Almost Like Being in Love by Beth K. Vogt

but we don’t want a yard that costs a lot to keep up.”
    The house showed well. No lingering scents of cigarette smoke or pets, which were both immediate reasons to say no for a lot of his clients. No odd paint colors that he had to help potential buyers overlook, reminding them how inexpensive it was to paint.
    They met up with Caron as she exited the bathroom off the master bedroom.
    â€œI wouldn’t label this an en suite, but it’s still a good size. It’s large enough that you could replace the single sink with dual raised glass bowls. Maybe paint the bathroom a classic gray. New light fixtures will make a difference, too.” Caron pressed her lips together, raising her hand. “Sorry. Kade’s the Realtor here, not me.”
    â€œBut I want to know what you think.” Margo’s gaze switched back and forth between Kade and her friend. “You’re Ronny’s stand-in.”
    â€œWe can always talk afterward. I’ll let Kade do his job.”
    â€œI’m interested in your opinion, too.” The comment escaped before he realized what he was going to say. Caron always had a way of casting a design vision for a house. “Realtor to Realtor.”
    Caron’s eyes widened at his statement. “It seems to meet Margo and Ronny’s requirements. The layout is nice. And the owners have done some good upgrades. Refinished wood floors will work well with the two Turkish rugs your parents said they’re going to give you. The other bedrooms are decent sizesand you could have fun with colors. I could show you how to do some geometric patterns to create an accent wall in one of the bedrooms if you want. It’s not that hard. The measurements for the half bath are small, so depending on what’s already there, you might want to put in a pedestal sink. I did see that the hot water heater and furnace are older . . . sorry, I scrolled through the listing you e-mailed Margo.”
    â€œUnderstandable. If Margo and Ronny decide to put an offer on the house, we’d wait to see what the inspector said—”
    â€œAnd possibly request the sellers purchase an extended home warranty?”
    â€œThat’s always an option.”
    â€œIs the price negotiable?”
    â€œIt just came on the market a couple of days ago, so I’m not sure how much the sellers are willing to budge.”
    â€œThe carpeting is in good shape. Not brand-new, but clean.” Caron paced the perimeter of the bedroom, stopping by the door where Kade and Margo waited. “Rooms are good sizes. One could work as an office. You could replace the solid wood doors with glass-paned ones to let in more light.”
    â€œThe third bedroom—the smaller of the two?” Kade tilted his head left, in the direction of the other room.
    â€œWell, if Margo and Ronny want a guest bedroom, it makes sense to use the larger of the extra bedrooms for that, don’t you think?”
    â€œGood point.”
    Caron offered him a smile that might as well have been a sucker-punch to his solar plexus. This was the Caron Hollister he remembered—well, one facet of her, anyway. Talking houses. Suggesting improvements. Self-assured. And an alluring smile that slammed him up against the wall. A dash of Caron’s casual beauty mixed with her warmth.
    He faced Margo. His client. “So, Margo, you ready to look at the other rooms?”
    â€œSure.”
    Caron’s voice slipped past any defense he tried to erect. “I’ll just get out of your way and check out the rest of the house.”
    â€œHey, you’re keeping your skills up.” Margo wrapped an arm around Caron’s shoulders in a side hug. “Don’t want to get rusty before you find another job.”
    â€œMargo!” With a quick shake of her head, Caron shrugged out of the other woman’s embrace. “We’re here to talk about whether this house works for you and