“No.” June snorts and then gets out of the truck, and Luna and I follow her. “Iboughtthe chapel, you guys.”
Luna and I share a glance as we follow June through the gate of the old picket fence that surrounds the property, up the cracked sidewalk to the dilapidated porch that leads to the arched double doors.
June unlocks them, and we step inside.
“It’s cold in here,” I say, shivering.
June flips on the lights, and I’m surprised to see that it’s mostly empty, except for two lone pews in the front of the big room. There’s no altar left. The hardwood is scuffed, but still beautiful, and I know that June can sand it and make it shine.
“It’s bigger than I was expecting,” Luna says, her gaze thoughtful as she looks up at the stained glass windows.
“That’s whatshesaid,” I reply, and we all laugh in hilarity.
“There’s a basement,” June says when we’ve quieted down. “And I could probably add on to the side here.”
“June, there’s a cemetery out back.” I stare at her, blinking. “Like, your backyard is a freakinggraveyard.”
“I know. Look, the cemetery is closed to any new internments, and I have no plans to disturb the people at rest back there. I don’t mind having a cemetery in my yard, if I’m being honest. I’ll keep it tidy, and people can come pay their respects when they want to. I’ll put up a fence between the cemetery and the chapel building, with a lock, so those who want to access the graves don’t also have access to my house.”
Her voice echoes in the empty room as we walk around in a circle, taking it all in.
“Idolove all of the old stained glass,” Luna murmurs. “Will it be, what, a studio?”
“No.” June shakes her head, and a dreamy smile spreads over her face. “Haven’t you seen all of the old churches that have been turned into private homes? They’reso cool.I already know where I’ll put the bedrooms, the living space, and the kitchen. I’ll even have one and a half bathrooms.”
“What if you want kids?” I blurt out and prop my hands on my hips. “June, this is really cool, but it’s sosmallfor a house.”
“I don’t have kids,” she points out, not mad at all. “And no boyfriend. I’m not going to pause my life just because of whatcouldhappen. If I get married and have a half-dozen kids, I’ll buy a different house. But this is a project that I’m just itching to get my hands on. I know I have a lot on my plate right now, work-wise, but I’ll be wrapped up with most of it before the end of the year, and then I can shift gears a bit.”
We’re all quiet as we continue to take it in.
“I need this,” June says quietly. “I need something forme.Please don’t take this wrong, Luna. You know I love building the inn. It’s a blast. But between that and my other jobs, not to mention all the work I do for Grandma at her place, I really need something that’s all mine.”
“Hey, if you’re okay with a bunch of dead people twenty feet from your back door, I’m thrilled for you.” I kiss June’s cheek and take her hand in mine. “How can we help?”
“I might need ideas for design stuff. And I could definitely use some art for the walls.”
“You don’t even have to ask,” I assure her.
“Can I point out one tiny, little detail?” Luna asks.
“Sure,” June and I reply in unison.
“Um, when you’ve moved in, and you bring a guy here, you’re going to be having sex in achurch.”
The three of us share a look and then dissolve into giggles at the thought.
“I mean, Lucas Bradford and I did a lot of things in youth group back in the day,” June says thoughtfully. “But that was a different building.”
“Have you told Annabelle yet?” I ask her.
“That I was totally inappropriate with Lucas? Hell no, I didn’t tell her. Although, she probably knew.”
“No, about the church.”
“I wanted to show you guys first.”
“You said you’ve had your eye on it for a while?” Luna tilts her head to the side. “I didn’t know that.”