Doors (Book 1 of the Longwood Series)

The house was not big, although it was made nicely and with good materials. It was a house that would last a long time and keep its property value. It had two small bathrooms that could be extended if they wanted it, a small kitchen, and three bedrooms that were decent sizes.

The house was pale blue on the outside with white trimming. It had soft bushes bracketing the front door and a beautiful huge tree in the front lawn, giving it shade. Sheila Longwood could already imagine hanging a hammock and laying in it with a good book and a glass of red wine.

"Lets view the back yard first," Gloria Gonzalez, their real estate agent, said. She was a beautiful Puerto Rican with golden skin, large eyes, and full lips. Brad Longwood, Sheila's husband, couldn't help but notice. And notice is all he would do, for he loved his wife insanely.

Sheila was 5'3", with blonde hair and bright blue eyes that sucked you in if she turned them on you. She was in shape, not an inch of fat, but not skinny, like a walking toothpick. She had an hourglass figure, melon-sized breasts and a butt that stopped traffic. Brad would always see her as the most gorgeous and sexiest woman he had ever laid eyes on, and it still stunned him, when he thought about it, that she, who could have any man she wanted, chose him.

Sheila smirked. She caught her husband checking Gloria out. It didn't bother her; she was secure in her man and their relationship. Without false modesty, she knew she was beautiful, but she never thought that she was so beautiful he would never stray. No, she had girlfriends far more beautiful than her-and she could admit that without any jealousy, as she was confident in herself-and their men cheated on them. No, she was sure of their relationship because of their intense love for each other. It didn't hurt that he was so hot, with his black hair and cat-green eyes. He was tall, 6'6", with muscular arms, a broad chest that had enough hair to make him sexy, the perfect amount. His chest trimmed down to six-pack abs, a nice firm butt that was easy to grab, and thick, muscular legs. He was also extremely generous where it counted.

Brad looked at her and smiled wanly. She frowned at him and bared her teeth jokingly and he laughed. Their kids, a girl named Deanna who had black hair and blue eyes, and their boy, Sean, who had blonde hair and green eyes, looked at their parents and sighed in annoyance. They were always so into each other. They shrugged and continued their chase of each other.

Gloria liked this family. They looked like a close-knit, loving family. She could imagine Sheila volunteering in all kinds of non-profit organizations and having a game night each Friday, while Brad worked hard at a good-paying job as a pilot for Jet Blue and had beer with the boys on Friday nights when he was in town. She had a hard time keeping her eyes from her husband. She knew he was checking her out, and she knew the wife knew, but the wife wasn't bothered, so neither was Gloria. Apparently, Sheila knew her husband checked out other women, but also knew he wouldn't stray. Gloria sighed. If only she could find a relationship as secure and confident as theirs. Even their kids were good. They were rowdy and high-spirited, but they also behaved and had manners.

"Shall we check out the back yard?" Gloria asked, knowing that was the highest selling point.

"Sure. Deanna, Sean, come on," Sheila said. The kids immediately stopped playing and went to her. Gloria nodded approvingly. The kids may be high-spirited but listened quickly. She noticed that Sheila didn't have to raise her voice and the children listened.

They went to the back yard. Sheila stopped short, and Brad almost ran over her. The back yard was huge, the fences lined with all kinds of fruit trees: mango, orange, and was that sugar cane all the way back there? There was a large above-ground pool that was filthy with algae and tadpoles swimming merrily, but that could be fixed. In fact, she would change it to a below-ground pool. She didn't like above-ground pools; they often looked cheap. There was also a new swing set and another huge tree with a car tire hanging from one of the thick limbs by a thick rope. The kids looked at each other and their parents imploringly.

Sheila laughed. "Go ahead, go play. You'll get out of our hair while we look around and decide."

"Mom, please get this house. We love the yard already!" Deanna begged.

"We'll see. We still have one more house to look at," Sheila said. She turned to Brad. "I like the back yard, but I found the other houses in better shape."

Still, she loved the back yard. There was room for her children to play and get plenty of sunshine. They could splash in the pool when it got too hot. She was almost willing to buy the house for the yard. She envisioned herself gorging on mangos, her favorite fruit. She also envisioned bar-b-ques with friends they would make in the neighborhood.

Gloria was nervous. She knew the wife was saying that the other houses they viewed looked better than this one, and she agreed, as she was the one who'd showed them. She wouldn't have showed them this one, but her boss insisted because the house hadn't sold for a while. Perhaps she should have shown them this one first. She had only been working there a month, and she recognized she'd made a huge mistake. Her commission on the other houses would be better. They would be crazy to pass up on one of the previous houses for this one. Maybe her mistake wouldn't come back to bite her in the ass after all.

"Honey, look at this yard," Sheila said longingly.

"It is huge and nothing we can't fix. We can cut the grass and get the pool clean, but honey, the previous houses, even on the outside, looked better than this one," Brad said.

"Yes, but their yards were a quarter the size of this one and only one had a tiny in-ground pool," Sheila said. "We haven't even looked on the inside yet."

"You're right, but I can't see it being better than the others," Brad said.

"Give it a chance. The back yard alone almost makes it worth it. We could easily have 2-3 big dogs like you wanted. The whole yard is gated in," Sheila said.

They spoke low, making sure Gloria didn't hear them. It wouldn't do to show too much enthusiasm, as they wanted to talk the price down if they chose this house. From the little they saw, they knew it was overpriced; the family who wanted to sell the house was not being realistic as to its genuine worth.

They walked all over the yard, and Brad noted where the undergrowth was so thick, he'd have to hire a lawn service to clear it out. But that didn't bother him.

They were very wealthy because they were good with their money. Brad made a good living and a portion of his income went into investments that paid nicely. Even though only half of the profits from the investments were split between their checking and savings, it was a healthy sum for both. They liked to travel, and they liked boating. They tended to buy cheaper houses that they could fix up and extend, if they wanted to, and they kept their cars in immaculate condition inside and outside and the engines in optimum condition so they could use them for years.

They could afford a much larger, more expensive house, but then a lot of money would go into a mortgage and the maintenance. They preferred to buy nice, but reasonable houses and save the money for the things they liked to do. Also, they didn't like the neighborhoods of the rich. Been there and done that. Their neighbors were insufferable snots and, while they were accepted into their clique, they just didn't like them. They were down-to-earth people who never forgot where they came from. They donated a lot of money to charities that helped people who needed food and housing.

"Ready to see the inside of the house?" Gloria asked.

"Sure," Brad said.

"Kids, you want to come with us inside or stay in the back yard?" Sheila asked.

"We'll stay here, mom," Deanna said.

"Yeah, we want to stay here," Sean said.

"Okay, stay in the back yard," Sheila said.

"We will," both replied.

They followed Gloria to the front of the house. She took the key out of the key box and opened the front door. It opened into a decent-sized living room that would be perfect for their furniture.

They never skimped on furniture. They had an Italian-leather three-piece sofa and a pine-wood glass coffee table. The sofa was not huge and would fit nicely. They also had a huge TV that would take up the corner on the right and an Italian recliner. They could change the dingy tiles and paint the walls to match the furniture.

Gloria took them to the left and showed them the two spare bedrooms that were lined up in a long hall ending in a small bathroom. But it wasn't so small that the kids couldn't use it easily-enough room for a good bathtub and a nice porcelain sink. If they got the house, they intended to revamp it. They might even extend the bathroom and put in a bigger bathtub and shower with glass doors.

The bedrooms were nice-sized for their children. Sheila was already mentally placing the furniture for each room and giving the appropriate room to each child. The bigger room would go to Deanna, while the smaller room went to Sean. She could see the princess pictures on Deanna's walls and pictures of Spiderman and Superman and the Transformers on Sean's walls. They could raise their family here; the kids would go to school, make lots of friends, and Sheila would be busy baking cookies for the drop-ins.

Sheila was the natural neighborhood mother, the one all the kids loved to spend time with and begged to be able to stay for dinner. And she never complained. To her, it was a delight having kids in the house, since the two she had would be the only ones they would have. Brad and Sheila wanted a big family, but Sheila had gotten very sick on her last pregnancy and almost died. They had to give an emergency hysterectomy, and that ended all chances for future kids. They talked about adopting one day, when Sean was a little older, but they'd decided two was enough, especially since the neighborhood kids tended to gravitate to their house anyways. Their home was always full of kids.

As they toured the bedrooms, moving to the kitchen, Sheila asked, "What happened to the previous owners?"

"Well, the husband died, and the wife decided to move out. It was only her and her husband. By law, I have to tell you that it was a suicide, but everything is fine with the house," Gloria said nervously. People tended to freak when they found out that someone died in a house they were thinking of purchasing, especially if it was a suicide.

"That's horrible!" Sheila gasped. "How--?"

"He shot himself," Gloria said as they entered the kitchen. Time to change the subject! "Here is the kitchen. As you can see, on the left, there is plenty of cabinet spaces and a good-size stove. There is a dishwasher and a garbage disposal. Everything is new and in good working order. On the right, you can put a nice-sized table."

She knew Gloria changed the subject on purpose and her heart went out to her. Neither she nor her husband were superstitious people. If they didn't purchase this house, it wouldn't be because of a tragedy, but she already wanted the house.

Sheila saw that the kitchen was where most of the space of the house was, and she loved it. The back door was a sliding door, and the windows would let in a lot of sunlight and fresh air. It was bright and cheery. The white stove and refrigerator gleamed. The countertops were marble.

They came to the master bedroom. When they stepped in, fear gripped Sheila until she was covered with icy sweat. She felt something here-a presence that didn't like them. She looked over the room with distant eyes.

"He did it here," she said, not even aware that she spoke.

Gloria gave her a confused look. She could have sworn she didn't give any details out. "Yes, he shot himself here. How did you know?"

She shook her head. What an idiot she was! A presence?!? She didn't believe in God or the Devil. She believed they were crutches for weak-minded people.

"I don't really know. It doesn't matter; it won't affect our decision," Sheila reassured Gloria. "It's a nice house. I don't know why anyone hasn't bought it yet."

"The wife keeps up the maintenance on the house with the hopes to sell it. However, when people hear about the death, none of them ever want to buy the house," Gloria explained.

Sheila could understand why. She wasn't religious, and she got the willies in that room. Those few seconds of terror almost made her change her mind-until she realized how foolish she was being.

The master bathroom was bigger than the guest, but it wasn't anything special. They would definitely extend this room. She wanted a walk-in closet and she wanted marble bathroom counters, a shower with a glass door, and a huge jacuzzi.

"May I talk to my wife alone?" Brad asked after they viewed the master bathroom.

"Absolutely. I'll be in my car, so just call me when you're ready," Gloria said, leaving for her car. She had several calls to make-chiefly, her next client, to let them know she was running late. The showing had taken more time than she expected.

"Honey, I know the house is not worth the price they're asking, but I love it, and this back yard is awesome! It's warm, it's cozy, and it's practical. I can already see the walls; the color would be a soft eggshell white. The tile could be a deep brown to show off our couches. Imagine snuggling up with each other in front of our huge TV. Yes, the other houses were bigger; yes, the prices were better for their conditions, but none of them had this cozy feeling to them. I know it will take some money to fix it up the way we like it, but if this is going to be our home for the rest of our lives, the price of fixing it will be perfect," Sheila reasoned.

"I know, but they're asking too much. I did research on this neighborhood and comparative houses, and it's worth only $140,000, and that may be too much. Gloria said the wife refuses to come down on the price," Brad said.

"True, but we can fix up the house; then, if we ever have to sell it, we can sell it for more than $150,000," Sheila pointed out.

"No, we couldn't. The price of the house doesn't depend solely on the condition of the house. It also depends on the neighborhood, and while the neighborhood is decent, it's not a rich neighborhood. It will never bring the value to above $150,000. We may be able to sell it for that much, but, honestly, I seriously doubt it," Brad said.

Sheila sighed. She had her heart set on this house. "What if we bluff? Let's tell her that we will buy it for $130,000 and no more. You heard her; this house hasn't sold for two years. The wife is probably desperate right now," Sheila said.

"And what if she won't move?" Brad said.

"Then I guess we'll have to look for another, but I love this house and I don't want to lose it. However, I know you're right. I'm sure we can find another one," she said dejectedly.

"You really love this house, don't you?" Brad said, snaking an arm around her waist. God, he loved her. She was the only woman for him. Sure, she wasn't perfect; she had quite a temper and could be completely blind and stubborn in some areas, but she loved him passionately and she loved their kids. Wherever they moved to, she'd make it a home. She was always there for him, supporting him, pushing him to fulfill his dreams. And, in turn, he moved heaven and hell to give her what she wanted, even if the price was too damn high.

Sheila gazed into his cat-green eyes. She loved him so much. He always provided for them, gave her whatever she wanted, and was a great father to their children. Sometimes he wanted to pinch the pennies too tightly when they had a healthy savings and checking account, and he was a bit condescending, which drove her nuts, but he was a good man to her. And he was dead-on right about this, and she would not allow him to give her what she wanted.

"I do, but you're absolutely correct. We shouldn't spend $150,000 on it. I do have a feeling, though, that she will work with us," Sheila said.

"You haven't even met her," Brad said and laughed.

Sheila laughed too. "I know, but I have a feeling."

He pulled his incredible wife closer to give her a kiss. It was only meant to be a friendly kiss that married couples often shared, but she had a way of turning him on, and soon, he wanted more than just kisses. He could feel the sexual tension in himself and released her. It wouldn't be good for the kids to see their father with a huge tent in his pants. She smiled impishly at him, pleased that she still had the power to fiercely arouse him, and he grinned.

"Ten years of marriage and you can still give me a raging hard-on," he said, and they laughed.

Brad called Gloria and outlined what they wanted from her. "Listen, the widow needs to be realistic here. It's a nice house, but it's seriously overpriced. We'll pay $130,000, and if that's not good enough for her, she can go two more years without selling the house. Unless she's a billionaire, something tells me she's not going to be able to afford the maintenance much longer. Is she going to be foolish, or will she make a wise decision?"

"I can call her, but I doubt she'll change her mind," Gloria said. Inwardly, she was furious with the stupid widow. This place would not sell because she was too stupid to see that the price was too high, and now, she was going to get in trouble because her stupid boss thought she wasn't trying hard enough.

Gloria called Sandy, the widow, and outlined the deal. "Listen, Sandy, I'm going to be brutally blunt with you. You're never going to sell the house at $150,000. Market-wise, it's not worth that amount. Don't forget the people in this neighborhood are comfortable, but not rich, and rich people wouldn't pay that amount for the neighborhood it's in. It's a great, safe neighborhood, but it's not a rich neighborhood. If you ever want to sell it, you're going to have to be realistic here. They are offering $130,000, but I think they are purposely low-balling it to pay what it's really worth, $140,000. I can go back to them and say the offer is too low; however, you have to give me permission to offer $140,000 and see how it goes. If they dig their heels, I strongly recommend you accept $130,000."

"You're just not trying hard enough!" Sandy spat.

Gloria counted to ten. "And you're not being realistic. However, if you want the house indefinitely, I will go back and decline their offer and advise that you will insist on getting the asking price," Gloria said coldly.

"How dare you talk to me that way! I'll talk to your boss!" Sandy said.

"Go ahead. Let me give you his number," Gloria said and gave her the number to her boss.

"His name is Mr. Daniel Tallisburg. He will advise you the same thing," Gloria bluffed. She was wrong. Mr. Tallisburg was just as dumb as Sandy, and he would probably fire her, but she no longer cared. As soon as she was done with this deal, she would quit and look for another job. Though she'd only worked for a month, she had a good-sized nest egg that she could live off of while searching for a sane boss to work for. She was a damn good saleswoman.

Sandy sighed. She knew Gloria was right, and the anger left her. She couldn't afford maintenance on the house much longer. It had put a dent into her savings, and her friends advised her she was being foolish. She hated to admit when she was wrong, but she finally understood her dislike of being wrong would probably send her to the poor house. $130,000 was a fair price.

"Fine. Gloria, I'm sorry. I know you're doing the best you can. You're right, I've been stubborn and blind. Go for $140,000, but if they dig their heels, accept the $130,000," Sandy said.

"It's understandable, Sandy, no apologies needed. The house has sentimental value for you," Gloria said, softening.

They hung up, and Gloria went back to Brad and Sheila. She advised that the lowest the owner would go was $140,000. They asked for privacy and discussed it. Sheila wanted to stick with $130,000.

"I just have the feeling that they'll give it up for that," Sheila said.

"And if we lose the house?" Brad asked.

"If it's a flat-out no, we'll pretend to reconsider at $140,000 and then accept it," Sheila said.

Brad grinned. "You're so smart."

They told Gloria that they rejected the offer and would only pay $130,000. Gloria nodded and pretended to call Sandy in her car. She already had the instructions, but if she came back too soon, they would know that the owner would settle for $130,000 the first time. She ate up 20 minutes by calling her friend and catching up so that it would look like she was on the phone with Sandy. When she felt she'd spent enough time looking convincing, she went back.

"It was tough, but the owner agreed to $130,000," Gloria said.

"Thank you. Shall we go and sign the papers?" Sheila asked.

"I have to have Sandy sign it first and I have another appointment," Gloria said.

"Can we have it in writing that this is sold to us for $130,000?" Sheila asked.

"We don't usually put that in writing," Gloria explained.

They looked at each other. "We're not comfortable with only verbal assurance. You could turn around and sell the house to someone else and we'd have no recourse because nothing is in writing. We need that in writing," Sheila said.

Gloria was getting aggravated with this whole damn sale. First Sandy was being difficult, and now Sheila. She swallowed her irritation and handed them a card.

"Go to my boss, Mr. Daniel Tallisburg, and let him know that we have come to an agreement and advise him of what you are asking for," Gloria said, feeling sorry for her boss already. Sheila was a tough one, and she knew Daniel was going to say no.

They gathered the kids to go to the real-estate place. Sheila explained what she wanted, and, contrary to what Gloria had said, Daniel was quick to agree. He'd thought they would never sell this house, and one look at Sheila told him that if he said no, they would walk away. They drew up a temporary agreement, both parties signed, and he had it notarized for good measure.

Sheila and Brad and the kids were happy. They had found their home.