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“I’m a little more sentimental than you think,” I tell her. “And you’re not wrong… I do have a room where I keep all my memorabilia.”
A goofy grin on her face, Devon pointedly looks around and turns back to me. “Are there secret rooms somewhere in this place?”
"No. This is the place I rent in season. It's a temporary place. My home—my real home—is back in Montana.”
My laptop is sitting on the table, so I pull it over and open it up. After logging in, I open up my pictures folder, turn it around, and push it over to her.
“That’s my actual home.”
Devon takes a bite of her omelet and chews as she scrolls through all my photos. The light from the laptop sparkles off her jade green eyes and her full lips curl into a smile as she “oohs” and “ahhs” while flipping through all the pictures.
It’s a faux-log cabin, twelve-room spread I had built about five years ago. My home sits in a valley near the Flathead National Forest. I’ve got horse stables, an indoor pool and jacuzzi, and an indoor basketball court on the grounds. It’s picturesque, remote, and entirely peaceful. It’s my place of Zen.
“You have horses,” she breathes.
“I wouldn’t be a proper Montanan if I didn’t,” I tell her. “I grew up around them. There’s nothing better than heading out on a long ride on horseback. It just feels like freedom.”
“I’ve never ridden a horse before.”
“That’s something we’re going to have to change then.”
“Yeah?”
I nod. “You’ll absolutely love it.”
Devon takes a sip of her coffee and sets her cup down as she continues scrolling through my pictures in silence. It’s clear she likes what she sees when she finally looks up.
“Yeah, this house seems more like you,” she says.
"I hope so. I had it custom-built with my own designs."
“You designed your own house?”
“Like I said, I’m a man of many talents.”
“So I’m learning,” she says with a giggle. “But it looks so remote. Like there’s nothing anywhere around you.”
“That's by design. It's where I go to relax and be alone. It's where I go when I want to escape this crazy, screwed-up world.”
She sighs wistfully. “That would be nice… being able to hit the eject button like that. God knows there are times I want to just get away from everything and everybody.”
“My door’s always open to you, Devon. Any time you want to escape, just say the word.”
She smiles at me. “I might just take you up on that.”
“Please do,” I say and glance at my watch. “But right now, I need to get down to the rink for practice. You’re welcome to stay—”
“No, I should get back to my dorm and get ready for classes.”
“I can drop you at your dorm then.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“Are you going to be okay?”
She nods. “Yeah. I think so.”
I grab her phone and quickly input my number. “That’s my number. If that assclown even says boo to you, I want you to call me, and I’ll teach the little shit some respect.”
