Page 38 of Mountain Dreams

“So, what do you think about living here?” he said.

She gaped at him, and he laughed.

“I didn’t mean here as in my cabin. I meant here at Sawyer’s Ridge.”

“I don’t know.” Admittedly, the idea held a certain appeal. Living in one of these cozy, well-appointed cabins would be much more enjoyable than a tiny apartment. However, she didn’t want to feel like a charity case. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, financially or otherwise. “I don’t want to push Avery out if she’s not ready.”

“You can stay here in the meantime, and before you say no, hear me out.”

“Okay,” she said, chuckling at his persistence.

“You haven’t seen all that Mountain Dreams has to offer.”

“No?” She almost confessed to peeking into his bedroom, but then she decided not to. She doubted he would mind, but she was embarrassed by her immature behavior. Plus, she felt bad about invading his privacy.

“Come with me, and I’ll give you the rest of the tour.” He stood and held out his hand to her.

He’d held her hand earlier when they were apartment hunting, and inwardly, she’d been thrilled by his touch. There was nothing sexual about it; however, with him, everything felt sexual. It’s just his hand, she thought as she placed her hand in his.

His grip was warm and firm but not crushing. He led her to a door between the kitchen and living room, which she’d assumed was the pantry. When he opened it and flicked on the light, she saw a set of stairs leading to the basement.

“Careful. These are steep,” he said. He went first but didn’t let go of her hand, which was sweet but highly unnecessary. Still, she let him lead her downstairs.

At the bottom, he flicked on another light, illuminating the space. She looked around in awe and tried to tamp down her enthusiasm. The basement was like an apartment unto itself, with a nicely furnished living area and a sliding glass door that led onto a brick patio. It was dark outside, but she made out the shapes of a patio table and chairs. In the daytime, the view would be spectacular from there.

“Wow!”

“Wait, there’s more.” He tugged on her hand and pulled her toward a door on the far side of the room. He opened it and turned on the light to reveal a bedroom containing a double bed, matching dresser, and end table. The furniture was whitewashed wood, and the bedspread had cheerful blue and white checks, lending the room a feminine feel.

Her brows drew together. Whose room was this? Had some other woman stayed here before her? Of course, if it had been a girlfriend, why would she sleep separately from him?

He answered her questions before she asked them. “The furniture was Dakota’s when she was a teenager. She gave it to me when she went away to college, and I haven’t bothered to replace it.”

She moved further into the room and peeked into the attached bathroom, noting that it included a shower and bathtub.

“I know you don’t like baths, but at least the option is there.”

She turned to him and smiled. “I didn’t say I don’t like baths. I said I prefer showers.”

“An important distinction,” he teased. “So, what do you think?”

As basement apartments went, it was great; however, she couldn’t stay there.

“There’s no kitchen,” she said, as if that answered his question.

“You can use the one upstairs. Most days, I don’t even use it. I grab a breakfast bar on my way out the door, eat lunch with my crew, and don’t eat dinner until seven or eight o’clock at night. You’ll hardly even know I’m here.”

“What about my laundry?”

“You can use the laundry room upstairs, or you can leave it for the maid if you want.”

Her eyes went wide. “Really?”

He chuckled. “Who do you think does mine?”

“Even your—”

“Underwear? Yep!”