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I bit my lip. “Are you sure?”
“You can’t stay here. We’ll get a room ready for you tomorrow.” I was relieved not to sleep in Gram’s room. Everything smelled like her, and I couldn’t escape the memories.
I opened the door, trying not to feel the pang of loss at the sight of the now-bare room. I grabbed my bag from the bathroom, put my toiletries inside, and zipped it before meeting Heath at the doorway. He slid the strap off my arm and slung it over his.
I followed him to his truck, and he drove down the lane in silence. The entrance to the Monroe Farm had a sign and a decorated tree next to it. “Ember and Addy chose this tree to decorate.”
“You still do that?” I asked, remembering the family tradition of choosing a tree to decorate on the property. Some years, it had been close to my trailer, and I’d reveled in the sight of it.
Heath glanced over at me. “Never missed a year. It has even more meaning now that the next generation is here.”
“Ember is Sebastian’s daughter?”
“Yeah, his ex isn’t around much. We help him as much as possible.”
Heath drove past the main house, where the lights were out for the night. “This is Emmett’s place. Ireland lives there now, too.”
Then we kept driving until we reached a cabin with a wraparound porch.
“This is so close to my place.” I swallowed over the lump in my throat. Had he chosen this spot because it was close to my property? I wasn’t even living there, so it didn’t seem likely. But it still made me wonder.
We got out and met on the porch. He held my bag, unlocking the door, and letting me precede him inside. It was an open concept with wood beams and stonework around the fireplace. “This place is beautiful.”
Heath’s lips tipped up. “I designed it.”
The kitchen had gray cabinets and white countertops, with swirls of black and gray. I ran a hand over the cool marble counter and continued into the great room. It couldn’t be called anything else with the floor-to-ceiling windows, the large comfortable-looking sectional, and the stone fireplace with a wood mantle.
Heath moved to the fireplace, throwing in a few logs and lighting the fire.
“This place is huge but cozy at the same time. I’d never want to leave this spot,” I said as I sat on the couch.
“You want to watch TV before bed?” he asked me as he worked on the fire.
“I’d like that.” There was no way I could fall asleep, no matter how tired I was.
“You can change in the first room on the right at the top of the stairs. It has a bathroom to wash up.” I grabbed my bag, relieved not to be alone with my emotions. Heath knew exactly what I needed.
I scrubbed my face and brushed my teeth before pulling on red flannel pajamas and fuzzy slippers. Downstairs, I found Heath lounging on the couch with his feet on the ottoman. He had changed into gray sweats and a black shirt. He patted the spot next to him. The couch was large, and I could have sat on the other side, but I needed to be near him.
I curled my legs under me and smiled at Heath. “What are we watching?”
“Holiday, action, or comedy?” His deep voice rumbled in my chest.
“Comedy.” I needed a distraction, or I’d either start crying again or straddle him and get lost in his kisses. I wanted to make myself forget everything but what it felt like to be in his arms.
He turned on a movie and dropped the remote onto the ottoman. “Why are you so tense?”
I’m trying not to jump you didn’t seem like an appropriate response. “It’s hard being so close to you.” And not being able to touch you.
“It brings everything back, doesn’t it? We never had closure, so everything feels more intense.”
Was he saying that was all this was for him? The need for closure? That the sparks I was feeling had nothing to do with current feelings, but old ones? Was I too caught up in the past that I couldn’t see the present?
Those thoughts deadened my desire for him and made me question everything. I was so caught up in being home again, dealing with my grandmother’s things and the inn, that I wasn’t thinking clearly.
He threw an arm over the back of the couch, and I held myself apart from him. I didn’t relax against him or touch him. Being near him was dangerous for me. Maybe he could resist the pull or compartmentalize it, but I couldn’t.
I was too emotional, too raw from the day I’d experienced to see things the way they were. I needed to renovate the inn, sell it, and go home so I could forget about what was happening here. Once the inn was sold to a new owner, I wouldn’t have any more ties to the area—or to Heath.
