asked. She found that odd. Most people had offices even if they didn't own a business.

"Upstairs," he said.

She quickly moved over and popped her head into the bathroom and saw a nicely updated shower, small double vanity and toilet.

It was a decent sized house before he put the addition on. At least for New York City standards. Poppy's old condo that she lived in was double the size of her old apartment and she thought that was a lot of room, but Knox's house was even bigger.

They climbed the stairs, which were right off the kitchen. She suspected there used to be a door there shutting them off from the attic before it became his bedroom.

When they got to the top, you had to turn either to the right or the left. There were two doorways to enter. Almost like the landing was a hallway.

Knox moved to the right and it was his bedroom. There was a door to give privacy but she'd bet it was open all the time with him living alone.

"This is nice," she said. It was a light blue in color with white trim and reminded her of living on the beach.

The floors were wide plank wood that was more like weathered gray in color. Different from downstairs but perfect with the decor.

Even the trim was white up here. She liked he was willing to mix and match the styles, but this was just so comfortable and cozy in her mind.

Relaxing.

"Thanks," he said. "I figured if I was close to the water I might as well get the indoor-outdoor feeling of it."

She turned and saw the glass doors that were letting in so much light. There'd been a window at the top of the stairs too, but here the doors were the only light source and massive.

"Now this is the best part," she said.

"I think so," he said after he put her bag on his bed. He opened the French doors, both of them, and it was like indoor and outdoor living that he'd said a minute ago. "I almost put sliding doors so I could have a screen to keep the bugs out. I just thought this was better looking."

"It's more dramatic," she said. "But I could see where bugs or birds could be a problem."

He started to laugh. "Well."

"Seriously," she said. "Don't tell me a bird got in here?"

"More than one. I think I'm going to screen in the deck. I'm playing with it in my mind."

The deck off his room was big and she saw it extended to what she assumed was another room on the other side.

"Let me see what is over there," she said.

He left the doors open and they moved to the other side of the deck. This side had sliding doors and he opened one and they went into what was his office.

"I know what you're thinking with the doors. They don't match."

"They don't, but I can understand the functionality. You could be in here working and want a breeze or fresh air where at night you wouldn't want that."

"Exactly," he said. "I'm using this as an office, but it could be a little sitting room. I just figured I've got two living rooms downstairs. I'm not going to watch TV and look out at the water in the distance. If I want to just chill with a beer and look at the water, I'll sit on the deck."

"Good point. So, you want to know my thoughts?"

"I do," he said.

"I'd cover half of the deck and then screen it in if you want. Keep out the bugs and birds. Put a door on it and keep the other half just like this. This way, you can keep your bedroom doors open wide and get a nice breeze at night if you want without any worries of bites or bird crap. You end up getting the best of both worlds."

He smiled at her. "I thought of that too. I'm pretty handy and do a lot of things, but some things I can't or won't do. I don't have the time. That would be something I couldn't do. I'll have to see if I can find someone to give me an estimate and maybe do it in the spring."

"I'm sure you've got a lot of contractor contacts," she said.

"I do," he said. "One being Zane. He does things like that too. I know big contractors throwing up houses or ones like Zane who are doing home renovations more than new construction. Kind of two different worlds, but I've worked with Zane in the past on jobs where a homeowner contracts us both."

"I'm not surprised in a small area like this," she said. "I do like your house. It's a lot of space for one person. Do you have nice memories here?"

"I do," he said. "I think it's because my father didn't buy it until I was an adult. He bought it after I graduated from high school. I'm not sure why. I often wonder if he thought I needed my own place and it could provide it without the pressure."

"Like he didn't want to insult your pride or something?" she asked.

"Maybe," he said. "He had a small house by campus. It had two bedrooms and an office. It was a good size for him. He'd never wanted to marry again. I don't even know if he dated. He was just absorbed in his work and I think scorned by my mother. Let's say he was big like I am. I get my height from him, but he was kind of nerdy."

"Like you were in eighth grade?" she asked, smiling. "You know I'm joking, right?"

"I do," he said. "I was socially awkward at twelve. He was that way at fifty."

"I don't think you were socially awkward, Knox. I think you were a friendly kid. You always talked to me and were outgoing."

"It took a lot of courage for that. I think I only did it because you were friendly back. If you weren't, I would have just kept quiet."

She hated that he'd said that he was grateful she wasn't a bitch back in school. She might have been called that at times, but weren't most teenage girls?

She never thought she was purposely mean to anyone.

"I'm glad you didn't. Now how about you cook me that dinner you promised?"

"I can do that," he said. "I've got wine too if you're interested."

"I'm always interested in a glass of wine. I wish the weather was a little warmer. I think wine on the patio would be wonderful."

There was a bite to the air with the sun down at this point. It was five thirty and would only get cooler.

"I'll light the fire pit," he said. "I was going to grill steaks anyway. Let me start the fire pit now, then after dinner it will be perfect."

"Can you leave it unattended?" she asked.

"I can," he said. "But we'll be out there."

"I kind of hoped that after dinner we could check out how sturdy your bed is. Then come back down and have another glass of wine."

"Sounds like the best suggestion I've heard in years."