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For just a second, I thought maybe I was dreaming. It was the kind of dream I’d have, something so contrary, but his cold eyes were penetrating my sleepy brain.
“Today, Sugar.” But there was nothing sweet about that endearment.
He turned to go and I muttered, “Prick.” Of course, he had hearing like a bat when he turned around in slow motion. Menacing was a good way to describe it. A lump formed in the back of my throat but I swallowed it down.
“Excuse me.” I got a chill with how he said those two words, but then he just called me a hooker, so we were even.
I opened my mouth to say as much, and he narrowed his eyes, just the slightest narrowing and that was when self-preservation kicked in. I climbed from the bed, grabbed my jeans and pulled them on. My tee followed. I didn’t bother putting my sneakers on, grabbing them and my purse. I was flanked, him in front of me and his demon hounds behind me.
“I can’t go if you’re blocking the exit.”
He was leaning against the doorjamb now, looking both at ease and amused. He moved slightly to allow me to pass. I brushed past him, walked to the door. I was glad Liam was on the welcoming committee last night because this guy would have had me driving right out of town.
I yanked the door open, refrained from slamming it behind me. Took the stairs two at a time, walking right out the front door. I didn’t have my car, but I wasn’t waiting around for Liam. It wasn’t likely they had Uber, but then I saw the yellow cab. Hailing it, I gave him my address then prepared to face off with the raccoons because they were far less frightening.
The cab drove down the long drive, all of which was my property. There were patches of trees, fields of wildflowers. A decorative spilt rail fence acted as the entrance. It was falling apart, but I’d have it fixed up. And then the house came into view. I paid the cabby then stood and stared. It needed work, but the cabin itself was a small, A-frame log cabin that backed up right against what was technically a large hill, a grass and wildflower covered hill that rose up behind the cabin. There was no front porch, but I was fixing that. There was a detached garage for my Jeep. Excitement raced through me. I had work to do, but I really loved it.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been home when Liam’s truck pulled up the drive. “I’m sorry,” he said in way of greeting. “I don’t know what he said to you, but I’m sure it was—”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault he’s an ass.” I turned back to the cabin. The movers were arriving tomorrow. I wanted to get the place somewhat livable. “How long did this sit empty?”
“A couple years.”
“I had it inspected,” I said.
“Yeah, who did it?”
“Graham Hawke.”
“He’s good. What did he say?”
“The bones were good, the electricity and plumbing fine.”
“So it’s just cosmetic,” Liam said. “That’s good.”
“Yeah. A little elbow grease.”
“You want help?” he asked.
I turned to him, and again thought how much different last night could have gone if he hadn’t been the one I ran into. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m actually looking forward to the me time.” That was the truth.
“You sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright. I’ll give you my number. You need anything, give me a call.”
“Thank you. You were pretty awesome last night.”
He grinned, pushed his hands into his pockets.
“When I’m settled, I’ll make you a home cooked meal.”
He grinned. “Deal.”
We both heard the rustling; I stepped a little closer to him before I said, “Clinton at the feed store is my first stop.”
Liam helped me bring my stuff in from my Jeep, checked the rooms in the daylight to make sure nothing was living inside that shouldn’t be. After he left, I stood in the living room of my new home. What had sold me was the huge stone fireplace that ran up the one wall to the rafter ceiling. The kitchen was in the back of the house, the bedroom and bath down the one hall and there was a loft. It wasn’t big, but it was the view. Stepping back outside, moving around to the side of the house, I looked out at nothing but wide-open space, a forest in the distance, the hill. It was breathtaking. My wakeup call, notwithstanding, I knew I’d finally found the place I could call home. At some point, I’d need to find a job, but I saved most of what I made at my six figure advertising job, and the cabin only cost a fraction of what I’d gotten from selling my condo. I was good for a while, but I needed to work. I wouldn’t be able to be idle for too long. I’d cross that bridge once I got my house in shape.
