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“And exactly how many girls have you tried to impress by bringing them out there?”
“Just you,” Andy smiled.
I quickly turned away to hide my smile.
***
Eagleville Manor felt like it had never been abandoned. I had to hand it to Jack; he was doing a great job at keeping the place alive. From the minute we docked the boat to the gravel walkway up, the entire island looked like it was ready to once again be opened to tourists. The grass was mowed, the trees looked luscious and alive, and all around were beds of flowers that no doubt took a lot of energy an
d time to maintain.
The Manor itself looked like it had just been freshly painted, and the windows seemed to smile down on us as we made our way up the walkway and to the front door. Andy fiddled with the key a bit, struggled to turn it, and then opened the door and let us in.
The furnishing was extravagant. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling with crystals that glistened in the sunlight coming in through the large panel windows. A magnificent staircase led up from the foyer to the second floor, wide enough for a dozen people to walk up side by side without ever touching shoulders. Large carpets lay across the hardwood floors, and paintings the size of my bedroom wall hung in strategic places, the faces gazing down at us in silent welcome.
It took my breath away.
“This place is beautiful,” I gasped.
Andy took my hand, squeezed it gently, and led me to the stairs. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”
He led me upstairs, down a wide hall decorated with wall rugs and more portraits. At the end of the hall were twin oak doors which he pushed open, walking us into a massive bedroom with a huge terrace looking out onto the lake. I didn’t have time to take in the room before Andy hurried me along and out onto the terrace.
My breath caught in my chest. From where we stood, we could see the entire lake and forest beyond. A few houses dotted the shore along the Coventry side, but they only added to the splendor of the view. I found myself gravitating towards the edge, my eyes wide as I took it all in, feeling every inch of my body flutter with excitement. Goose bumps broke out across my arms, and for second, I felt on the edge of tears. I had never seen something so beautiful in my life.
“It’s really something, huh?” Andy said, coming up beside me and holding my hand.
“It’s gorgeous,” I whispered. “Oh my god, Andy, thank you so much.”
“For what?” Andy chuckled. “You looked like you needed to see this.”
“I did,” I nodded. I looked up at him with tears in my eyes.
He frowned, suddenly taken back. “Woah, are you okay?”
I nodded quickly and placed a hand on his chest, tapping him lightly. “I’m fine,” I laughed. “Just a little overwhelmed. This is just –” I was at a loss for words.
“Well, I’m glad you like it,” he smiled.
I looked out across the lake, then back at him, gazing hard into his eyes. Whatever I had been worried about before, it was gone. I didn’t care if I was being absurd. I didn’t care that I still had a ring on my finger and that I was hiding from an abusive husband. I didn’t care about Bobby’s warnings, or that I might be in denial. None of that mattered right now. All I could think about was Eagleville Manor, the spectacular view that took my breath away, and the man who had brought me here.
“You okay?” Andy asked, cocking his head to a side, a cute look of confusion all across his face.
I didn’t reply. I just pushed myself up onto the tip of my toes, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him.
Chapter 10: Andy
I walked into the station with a wide smile on my face. The afternoon with Andrea had left me feeling like a million dollars, riding a high like no other. It was completely unlike me, that I would be satisfied with anything less than a good romp under the covers. But this felt even better. Like I was a kid who had just been given the golden ticket to the chocolate factory.
I had driven her home, Bobby’s truck absent from the driveway, and had kissed her some more before reluctantly letting her go. I had wanted to stay at the Manor all day, all night even. To hell with my shift. I was already on the Chief’s bad side anyway. Missing my shift wouldn’t have done any more damage.
Andrea had been the one to talk some sense into me, and I had a feeling it had a lot more to do with how Bobby felt about all this than us. I could tell she was enjoying herself, that like me, she wanted to spend as much time at Eagleville Manor as I did. In the end, though, she had been the voice of reason. Things were moving pretty fast, and without Bobby in the loop, going any further than this could ruin our relationship.
I walked into the locker room, changed and made my way upstairs to the break room. Bobby was alone inside, propped up on a couch and reading. He looked at me when I walked in and returned to his book. That, along with the frown on his face, made me hesitate for a second. I wanted to talk to him about Andrea and seeing him like this made me feel like now probably wouldn’t be the best of times.
Then again, it’s never the right time to tell your friend that you want to hook up with his sister.
“Hey, man,” I greeted, pulling out a chair and sitting down.
