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“That’s progress.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“You accepted a compliment.”
She laughed. “I was just trying to be polite. You either have really bad eyesight or really odd taste.”
He shook his head. “I have twenty-twenty vision and am known for having exquisite taste. So, what do you say to that?”
She laughed. “That you’re having a temporary lapse.”
He sighed. “What if I said I don’t want it to be temporary?” Damn. He kept coming out with stuff like that, and he had no idea where it was coming from. Last night he’d told her she’d found where she belonged—with him. It felt good when he said it. It felt good when he thought about it, but when reality kicked in, it was crazy. Fortunately, she thought it was crazy and chose to ignore him. And now he was doing it again—saying he didn’t want this to be temporary. What else could it be? All relationships were temporary, no matter how much fun they were—unless they were permanent. He shuddered. He’d never even considered a permanent relationship. Not as something concrete. That was something for later in life, when the right one came along. He looked across at Piper who was studiously ignoring his question. Could she be the right one?
She turned off the main road and headed up a long driveway. “I’m sure this is the right address, but I thought it was farther out than this.” They were on the very edge of town, with houses on one side and open fields leading down to the lake on the other.
“It looks like a good area.”
“Yeah, a bit too nice for my budget.”
“Do you know what the rent is?” He didn’t know what her budget was, but the houses out here looked like high-end homes.
“Yes.” She was looking a little flustered now. “I must have gotten the address wrong.”
“Let’s see.” He rested a hand on her thigh, wanting to reassure her.
“Okay, but this has to be a mistake. Look out for number 224.”
“There it is.” Cameron pointed.
Piper made a face, and he understood why. The house was exquisite. A beautiful, log-built place with a wall of windows looking out over the fields and the lake.
Piper pulled into the driveway and brought the car to a stop. “There’s Austin’s car. It must be the right place. Maybe there’s a guest house round the back or something.”
They got out, and the realtor came to greet them. “Hi, Piper. I’m glad you could make it this morning. I only got the call to list this place yesterday afternoon, and I knew the location would be perfect for you. It’s as close to the airport as you can get while still being on the edge of town.” He turned to Cameron and offered his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Austin.”
“You, too. Cameron Hamilton.”
“I know, you’re Smoke’s brother, right?”
Cameron nodded. For a moment he had a nasty suspicion that Austin might be trying to pull a fast one. If he knew he and Piper were together, perhaps he thought that budget was no longer an issue.
“Is there a guesthouse or something?” asked Piper. “No way can I afford this place.”
“No, there isn’t, and yes, you can,” said Austin with a smile. “You got lucky if you want it. It’s a second home for the family that own it. They just got news that he’s being posted overseas for eighteen months. They think they want to sell it, but they’ve got so much else on their plate that they just want the house taken care of for now. They usually come up here on the weekends, and they don’t have it or want it on the vacation rental market. They’re looking to rent it for the off season, and they’re more concerned about having a great tenant who’ll take care of the place than anything else. I knew you’d be the perfect fit.”
Piper stared at him. “So, I could rent this place for less than that last one we looked at?”
Austin grinned. “Yes. I told you I had a great find for you.”
A big smile broke out on her face. “Can we go inside?”
Cameron smiled as he followed them up the front steps. He hoped this would work out for her. She looked so thrilled. He couldn’t help but wonder what the utility bills might be for a place like this and whether she’d be able to afford them, but he didn’t say anything, not yet; he wanted her to enjoy her excitement.
He was impressed when they went inside.
“It’s beautiful!” exclaimed Piper. “And they’re leaving it furnished?”
“Yes. If they do sell, it’ll be easier to get rid of as a turnkey rental opportunity.”
