As the clock clicked to 6:00 on the dot, Julian’s boss Gabe locked the door of his gym with a satisfied sigh. “And it’s officially the weekend,” he announced, with a mischievous grin. “No more clients tonight.”

“TGIF,” Julian replied, with a smile of his own. “I need a break. Lucky I don’t have a training session until noon tomorrow so I can sleep in a little bit.” Julian reached for his bag and began to gather up his things.

Gabe glanced at his phone. “You know, it’s still early and Logan’s got the baby for another hour or so. You want to go grab a drink?”

“I wish I could, but I’ve got a standing evening appointment dog walking for Mrs. Brown. Her poodle Mimsy gets awfully cranky if I’m not there on time to let him out.”

Gabe chuckled. “Well, we can’t let Mimsy down. What about after that?”

Julian shook his head. “Sorry, boss. Not gonna happen tonight. Going out for dinner last week pretty much killed my budget.”

“Ah yes, the almighty budget,” Gabe teased. “Between that, the odd jobs, and the volunteer work, I think you have the most willpower of anyone I’ve ever seen. What’s your secret?”

“It’s just a matter of being organized and deciding what you want most,” Julian answered with a wink, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

The other Omega looked thoughtful. “Oh yeah, you’re saving up to buy that house, aren’t you?”

“That’s right,” Julian said, smiling at the thought. “See you tomorrow, Gabe.”

* * *

As Julian walked across the parking lot, he paused to take in the fiery orange sunset as the sun descended slowly into the waves. He never got tired of the view, even after living here all his life. The beauty of the scene cheered him up after that little discussion.

He knew Gabe wasn’t trying to make him feel bad, but the other Omega’s good-natured teasing had touched a nerve. It was true that he ended up turning down a lot of invitations these days, and some hurt more than others to pass up. But he did have a reason, he reminded himself, and missing out on some fun now would be worth it in the future.

The town of Bright Beach was long and narrow, built on either side of a two-lane highway that ran parallel to the ocean. The house he had wanted since he was a teenager sat right on the sand. You could walk out the door, down the private boardwalk over the dunes, and be on the beach.

It wasn’t the biggest house or the newest. In fact, it was one of the older places, built in the 1970s when the city first incorporated. But something about it had caught his eye, and he’d dreamed of owning it ever since.

Julian was currently renting in a little condo across the highway. It was fine, but it wasn’t his own house. And that was what he wanted most: a place where he could customize everything and make every detail perfect.

But in order to buy a house, you needed money. And so he spent endless hours working on his budget, seeing where he could squeeze out just a few more dollars to save. And that’s why was passing up going out with his best friend on Friday night to go walk an old lady’s poodle.

To cheer himself up, he decided to drive past the house. It was out of his usual way, but it was sort of on the way to Mrs. Brown’s house. Mimsy could wait five more minutes.

As he drove past, he could see the For Sale sign, which had sat in front of the house for so long it had become faded by the sun. But something about it was different. Something was wrong.

Julian frowned. He couldn’t stop on the highway, so he slowed his car down slightly, straining his eyes for a closer look. He only caught a glimpse of it as he went by, but it was enough to make his stomach drop.

No. It couldn’t be. But he knew what he’d seen.

The sign didn’t say “For Sale”anymore. It said “Sale Pending.”

* * *

Julian was pretty sure he broke a world speed record walking the poodle, but Mimsy didn’t seem to mind. Then it was back in the car and down the highway, heading toward the house.

His mind was racing. No. The house couldn’t be sold. Nobody but him had ever been interested in that house. After the previous owner, old Mrs. McLeod, had passed away, the house had gone to her daughter who lived in Vermont. The daughter had no interest in living there and was content to leave it on the market. It was priced fairly high, especially for an old house in need of serious repairs.

Julian had noticed a slight upward trend in local real estate prices lately, but it wasn’t enough to make him worry. Markets fluctuated, everyone knew that. Most people liked visiting Bright Beach, but they didn’t seem to be in any hurry to move here permanently. The town didn’t even have a Starbucks, for goodness sake.

Maybe there was some mistake. Maybe the real estate company had put the sign on the wrong house. After all, who besides him would want to buy it? It was tiny and run down and old, and there were many prettier, newer houses for sale on the beach.

But as he pulled into the driveway and climbed out of his car, his heart sank. No, he hadn’t imagined it. The “Sale Pending” sign was there, bright red, mocking him.

He was still staring at it, not wanting to believe it was true, when the truck turned into the driveway behind him.