“And now you’re afraid of moose?”
“I most certainly am. Mama was not so cute.”
Standing up, he brings himself to face me. “Do you want me to come with you? I can show you the trail, the spots that branch off toward your house, and the spots where the wildlife usually are.”
I tap my chin, looking up at the sky and let him sweat for a minute. “I guess if you’re going to work out anyway you could come with me. I wouldn’t hate the company.” I drag my finger along his bicep.
“You’re fucking dangerous, Goddess.” He shakes his head. “Come on. You can wait inside while I change.”
I follow behind him into the garage, asking him a hundred questions about the local wildlife and annoying the shit out of him. Getting him riled up is quickly becoming my number one hobby here in Maine.
“Stay here. I’ll be right back.” He drops all of his gear on the kitchen table and takes the steps two at a time.
“Hate to see you leave,loveto watch you go,” I shout after him.
His head shakes from side to side, but I know his smile is wide even if I can’t see it. Not only can he take it, but he can dish it out too. I can’t remember the last time someone sassed me. No one sasses Hugh Chiave’s daughter.
I take in a deep breath, shaking the thoughts from my head. Not listening to Wyatt, I wander around his downstairs. It’s much homier than I would think for a single bachelor.
The back of the home is one large wall of windows from the floor up to the second story. Large, plush, cognac leather couches fill a majority of the space in the living room with fluffycream-colored blankets folded over the back. The fireplace off the side of the living room separates it from the dining room, and you can see right through it with glass on either side. The kitchen looks like a gourmet chef lives here. A massive butcher block island sits in the middle under an iron rack for his pots and pans. The gorgeous black granite counters boast a six-burner gas stove.
What I wouldn’t give for this kitchen.
“The kitchen was where I spent most of my money. And my master bath.”
I jump three feet in the air, whipping around to see Wyatt. How did I miss his footsteps? I never miss incoming footsteps.
“Jesus! What are you some kind of fucking ninja?”
“I’m a cop. I know how not to announce myself.” He shrugs.
“Well, could ya? Shit. I think you just took seventeen years off my life.” My hand still covers over my heart, feeling the rapid beat.
“Sorry. Didn’t realize you were so jumpy. Maybe it’s a good thing to have someone on the trail with you.” He moves around me to open his refrigerator and tosses a water in my direction.
Reaching out I snatch it from the air. “Thanks.”
“Ready to go?”
“I guess so. If you promise not to scare me again.” I bump my shoulder into his when he walks by me.
“I don’t make any promises.” He winks and holds the door open for me.
We walk in silence through his yard to the start of the path. He’s on my left, so his scarred side is closest to me, and I can see the line on his cheek stretching up to his ear.
“You can ask me about it. I won’t bite.” His gritted teeth would say otherwise.
“What if I like biting?”
He freezes. His feet stop moving. And I watch as he looks up to the sky.
“You’re going to be the death of me, you know that right?” he says, joining me again.
“I don’t know why you think I’m so off limits.” I shrug.
“You turned me down. Twice. Can I just point that out?” He rests his hand on my lower back turning me down a path to the left.
“A woman can change her mind. And my mind’s been changed. Sue me.”
