Page 31 of Finding Love

Willy had fallen fast asleep at Ryder’s feet, and he picked the dog up and carried him through the house as he gave her a tour.

Most of the furniture and décor appeared older and classically styled, matching the home perfectly. She doubted the chairs or sofas were very comfortable. The artwork on all the walls no doubt cost more than her car.

They passed through the large living room with its high ceilings and two-story windows and fireplace. There was a serious amount of crown molding everywhere. With the walls painted an off-white and all the delicate and detailed molding painted white, the place looked like one of the fancy cakes her mother often made for weddings.

It wasn’t overdone, just… not her style.

“In here is the library or study. I had set up a home office in here before…” Ryder said, dropping off. “Nothing has changed actually.”

He stepped into the room to the left of the living room. The walls were covered in rich maple paneling and bookshelves with books of every shape and size. They all appeared to be legal books, however, so not very appealing.

The fireplace backed up to the one in the living room, but the dark wood was in complete contrast to the white paneled one in the other room. It made the room warm, less formal. Even the black leather sofa and chair looked more inviting. The large wall-to-ceiling windows looked out over the pool area, which was all lit up.

“Back here is a bathroom,” Ryder said, opening a paneled door.

She glanced in, assuming it would be nothing spectacular. She was wrong. The bathroom was probably bigger than her cottage. There were marble floors and countertops, and a shower big enough to fit an elephant.

“Wow,” she said as Ryder shifted Willy in his arms.

“Yeah, my father never did anything less than grandiose.” He rolled his eyes. “Moving on.” He shut the door and they walked down a hallway and stepped into the formal dining room. There was a gleaming wood table with ten high-back chairs and two large marble-topped buffet tables on either wall. A window looked out over the front yard. In the hallway there had been a bar area, probably where staff members would set up.

They turned back to the main entry, and she followed Ryder down another long hallway.

“Closets, storage, powder rooms. Hidden stairs for staff members,” he said as he walked along. “The kitchen and a smaller, less-formal dining area.” He stepped into the rooms off the back of the home.

The kitchen wasn’t what she had expected. With the meal they had just eaten, she had thought it would be like a restaurant kitchen. Instead, the space was smaller, more like her aunt’s kitchen.

“This is the kitchen for us. The chef’s kitchen is downstairs,” Ryder pointed out. That explained it. “Feel free to make yourself at home here. If you want anything”—he walked over to the refrigerator and tapped the computer screen—“just put it here and the staff will get it stocked. The pantry is here.” He opened a door, and she was shocked at how big the space was and even more shocked at how much food was in it. “I had them get some things before we arrived.”

She swallowed and glanced around.

The smaller dining room that sat between the kitchen and the back windows was cozy. A table for four sat in front of yet another fireplace and windows overlooking the grassy yard. To the right was a wall of glass-front cabinets filled with dishes and glasses of muted colors. Bar refrigerators sat under the countertops, filled with beer, wine, and soda of every kind.

It all impressed her, but also intimidated her somehow.

“Moving on,” Ryder said, pulling Willy up to his chest like one would a baby. The dog whined, lay his chin on Ryder’s shoulder, and fell fast asleep again, snoring loudly next to Ryder’s ear.

The man and dog looked so out of place walking through the massive mansion that she almost laughed.

Beyond the kitchen was a laundry room that Ryder again explained was for their use. The staff laundry facility was downstairs. He quickly told her they could tour the basement the next day. She was losing the rest of her energy, so she agreed.

Down another hallway was the home gym, which was filled with every type of exercise machine imaginable. Attached was a bathroom that rivaled a giant locker room, complete with a steam room and massage room.

They went back down the long hallway and passed another sitting room with another fireplace and more uncomfortable furniture.

She followed him back to the main entryway and up the grand staircase. She had seen two other staircases and was thankful he’d taken her back to the large one.

The view from the second story balcony was breathtaking. There was a short hallway immediately to the right and Ryder turned down it.

“Two bedrooms here,” he said, opening the doors for her.

She walked inside one of the rooms.

It looked comfortable enough. A king-sized bed, an expensive furniture set, and a sitting area with a sofa or a chair. The bathroom was as large as the one off the office downstairs. The second bedroom was identical to this one.

“There are two more rooms down this hallway,” he said when she stepped back out of the last room. He’d motioned to another hallway directly across from them. “The main bedroom is this way.” He headed towards a longer hallway.

“Which one was yours growing up?” she asked absentmindedly as she followed him.