Chapter 29

Annelise was beginning to feel a bit disheartened. The first three houses they’d seen were nice, but they didn’t have the warmth she was looking for. They felt more like showrooms than homes, and that wasn’t what she wanted.

Michael felt the same way. He wanted a home for them, not just a house. They were on their way to the last viewing of the day with Renee and Tristan, and their expectations were low. That was until they turned onto a particular street.

The neighborhood was Belle Meade, and the houses were breathtaking. They demanded your attention, and their curb appeal was off the charts.

They took a right turn and slowed down to pull into a driveway that led to a stunning two-story house with an abundance of windows.

“Wow…” Annelise murmured as Michael switched off the car, her eyes taking in the lush shrubs and flower boxes.

“It’s quite something, isn’t it?” he said, unbuckling his seatbelt and turning to her.

“I wanna see!” Ollie piped up.

They all got out of the car, laughing, and met Renee and Tristan at the start of the walkway leading to the front door.

Renee immediately started sharing details about the house. “This is a country French-style house with a twist. It’s two stories, which is unusual for this style.

It has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms, plus the playroom and office you wanted. It’s just over 6400 square feet, and it has the large yard you were hoping for.

Technically, it doesn’t go on the market until tomorrow, but the realtor listing it is a friend of mine and gave me a heads-up. The owners have it listed at $1.25 million because they want to sell quickly. It could easily go for $1.6 million in the current market.”

Annelise was barely processing what Renee was saying; she was too busy staring at the house and feeling the flutter of butterflies in her stomach. She jumped when Ollie grabbed her hand and pulled her after his dad.

They stepped into the foyer of the house, and Annelise was left breathless. The light streaming in from the windows was warm and inviting. The wide-plank hardwood floors gleamed, reflecting the light beautifully.

The main floor was bright and open, with clear views from the front to the back of the house. Annelise just stood there, awestruck, while Tristan and Renee continued to point out the highlights of the house.

There was a large gas fireplace off to one side, creating a cozy living room. Annelise could already picture herself there, watching movies, cuddling, or just reading.

Michael ran his fingers over the high-end finishes in the kitchen, his heart pounding with excitement.

This was what he’d been looking for. This was what he wanted for his family, the new family he was hoping to build with Annelise. He was trying to keep an open mind, just in case there was something she didn’t like or if the upstairs was a disappointment.

He followed Annelise and Ollie up the spiral staircase to the second floor, trying not to stare at her ass as she walked. But he couldn’t help the smirk that spread across his face as he watched her.

They explored each bedroom and bathroom, falling more in love with the house with every step. Annelise stopped in the master bedroom and looked around. It was the most beautiful room she’d ever seen!

It had a private balcony, a gas fireplace, built-in bookshelves, a window seat, and the most amazing bathroom and closet she’d ever seen.

“Oh wow…” she managed to say.

“Is ‘wow’ all the English major can come up with?” Michael teased, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her temple.

“Yes, I’m actually speechless right now. It’s perfect,” she replied, playfully smacking him.

“It really is. What do you see in here?” he asked.

“A beautiful four-poster bed with gauzy material hanging from the top and big fluffy pillows. A thick rug that your feet sink into underneath.”

She went on, “I see an oversized loveseat by the fireplace where we can cuddle or read to Ollie...I see so many things in here, Michael!”

“I know, love, I know. Have you seen the bathroom?” he asked, rubbing her arm as he held her.

She shook her head, and he led her inside. “This is the ~perfect~ bathroom for shower sex!”

The all-glass shower had multiple showerheads positioned all around. There was a bench on one end and several cutouts for products along the wall.

There was a large soaking tub by the window and a built-in vanity next to the massive walk-in closet.

“So why haven’t we had shower sex before?” Anelise asked.

“Well, water and condoms don’t mix well, so that was out. And now that you’re on birth control and we can, your bathroom isn’t big enough for everything I want to do to you!” he explained.

He whispered in her ear, “And I want to make you scream so loud that the walls shake! Your apartment isn’t suitable for that right now. But the minute we move in—on that very night, in fact—we’re going to rectify that situation.”

Grinning, she tilted her head and looked at him. “Sounds like the best plan in the world!” She then pulled away when Ollie came running in.

They explored the rest of the house, loving every inch of it. The yard was huge and fenced in, perfect for Ollie. Michael was already thinking about getting a swing set and maybe a gazebo at the back, where several magnolia trees grew among flower beds.

“Like I said, this house doesn’t go on the market until tomorrow. But if you like it, I can make an offer right away. This house will sell within hours,” Tristan reminded them.

Michael thanked them and said he would be in touch after they’d had a chance to talk. They drove around the neighborhood, taking in the surroundings.

“So what do you think?” Michael asked. “And be completely honest.”

Anelise took a deep breath. “It’s the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen. I love every single thing about it and can see us living there forever…”

“Why do I feel like there’s a ‘but’ coming?” he asked, taking her hand.

“It’s just...it’s so much money! I mean, I can’t contribute enough to help with the bills or anything!” she confessed.

“Anelise, sweetheart, don’t sweat it. I’m already covering all my bills, so this isn’t anything new. The only difference is you’ll be moving in and I’ll be earning a whole lot more. We can handle this.”

“I swear! I can look after you, Ollie, and anyone else who comes our way for a long time. Is that your only worry?” he asked, pulling over to the side of the road so he could look her in the eyes.

Anelise saw the honesty in his gaze and heard it in his voice. She nodded. “That’s my only worry…”

“So, can I call Renee and Tristan and tell them to go ahead?” he asked, his voice filled with excitement.

She laughed at the eager look on his face and nodded. “Call them, and tell them we’re in.”

He let out a whoop, clapped his hands, and pulled out his phone to call the pair and set things in motion. He pulled her in for a deep, passionate kiss and whispered promises of a private celebration later.

Anelise grinned back at him, and Ollie clapped his hands when Michael told him they were getting a new house. They went out for dinner that night to celebrate, and the adults did indeed celebrate privately, several times over.

Anelise had one class Monday morning she had to attend, but she skipped the other two so they could check out a few preschools and daycares for Ollie.

Anelise was fond of two of them, but one was a definite no-go, and she was fuming when the director giving the tour kept flirting with Michael.

He was uncomfortable with the attention, and the woman practically ignored Anelise, even though he introduced her and stated that Anelise would have full authority over Ollie.

The moment they got back to the car, Anelise growled, “No way in hell!”

“What? I thought it was a nice place!” he responded, teasing her.

“If you put Ollie there, I’ll end up in jail!” She was seething.

“Why would you end up in jail?” he asked, pretending to be clueless.

“Because I will ~murder~ that woman! She was so rude and disrespectful, hitting on you like that! I’m furious!”

Michael couldn’t hold back his laughter any longer and started the car. “Calm down, tiger! I wouldn’t put Ollie there just because of her behavior. And besides, I have the most beautiful woman in the world waiting for me at home, so it doesn’t matter.”

She relaxed a bit and kissed him softly. “Thank you. I think the second one was the best fit for Ollie anyway. They start academics when the kids are ready, and I think that will be really good for him.”

Michael agreed and then drove back to the Rothchilds where Naomi was watching Ollie. They arrived, and he ran up to them and hugged them, telling them about how “Nana said we can do this” and “Nana said we could do that!”

Michael raised an eyebrow, and Naomi stood nervously. “I’m so terribly sorry that I didn’t speak to you beforehand. It just kind of slipped out, and he caught onto it immediately.”

“So what would you like to ask me about?” Michael asked, watching the very elegant and normally composed woman twist her hands nervously.

“Well, Johnathan and I were speaking the other night, and since you are going to be around for quite a while and things are becoming increasingly serious with Anelise, we wanted to ask if we could be like surrogate grandparents to Ollie.”

She continued, “We have adopted Ani into our family, and we wanted to extend that to you and Ollie and your family back in Iowa. We thought I could be called “Nana” and Johnathan could be “Papa,” like we would want our other grandchildren to call us…”

Anelise was touched at their willingness to accept the man she loved and his son into their family. She teared up as she watched the exchange.

“Naomi, I think that is beautiful, and I would be honored for you to treat my son so lovingly. Thank you,” Michael said and hugged the older woman.

“Oh, thank you so much!” Naomi gushed. “I’m just so excited! Now my next point of business is Thanksgiving. Michael, I would like to call your mother and invite your whole family down here for dinner. Can I have her number?”

Anelise started laughing as Michael just looked like he had been shot out of a cannon in shock and said, “Welcome to the world of Naomi Rothchild!”

Naomi shushed her as Michael started rattling numbers off.

Anelise took them to the airport the next day, but she would be seeing them soon since Susan Whitlock completely agreed to Thanksgiving in Nashville and was making plans with Naomi.

Anelise kissed her men, waved, and went home, sad but excited at the same time for how her life was changing.