38. Maddie
38
MADDIE
The scent of coffee lingered in the air as I sat cross-legged on my dad’s well-loved couch, my laptop balanced on one knee and Ian’s emails open on the screen. It was Saturday, and technically, I wasn’t on the clock, but I didn’t want to let anything slip through the cracks. I needed to prove I was a good employee—someone who could handle her job despite the mess of headlines and gossip.
My phone buzzed beside me, interrupting my focus. I glanced at the screen to see Ian’s name and an attachment. My heart gave a little flutter as I opened the message.
Ian: I finally got a chance to drop by that place I was telling you about and took a few photos. What do you think? Does it look like a place you and Grant could live in?
Swiping open the text, I studied the attached photo. It was a charming little house with white siding, a dark shingled roof, and a neat, welcoming yard. My gaze lingered on the swing set in the corner, a detail that immediately tugged at my heart.
It was perfect. Too perfect. My chest tightened with longing as I stared at the image, already imagining Grant playing on that swing set or running barefoot through the grass.
But just as quickly as the image formed, reality doused it because a place like this was probably way out of my price range.
Ian lived in an entirely different stratosphere than I did. He probably didn’t realize that regular people couldn’t drop thousands a month on rent without breaking a sweat.
I sighed, setting my laptop aside. Glancing at Ian’s calendar to make sure he didn’t have a random Saturday-morning meeting, I decided to video call him. Yes, I could probably just text him back about the house, but it had been a week since he’d gone back to Eden Falls and I had missed seeing his face.
The call connected, and Ian’s image appeared, looking as sharp and effortlessly handsome as ever in what looked like his living room.
He wore a sleek golf shirt, his tan skin glowing like he’d just come off the course, and his dark hair was freshly cut. The sight sent a flutter through my chest, though I tried to tamp it down.
“Hey,” I said, smiling despite myself.
“Hey,” he replied, his voice warm. “What’s up?”
“Am I bugging you? You look like you just got back from golfing.”
“I did.” He chuckled. “Went a few rounds with Owen and Evan on my parents’ course this morning. But I’ve got time. What’s on your mind? Did you like the house?”
“I did. It’s beautiful. Like, way prettier than anywhere I’ve ever lived before. But…I’m pretty sure it’s out of my price range.”
“Oh…” Ian frowned slightly, leaning closer to the camera. “What price range are you looking for?”
“Um…” I hesitated, feeling a little embarrassed to say it out loud. “I was hoping to stay under two thousand a month. Less would be even better. But I know that’s probably wishful thinking.”
“Well, you’re in luck,” he said, his grin returning. “This place is only a thousand a month.”
“What?” My jaw dropped. “How is that possible? Is it missing windows or something? No furnace?”
He laughed, the sound rich and warm. “Nope. It’s in great condition—recently remodeled, actually.”
“Then what’s the catch? Terrible neighbors? Is it next to a landfill?”
“It’s actually a cottage on my parents’ property,” he said, a note of amusement in his tone. “Their driver, Vaughn, lived there for years, but he just moved in with his partner in town. So it’s vacant.”
“And your parents don’t have any other employees they want to rent it to?”
“You’re technically an employee,” Ian said with a teasing glint in his eye. “So they’d like to rent it to you.”
I looked at the photo again, my resistance wavering. It really was perfect.
“I can take you to see it when you’re back in town,” he said. “If you want.”
“Really?” I asked, my voice soft with disbelief.
He nodded. “Absolutely.”
Before I could say anything else, something in the background of Ian’s video feed caught my eye. A little black cat sauntered across the couch behind him.
He had a cat? When did that happen? Because I was pretty sure he’d told me before that he didn’t have any pets.
“Since when did you get a cat?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at the screen.
“Oh. Yeah.” Ian glanced behind him and smirked. “I forgot to tell you. A couple days after I got back, I saw this little guy out back. He looked hungry, so I gave him some meat.”
“Oh no,” I said, shaking my head with a laugh. “You fed him? Such a rookie mistake. That’s basically a binding contract. You’re his now.”
“I figured that out pretty quick.” Ian chuckled. “Rookie mistake, indeed. And well…now I have a pet cat.”
He set his phone on the coffee table, propping it up against something before reaching behind him to grab the little black bundle of fur. The cat squirmed briefly but then settled into Ian’s hands, its green eyes blinking curiously at the screen. Ian sank onto the carpet, holding the cat in front of him, his long fingers gently stroking its head.
“This is him,” Ian said, his tone oddly fond.
“Oh my gosh,” I breathed, unable to stop the grin spreading across my face. “That is the cutest kitten ever.”
“I know.” Ian’s lips quirked into a boyish smile. “I haven’t had a cat since I lived at my parents’ house, but apparently, I’m a cat person now.”
And I didn’t think it was possible for my heart to swell any more than it already had. But seeing this big, strong, manly businessman sitting cross-legged on the floor, cradling a tiny black kitten, well…it was almost too much to handle.
I mean, I’d been doing my best not to let my feelings for Ian spiral out of control, but how was I supposed to keep my cool when he was so…adorable?
“Mom, what are you looking at?” Grant’s voice pulled me back to the moment as he plopped onto the couch beside me.
“Ian has a new cat,” I said, turning the screen toward him. “Look.”
Grant’s eyes lit up as he leaned in. “Oh, he’s so cuuute!”
“I know, right?” I said, sharing a conspiratorial smile with my son.
Grant looked at me. “Can we get a cat? I really want a cat.”
I sighed, already knowing where this was going. “I know, buddy. I want one, too. But we need to find a place to live first—one that allows pets.”
“You always say that.” Grant folded his arms with a pout, his lower lip sticking out dramatically.
“Because it’s true,” I said with a shrug, trying not to laugh at his theatrics.
“If your mom lets you,” Ian said, his voice cutting in, “you can totally come see my cat sometime. I know it’s not the same, but Satan would love to play with someone besides me.”
“Wait…what did you just say?” My heart stuttered, and I blinked at the screen. “Did you just call your cat Satan ?”
“I thought it fit.” Ian’s expression faltered only momentarily before he nodded. “He’s been a little devil.”
I stared at him, my mind racing. This couldn’t be a coincidence, could it? My suspicion that Ian was the guy from the beach had been growing for weeks, but this…this was just too much.
Grant, oblivious to my internal spiral, turned to me with wide eyes. “Isn’t that so silly, Mom? Ian has a cat named Satan, and you always said if we got a cat, we’d name it Satan.”
I opened my mouth but no words came out. Instead, I glanced back at Ian on the screen, searching his face for any sign that he was putting the pieces together. But he just chuckled like Grant, apparently finding it all a funny coincidence.
“That’s hilarious,” Ian said, shaking his head. “Looks like you really do need to come see my cat when you’re back. Maybe you can even take him for a walk.”
“You can’t take cats on walks.” Grant burst into giggles. “They aren’t like dogs!”
Ian feigned a sheepish look. “Oops. Guess that explains why he was so mad at me when I tried to last night.”
Grant giggled harder, and I couldn’t help but smile. Ian’s easy way of talking to my son warmed something deep in my chest. I’d never pictured him being so good with kids, but he’d surprised me—again.
The kitten climbed onto Ian’s shoulder, looking ready to make its way to his head. Ian winced, flinching slightly as tiny claws dug into his skin. “Okay, buddy,” he said, lifting the cat down. “You’re a busy little devil, aren’t you?”
Grant leaned against me, his eyes glued to the screen. “Your cat is so silly.”
Ian grinned, his gaze flicking to me. “He’s been keeping things interesting, that’s for sure.”
I cleared my throat, glancing at the time. “We better let you go. We’ve got to head to the store. I’m making heart-healthy lasagna for dinner tonight.”
“Sounds delicious.”
“I hope so,” I said. “Trying to find some good, easy recipes that go along with my dad’s new eating plan.”
“That’s sweet of you to do that for him,” Ian said, his voice warm and steady. “He’s lucky to have you.”
The way he looked at me, his deep brown eyes soft with sincerity, made my chest flutter. How was I supposed to keep my guard up when he said things like that?
“Anyway…” Ian cleared his throat, his tone shifting slightly. “Have fun with your grocery shopping.”
“We’ll try.”
For a second, I considered making a joke about how no shopping trip would ever compare to the one we’d shared, but I held back.
Before we could hang up, Ian asked, “A-are you still coming back in a week? No plans to come back a little sooner?” His tone was casual, but there was a faint edge of hope that tugged at my heart.
I hesitated, glancing over at Grant who was now sprawled on the floor, watching TV. “Yeah,” I said. “Probably next Saturday or Sunday.”
“Do you need a ride?” he asked quickly, almost like he’d been waiting to say it. “Since your car is still sitting in my driveway.”
I bit my lip, unsure of how to answer without it sounding awkward. “Jaxon offered to give us a ride,” I said finally.
“Oh.” Something flickered across Ian’s face—disappointment, maybe? But just as quickly, he smoothed his expression and nodded. “Awesome. Let me know when you’re close. Maybe you and Grant can stop by and see Satan.”
I blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the name. “I’m sure Grant would love that.”
“And maybe after,” Ian added, his tone light, “I can show you the house. It’s pretty close to my place. We could even walk there.”
“Sure,” I said, trying to keep my voice neutral even though the idea of spending extra time with him sent a little thrill through me. Probably more than it should.
We ended the call, and as the screen went dark, I let out a long breath and leaned back against the couch. Being here for my dad had been good, grounding even. But as much as I hated to admit it, part of me was already counting down the days until I’d be back in Eden Falls.
Closer to the man who was starting to feel like home.