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“Just my mom.”
“Is she great?” she asked.
Shane smiled and shook his head. “She’s fine. What about your mom?”
“My mom is the best. No offense.”
“None taken.”
“She’s just incredibly strong and kind. She taught me how to be happy and independent. She wasn’t always around a lot when I was little because she worked, and sometimes she’d take on another job during the holidays, but I always understood that she was doing it for me. For us. We were a team.”
“She sounds pretty amazing. Will she come visit you here?”
“At some point, I’m sure. She and Grace are pretty close. Maybe she’ll come for Christmas. It must be beautiful here during Christmas.”
“Well, it’s snowy, anyway. And a little crowded.”
“I think I’ll love it.”
He was sure she would love it, if only because she seemed to love everything. “You said you don’t ski?”
“No, but I’m going to. Will you teach me?”
“I’ve only been a couple of times. That hobby’s a little expensive for me, and I can’t afford to break a wrist.”
“Chicken.”
He winked, then paused to watch her closely as she traversed another narrow section of trail. The road flattened a little here before it disappeared around a bend. They were almost there, and Merry seemed to sense that. She was walking faster, smiling wider.
“All right. Are you ready?” he asked.
She did a little dance in the dirt. When he just raised his eyebrows and didn’t move, she shoved him. “What? What is it? Tell me.”
“Come on.” He took her hand and heard her whisper, “Oh, my God,” under her breath in anticipation.
Shane laughed. “I really hope this lives up to your expectations. Now you’ve got me self-conscious. But…” He led her around the last curve. “Here it is.”
Merry shrieked at the sight of the cabin, then covered her mouth as her scream dissolved into giggles. “Look at it! What is it? Is it part of Providence?”
“I don’t know. I have no idea how old it is or who lived here, but I thought you might want to find out.”
“Oh, my God!” she screamed, jogging a little closer to the cabin before skidding to a stop. “Can I go in? Do you think the landowner would mind? Nobody has lived here for a long time, right?”
“The last time I saw it was over twenty years ago, and it looked about the same. I’m sure it’s fine to explore.”
“This is insane, Shane. Look at that chinking. And the notches! I think it’s really old. It could even predate Providence. Do you think it could be a trapper’s cabin?”
He shrugged, but he knew she wasn’t really asking him. She hadn’t even looked at him since she’d spotted the cabin. She raced forward to look into one of the tiny windows cut into the logs, not that there was much of an interior. The roof had long since fallen in.
“It’s totally unstable, but maybe I could poke around the edges, see if…” She fell into silence for a moment, then her head popped up, she spun around, and Shane found himself catching her as she leaped for him.
“Thank you. Thank you!” She kissed his mouth and jaw and cheek, knocking his hat to the ground. “Thank you, Shane. It’s amazing. You’re amazing.”
“You’re welcome.” He tried to kiss her, but she was gone again, bouncing back to the cabin. He watched her go. Watched her forget about him completely and lose herself in exploring the old building. And Shane was pretty sure he hadn’t been this happy in a long time. Maybe even decades.
He had a feeling Merry was this happy a lot. When she left she’d take that with her, but he’d hang on for as long as he could.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
