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Esmeralda clapped her hands. “Here, here! Now, who’s hungry?”
Chapter Five
Nestled in a clearing, Everett’s house was a modern cabin home. Except it was huge. Two stories, tall windows in the front, with a steep, angled roofline. Dark wood and stone helped it blend naturally into the woodland backdrop and Brinnah had never seen anything so beautiful.
“It’s wonderful,” she murmured.
He smiled. “Thanks. Took me a while to get it finished.”
She blinked. “You built it yourself?”
“Well, I had some technical help. Like electricity and plumbing. I’m talented, but not that talented. I had an apartment in town with my coworker Jake as a roommate, but I wanted to be near the woods. I decided to build my dream home. Hoping I could bring my mate here.”
Her breath caught in her throat. She glanced at him, her heart practically vibrating in her chest. He was such a beautiful man. She could stare at him for hours. Each moment she spent in his presence really hammered home that Vadin was nothing but a mistake.
“I lived with two roommates,” she said, trying to be calm and cool. “Kadie and Maggie. I wish they could join me.”
“Maybe Jericho can contact your old alpha to get them here.”
She shook her head. “I doubt he’d agree. I’m betting he didn’t realize he had given me an out.”
He parked his truck and grabbed her backpack. “Well, he’s not getting you back.”
“I doubt I even register on his radar anymore.”
Everett led her into his home, and if she thought the outside was beautiful, the inside made her jaw drop as she took in the modern, rustic beauty. The first thing she noticed were the many windows that allowed the sunlight to pour in, brightly illuminating the house. The open floor plan had rough-hewn wooden beams and thick posts to help define the space between the dining area and living room. Drywall extended up until it met the angled wooden slates of the ceiling.
The dining room featured more of the stone and wood walls, along with a pair of recessed, glass-front cabinets flanking the fireplace. An Oriental rug added color to the room, along with navy upholstered end chairs at the large table. Soft blue chosen for the kitchen added a little bit of femininity to the stone wall and wood-beamed ceiling. Stairs led up to a second floor.
“Down the hallway is my office and a half bath,” he said pointing to an area off the living room. “The laundry room is upstairs. Figured if the bedrooms are up there, so should the washer and dryer.”
“It’s beautiful.”
His smile beamed. “I’m glad you like it. Follow me. I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”
Leading her up the stairs, he stopped at the first bedroom and opened the door. Inside the walls were painted a pistachio green, with a thick grey carpet. A chest of drawers rested against one wall and a nightstand next to the queen-sized bed. Emotion rolled through her because this was a whole lot more than she ever had in her life.
“Is it okay?” he asked, worried.
“More than okay,” she murmured. “I love it.”
“Good.” He cleared his throat. “The bathroom is across the hall. How about you get comfortable and come on down when you’d like?”
“All right.”
She sat down on the bed and stared around, marveling how her life had changed so much. This time last week she was distributing clothing to their owners before getting ready for the dinner meal. She regretted leaving Maggie and Kadie with even more work, and the guilt gnawed at her.
Brinnah grabbed her backpack and pulled out her meager clothing options. She was going to need more and to do that, she had to have money. A fizzle of unease filled her. She had no idea how to go about finding employment. She had no skill, no training. Not even identification. Shaking off her anxiety, she placed her few possessions in the chest of drawers before she hobbled back down the stairs. Everett stood in the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of juice.
“Thirsty?” he asked.
“Sure, um, thanks.”
He reached up and opened the cabinet above his head and pulled down another glass. He filled it and handed it over to her.
“Thanks,” she said. “Have you always lived in Sheridan?”
“All my life. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Most stores are shifter owned. We do have a few humans who’ve been vetted by Beta Ledger, and allowed to live here.”
