Chapter Eighteen
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Owen drove along a narrow road past A-frame and log cabin homes set back from the road. A glance at the Bronco side mirror confirmed Keeley was still behind him in her CRV. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.
Last night had been incredible. Amazing. But making love with Keeley had done heavy damage to the walls he’d built between them because now they were kissing and holding hands, and acting like goddammed lovebirds.
Bringing her to his house was going to mess with his head. There was no other place he was confident she’d be safe. But having her in his home was like giving him a glimpse of heaven with the realization it could never be reality.
He’d damn well keep her safe from Romero and whatever that fucker was involved in, but would she be safe from him?
That she seemed to want his sorry ass nearly as much as he wanted her was a problem because all she had to do was blast her sunshine his way and he couldn’t help himself.
She offered herself openly and with affection, and he’d rather cut open an artery than reject her. He needed a strategy to keep her from being hurt, and he had a bad feeling to do that he’d have to explain his past, something he’d never shared with anyone except his mom and stepdad.
As much as it went against every instinct he had to pull back and protect himself, he’d have to tell her straight up why they couldn’t be together. The deaths of the two most important people to him were on his head.
Once she knew that, she’d realize why he was a bad bet. He’d hate doing it. Hate her seeing him for what he really was, but it might be the only way he could ensure she kept her distance.
In the meantime, he’d start working on rebuilding those walls around his heart without being an asshole.
He went around a bend in the road before it straightened out. His neighborhood sat on what was basically a long bench of land at the border of Sisters that edged up to the National Forest boundary. His grandparents had chosen well when they’d bought the house some sixty years before. The spot provided the best of both worlds by being near town, but not too close, and they’d handed it down to their grandson.
With his property abutting the National Forest boundary he was protected from development behind him, and with the edge of the bench dropping off across the street, there’d be no development there either.
He liked having neighbors, and liked having them far enough away that they didn’t bother him.
Owen lifted his hand to a couple kids whizzing by on mountain bikes and turned onto his paved driveway. He passed the front of his property with its widely spaced pines and cedars on either side before reaching the clearing where the house sat.
He wondered how Keeley would see his place, what she’d think of it, and didn’t like that it mattered to him. Because that confirmed how much she mattered to him.
To his eyes the house looked homey with its stone chimney and wide wraparound porch, but some people liked fancy, and his home wasn’t fancy.
He pulled up in front of the detached garage. Half of the garage was a shop and there was space in the other half to park his Bronco if he chose .
Keeley parked next to him and stepped out of her CRV, her purse slung over her shoulder. She shut the door, turning in a circle to take in his place.
It was like when she’d come to his apartment for the first time. Seeing her at his home would make it even more difficult to keep her separate from his life.
Owen stood with his hands in his pockets.
She turned to face him. He hadn’t remembered to brace himself and had to absorb the impact of her beaming smile. He coughed when it felt like his breath had backed up in his lungs. Who could resist a woman whose default setting was sunshine and light?
“ Owen, your home is lovely. You’ve got the forest behind you, and I bet from your front porch you have a stunning view of the valley.”
“ You’re not wrong.”
“ Front porches are my favorite architectural feature.”
“ You have a favorite architectural feature?”
“ Yes, I do. I have strong opinions about houses. One being that every home should have a front porch. They add so much character. Do you have a swing? I didn’t see one, so if you don’t, you must get one. Then you could sit in your porch swing and watch a thunderstorm sweep across the valley as you sit wrapped in a blanket, sipping hot tea, and knowing you’re where you are meant to be.”
“ That’s mighty specific. I’ll have to see what I can do about a porch swing. The house is over sixty years old, and it needed a total rehab, so fair warning, much of the interior is a work zone.”
“ Oh, that’s exciting. I want to see what you’ve done.”
Point proven. In his experience most women balked at staying some place rough, but Keeley saw it as an adventure.
She tilted her head. “Is it hard to be here with your grandparents gone?”
“ At first, yeah. Not anymore. I’m changing the interior enough that it won’t look like their home.” He shrugged. “This was a good place for me when I was a kid. I spent my summers here. The memories are good.”
“ Did you know Walker and Sawyer when you stayed with your grandparents?”
“ Yeah. We played Little League together. Hung out. My grandparents contributed some cash to the lawyer fund to help clear Walker’s name when he was in prison.”
“ They sound like good people. I wish I’d met them.” His grandparents would have loved Keeley. They’d accepted Gloria when he’d married her, but that relationship had never warmed.
Keeley turned her head to take in the sweep of his land. “You’ve got a good defensible space.”
He was glad for the change of subject. Her parents being on top of fire mitigation on their property, he wasn’t surprised she was aware of the added responsibility the wildfire threat brought to their community.
Every person who lived in the mountains had to be vigilant about fire safety, but some people lived in a fantasy world, thinking wildfire would never be a problem for them.
“ I had to clear out a dozen trees. Hated doing it, but it was the only way I’d have a chance if there’s a fire. I’ve also spent a lot of time and money hardening the house.”
She opened the back of her SUV and reached for her suitcase, but Owen was there ahead of her. He lifted a brow when he hefted it out of the rear cargo area. “You pack some bricks, princess?”
She grabbed a smaller bag. “No, but I didn’t know what I’d need so I packed several books, and my laptop, and I brought my hair dryer.”
“ Okay.”
“ No snarky comments about women packing too much?”
“ Why the hell would I do that? You need what you need.”
“ That’s quite civilized of you.” They walked toward the back of the L-shaped house. “If you hardened the house, I’m guessing even though they look like it, the shingle siding isn’t really made of wood.”
“ You’d guess right. They’re fiber cement. I sealed all the gaps and installed specialized soffit vents to keep embers out. Pain in the ass, but it’s done.”
“ That’s smart, and the shingles look nice. And you’ve got a metal roof.”
“ Yeah. Living up against the forest, I’ve got to be smart. I’ve been thinking about putting in a pool. I like to swim, and I’d get a pump so I could use the water in case of a fire.”
He led her across the yard where he planned to build a deck, but where currently he housed a rollaway for the debris created by the remodel.
He unlocked the back door, stepping back to let her walk into the mudroom ahead of him. He followed her in and left her suitcase next to the pocket door inside the kitchen. She put her bag and purse on the suitcase.
When she started toeing off her trainers, he shook his head. “Leave them on. Work zone, remember?”
“ Right.”
They stepped into the kitchen, and she paused to look around. “Wow. You said sixty years old?”
“ About that. They bought the house as a new build in the early sixties and the kitchen was remodeled in the eighties.”
“ Your appliances are Harvest Gold. I’ve never actually seen that color other than in magazines. They’re classic.”
“ Never bothered me when I was a kid, but I hate the color now. Those’ll be gone when I get to the kitchen part of the remodel and replace them with stainless steel.”
“ I wonder if in another sixty years people will look back on stainless steel appliances with the same horror we reserve for Harvest Gold and Avocado Green from the seventies.”
“ Not my problem. I like a clean look.”
“ Will you give me the grand tour? I want to know your vision. ”
“ My vision is to get rid of everything that made the place look dark. That includes the paneling, small windows, and small rooms.”
“ That’s a good start.”
He gestured across the kitchen. “I took out a wall there to open the kitchen to the dining room and built the island. It’s done except for the countertop and cabinet doors, which I want to match to the rest of the kitchen. I’m waiting for inspiration on that.
“ The island will have stools on one side, and cabinets on the other.” He glanced around the space. “The Formica’s butt-ugly and the sink’s chipped. I’ve been waiting to pull those out until I figure out what to replace them with. I was thinking stained concrete and a stainless sink.”
“ Concrete countertops?” She gave a shudder. “That’d be like having a sidewalk in the kitchen.”
“ Ha. More like making good use of a functional material. Concrete is durable, heat resistant, and stain resistant if it’s sealed properly. You can even incorporate surface designs like making it look like marble. Plus, it’ll complement the stainless appliances.”
“ It sounds…industrial. I was going to say soulless, but I don’t want to hurt your feelings.”
He frowned, considering. Maybe she had a point. “What would you do?”
“ Don’t get me started or I’ll be showing you my dream kitchen Pinterest board. I started it when Mom and Dad had their kitchen redone.”
“ How about you tell me.”
“ Okay, you asked for it.” She grinned.
“ My philosophy is the kitchen is the heart of the home. By removing the wall, you’ve made the dining area part of that heart. A family has meals there, but it’s also where kids would do their homework while mom and dad are making dinner.
“ It’s where mom pays the bills while dad makes school lunches after the kids are in bed. Big talks happen at the dining table, like where to go on vacation or whether you can afford to put in that pool.”
He turned away like he was picturing her ideas in his kitchen. But the reality was the home she described hit him with the force of an earthquake and made him yearn for something he could never have.
“ Go on, I’m listening.” His voice sounded gruff even to his own ears.
“ With that philosophy behind it, I’d want the kitchen to feel warm and inviting.”
He turned back to her. “And concrete countertops are cold and uninviting.”
She hunched her shoulders. “No offense, but that’s my feeling. My dream kitchen applied to your space would have a white apron sink, since I love apron sinks, and would be complemented by a light gray quartz countertop. Not a solid gray but something with a bit of pizzazz.”
“ Pizzazz.”
“ You’re laughing at me on the inside. I’m on to you.”
She tapped her finger on her lip as she stared at the cabinets currently painted what he thought of as shit brown.
“ To finish the idea, the top cabinets would be glass fronted and painted a light sage green, and then I’d have vintage-style light fixtures to bring it all together. Add your stainless appliances, and you get a modern farmhouse look that’s warm and welcoming as well as functional.”
“ You’ve given your dream kitchen some thought.”
“ I have. What type of flooring will you put in?”
“ I’m thinking a porcelain tile that looks like wood.”
“ Ooh, that’s a good choice. That’s what’s in the kitchen at the big house at Cider Mill Farm and it looks great.” She tilted her head. “About the kitchen, you’re the one who has to live with the design choices, so make sure you get what you like.”
“ Even if it’s concrete countertops?”
“ Even then. Now show me the rest. ”
Piles of lumber and coils of wiring and extension cords snaked here and there. He’d almost reached for her hand to walk her through his project before he caught himself. Distance, he reminded himself. She could keep from tripping without his help.
“ I like the windows you put in.”
He made an effort to focus. “That was one of the first things I did. They’re double-paned for energy efficiency. I put that to the test this past winter and my energy bill was considerably lower than the same time last year. They’ll pay for themselves.”
The living room was done except for flooring and paint. The walls had been primered, but that was it.
Keeley tapped on the paint sample card he’d taped to a wall. “I love this cream color. It would complement the sage green in the kitchen, and you could bring in more color with an area rug in a jewel color like burgundy or red, and maybe an earth brown couch.”
He pictured her ideas and decided they’d work. Like really work.
“ What did you do with your grandparents’ furniture?”
“ Kept a few pieces I liked but got rid of the rest. The style looked dated, and not in a good way. Lots of overly ornate pieces. I want simple, well-made furniture.”
He led her down the hall. She peeked into a half-done bathroom, and the first bedroom where he’d knocked out a wall to the adjoining bedroom to make a bigger room with a walk-in closet.
As with the other rooms, it was complete except for paint and flooring.
He’d thrown his sleeping bag in a corner. She poked her head into the other bedroom he intended to use as a home office, then led her to the open doorway at the end of the hall.
“ The master bed and bath are the only finished rooms in the house.”
She stepped into the room. He could admit to being gratified by her audible gasp. “Oh, this room is beautiful. And you have a pewter bed frame. I love the lines. Is it vintage?”
“ Guess so. It was one of the pieces of my grandparents’ I kept. ”
“ Wise man. It’s a classic design and gorgeous.” She ran her fingers over the metal. “Your ceiling fan complements the style.”
Since that had been the idea, he appreciated the comment.
She stepped into the bathroom and let out another gasp. He came up behind her. “This is a beautiful bathroom, Owen. Other than your misguided ideas about concrete countertops, you have good instincts for what goes together. And see? You used quartz here.” She smiled over her shoulder. “The tub itself is a work of art. I don’t usually take baths, but that tub looks inviting enough I think I might need to.”
“ Tub’s here if you want.” The mental image of her naked in his bathtub, of her and him together and naked in his bathtub, had his blood heading straight south.
He wanted to reach for her, to pull her into his arms. To make use of the bed only feet away. He needed to get a grip.
He didn’t want things to be awkward, so he said, “Look, there’s only one bed. I’ve got my sleeping bag and will sleep in the other room. You can sleep here.”
Keeley was usually an open book with every emotion revealed on her face, but in this instance, he couldn’t read her. “Okay.”
He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. He hadn’t expected her immediate agreement, maybe because she wasn’t shy about expressing objections if she had any.
Though it was good she didn’t object, he felt disappointed she hadn’t expected to share his bed. And why would she expect anything different when he’d made a point that last night had been a one-time thing?
His phone pinged with an incoming text. Welcoming the distraction, he tugged his phone from his pocket.
“ It’s from Sawyer and he included you on the text. The prints they’d pulled from your car after your tires were punctured?”
“ Yeah?”
“ They’re a match to Pamela Demaris. ”
“ Pam slashed my tires? Why would she do that? This keeps getting more and more bizarre.”
“ Good question. Sawyer says he’ll text an update on the case later.” Owen gave her a thoughtful frown. “You and I need to talk. Demaris was connected to Romero, and we need to figure out how.”