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“Sam, you look beautiful.”
She laughed. “Well, I wanted to erase your memory of me this morning. I am still mortified at the thought of it. Every time I thought about it today, I wanted to run and hide.”
“I told you I thought you were cute and I meant it. Remember, we won’t say anything we don’t mean.”
Impressive! Hehadlistened to her.
“Right.”
She sighed. Gray took her hand and started toward the front door when Sam stopped.
“Oh wait! I brought a cheesecake for dessert. Do you like cheesecake?”
“Yes, I like cheesecake, and you didn’t have to do that. But good thing you did, I didn’t think about dessert.”
Laughing, she opened the back door of her car and pulled out the cheesecake and toppings. She explained what everything was and why she decided to do it that way when he leaned down and kissed her forehead.
“Forever thinking of others. Thank you, Sam.”
She blushed as they turned to walked to the house. “Your home is gorgeous, Gray.”
He chuckled. “When I built this house, I waited a couple of years before tackling the landscaping. Once I was finished building and had more time, I worked out here, more to keep the loneliness at bay than anything. My parents would come out and help me sometimes, but they are both in their seventies, and it’s getting harder for them to do this bending and twisting. They like being outdoors and enjoyed helping me with this project, though. Wait till you seetheirgardens. Plus,” he rubbed the back of his neck, “I think they were a little worried about me being alone, so they were here to keep me company. It was nice spending the time with them.”
After all those years with that awful woman and then to be alone, they probably worried constantly about him.
Entering the house, she was stunned. The foyer boasted wide plank, rough-hewn hardwood floors stained in dark brown. From the foyer, straight ahead was the living room and a bank of windows looking out over the colorful yard and expansive deck. From here you could see a pond surrounded by lush landscaping. It was breathtaking! To the right of the windows was a floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace graced with a large mantel and a raised hearth. It was stunning, and the two together were very stimulating. She didn’t know where to look first.
“Wow, this is just beautiful, Gray.”
He smiled and took her hand. Walking farther into his home, the kitchen was to the left of the living room, decorated in tans and browns in the floor tiles, dark maple cabinets, and stainless steel appliances. The countertops were a beautiful dark brown granite with copper flecks twinkling from the sunlight streaming in through the windows. There was a center island with seating on one side; the other side sat directly in front of the stove. Great for cooking and meal prep. Cut up vegetables on cutting boards sat on the counter waiting to be cooked. Something delicious-smelling was sizzling away on the stove. Another bank of windows in the kitchen on the same wall as the windows in the living room lightened the whole room. And there was a set of French doors leading out onto the deck.
Gray set the cheesecake in the refrigerator and turned to take the toppings from her hands.
“Wine?” he asked, his eyebrows raised.
“Absolutely.”
She smiled when she saw him pull out a bottle of her favorite wine, Oktoberfest. He remembered! He peeled the foil from the top of the bottle and opened the wine as though he’d done it a few times. She smiled when he handed her a glass, and he leaned down and placed a light kiss on her lips.
“Your smile is breathtaking. I could look at it all day.”
She slightly scrunched her face and stifled a chuckle.
“You’re going to have to get used to me complimenting you. I’m afraid I’m unable to stop.”
She giggled. “How much wine have you had?”
He shook his head and took her free hand.
“Let me show you the rest of the house; but first, did you notice anything … familiar?” Then he tilted his head toward her, his brows raised.
She glanced around again, and her eyes grew wide in surprise as she looked into the living room. “Oh, my gosh! Your living room is painted the same color as mine. And the carpeting is the same color, too. Did you pick these colors out yourself?”
He laughed. “Yes, I did, and I can’t tell you how hard it was to not say anything when I first walked into your house. It made quite an impact when I realized all we have in common, including our decorating and color schemes—the combination of which makes a house a home.”
The aroma floating in from the kitchen caused her stomach to growl. She giggled and placed her hand on her tummy.
“That’s my queue; I need to stir the chicken.” He briskly walked into the kitchen, and she followed, watching him from the doorway. As he stirred the meat in the frying pan, she continued to look around. Upon further inspection, she noticed his granite countertop was the same as hers. She shook her head in dismay as she enjoyed the gentle sway of his ass while he stirred the meat on the stove.
