Part 22 (1/2)

She translated for the Garcias, and the three of them conversed for a couple of long minutes while I tried to catch a word here and there. Banco was bank...barato was cheap. That didn't bode well.

”He says they have the same problem as you because it's hard to sell anything right now. That's why he wants to buy yours instead of trying to sell his so he can buy something bigger. He wants to a.s.sume your mortgage.”

If that was one of the conditions, this was going nowhere. ”Good luck with that. I had to jump through a thousand flaming hoops to a.s.sume my own mortgage when Emily left. They wanted me to refinance.”

”Ronaldo knows Juan. They'll work it out.”

In other words, Ronaldo could work one of those Latin deals under the table, while I couldn't. I hate those shenanigans except when they work out well for me, and this did. In fact, it was the white knight rescue I'd thought was impossible. ”And everything's on the up and up?”

Mari nodded. ”You lose your initial investment, but you get to walk away. No more debt and your credit rating won't take a hit.”

Walk away to where? It would mean I didn't own a home anymore. Sure, I could probably buy one just like mine on another floor for a hundred thousand less, but I had nothing for a down payment, and probably couldn't qualify for a new mortgage by myself anyway.

It was way too soon to think about moving in with Mari. I loved her and I even dreamed about growing old together, but we'd never talked about a life like that, not even once. Jumping into something after only three months of dating was crazy. I'd done that with Emily, and it had ended in disaster.

Besides, Mari hadn't exactly asked me to move in with her. The last woman she'd lived with burned her with a felony charge. As best I could tell, she was happy shuffling back and forth between my place and hers. It was safe, a way for both of us to have all the best things about a relations.h.i.+p with none of the pressure.

Not that I have anything against a little pressure. Marriage between two women is legal in New Hamps.h.i.+re. I could maybe drop an engagement ring into her Christmas stocking. No rush...just something to pencil in at a future date when we both realize how magnificently this is working out.

”Daphne?”

”I'm thinking.”

I could rent something, maybe over on Brickell so we could be closer to each other. One-bedroom apartments were going for a third of what I'd been paying on my mortgage, so I'd have enough left over to have a life with fas.h.i.+onable clothes. And I wouldn't have to buy generic toilet paper anymore.

”Okay, what would I have to do?”

”Say yes and give Ronaldo a copy of your loan papers. He'll take it from there.”

”Yes.” The moment the word left my lips, it was if I'd broken the shackles and stepped free for the first time in three years. I found myself celebrating joyously right along with the Garcias, and Mari looked like she'd just negotiated world peace.

We ran back upstairs to make copies of the doc.u.ments, and after delivering them to Ronaldo, returned to my place, where I walked from room to room as if saying goodbye to it already. A small apartment within easy walking distance of Mari's would be perfect.

”Daphne,with Juan's help, this paperwork could go through pretty fast, but I don't want you to feel rushed about anything. You can stay with me until you decide what to do.”

Well, there you go. I guess that put us on the same page...not ready to live together, even though we hardly spent a night apart. That said, what I really wanted was a commitment, not something as dramatic as a bent knee proposal, but something a little more promising than putting me up while I look for a place to live.

Not that I have anything against bent knee proposals.

”Though if you're planning to stay in Miami, it would be silly to move into my place for just a few weeks and then move out again. Just come live with me.”

Hold that thought.

”What do you mean if I stay in Miami?”

She huffed softly and slumped onto the couch. ”You're the one who talks about the big corporate job you missed out on because you came to Miami to be with Emily. Now you're free to go if a job in Boston is what you really want.”

I hadn't thought about that job in weeks, or for that matter, leaving Miami. ”Is that your way of telling me I shouldn't make the same mistake I did with Emily by staying here to be with you?”

”I didn't say that at all. I just don't want you to stay with me if it means you'll have regrets.”