“I bought Grandma Rose’s old house,” I announced.
He lowered his coffee cup and stared at me.
“You’re joking.”
“No. The sale closed yesterday.”
Instead of congratulating me, he laughed.
“Congratulations, Layla. You’ve officially discovered the most ridiculous way to spend an inheritance.”
I felt my excitement disappear.
“You haven’t even asked how much I paid.”
“I don’t need to. I’ve seen that place. The paint is peeling, half the windows need replacing, and the yard looks abandoned.”
“I know it needs work.”
“Work? It needs a miracle.”
That was Declan.
We’d been married for eleven years, and over time, I’d noticed that he applied completely different financial standards to himself and to me.
If he wanted something, it was an investment.
If I wanted something, it was an unnecessary expense.
He could spend thousands restoring his Mustang without hesitation, but when I bought a replacement coffee maker, he questioned every dollar.
