Chapter Five
Warren
Showing the woman the house I built for her after all these years is harder than I thought it’d be.
I can’t get my heart to settle down, but I push down the nerves and follow through.
Maisie’s dream board stuck with me, and although she left, I still wanted the house we discussed.
And a part of me hoped it’d bring her back to me.
She’d see what a life together could look like and pick us over her career hundreds of miles away.
But I never found the courage to tell her I built it.
When we got married, we lived in a small trailer behind my parents’ house. We were adjusting to living together for the first time since she graduated and moved back. It wasn’t much, but we made it our own while we dreamed up what our future home would be.
Her parents hated it. They wanted to buy her a new construction with zero charm or character, and as much as they tried to convince her, we said no .
It’s another reason I think they encouraged her so hard to take the apprenticeship.
I know Maisie wanted it, but they helped her pay for whatever she needed that was out of her budget.
We had a joint bank account, but not even my monthly salary would cover her rent.
If her parents weren’t so willing to pay her way, she would’ve had to stay.
And yeah, that’s a douche thing to think about when it was her dream, but when she got a permanent job offer, they were the ones who sent her even more money to make sure she had the fancy clothes and nicer apartment.
I couldn’t compete with that.
I could only hold onto the hope that she’d realize starting a life with me was once her dream too.
“Wow, Warren…” Her eyes widen when the A-frame comes into view. Now that it’s daylight, she can see the large windows and deck. “It’s even more stunnin’ than the photos on my board.”
“I agree. Pictures don’t do it justice.”
“You built this by yourself?” She looks at me in awe.
“Well, after a developer came out and got the land ready. My dad helped with the framing and floors, then I hired contractors for the electrical and plumbin’. Then I did the rest.”
The corner of her lips tilts up sweetly. “Can I see the inside?”
Inhaling deeply, I nod.
We climb off our horses, and I tie them to a tree before walking up the staircase that leads to the front door. I lift one of my plants and reveal the hideaway key.
“Seriously?” she deadpans.
I grin, laughing. “Don’t get any ideas. I’ll hide it under a different plant now. ”
She snorts.
Once I get the door open, I hold it for her and motion for her to go inside.
I follow as she walks into the living room and takes it all in.
“I can’t believe how beautiful this is. It’s so much better than I imagined it’d be.”
Even though it has the cozy vibes and fireplace she wanted, it’s still cold without her warmth added to it. She loved decorating, candles and picture frames, but the only photos I have are the ones of us.
I lead her to the kitchen and get a similar reaction.
“Do you cook here a lot?”
“Yeah, I taught myself after Aunt JoJo kept bringing frozen lasagnas and casseroles because she was worried I wasn’t eatin’ real food. Finally decided it was time to learn, so I took an online class and bought some cookbooks.”
Aunt Josephine’s a chef and manages the Summit Views Restaurant on the resort side. It’s a classy place for couples to have a romantic evening, and since each reservation includes one free dinner, it’s always busy.
“That’s awesome. I bet you’re a good cook too. I can only make food that comes out of a box or can.”
She was the one who wanted a kitchen big enough for us to cook together, so it surprises me that she never learned. It’s not her fault she never did growing up since she was raised with housekeepers and chefs in her parents’ house.
I walk up behind her and murmur close to her ear, “Want me to cook somethin’ for you? A Southern home-cooked meal. You remember those, dontcha?”
She shivers before looking over her shoulder and meeting my hard gaze. Hers drops to my lips and she swallows hard before her eyes find mine again. “I don’t wanna inconvenience you.”
My head’s screaming, inconvenience me! Do it! Stay here and never leave.
“I’m the one who offered,” I reply instead. “C’mon, I’ll show you the rest of the house and I’ll make us lunch.”
“Okay,” she says softly.
Deciding against my better judgment, I grab her hand and lead her down the hall to the rooms. When she doesn’t yank it away, I squeeze tighter and a shiver rolls down my spine at touching her again.
“This is the spare room that we said we’d use as a nursery, but since you wanted to work in publishing, I made it into an office instead.”
There’s a desk and chair facing the large window, with bookcases on either side of the plain walls.
“Why’s it empty? You don’t use it?”
“Because it was meant to be yours. I use the one at the stables and leave work at work, so I don’t need one here.”
She blows out a breath. “Wish I knew that feelin’.”
That makes me wonder if she ever does anything for herself or if her life revolves around her job.
“You should put some books in there. Or paintings on the walls,” she suggests.
“I keep my books downstairs in the library.”
She spins around, her wide eyes locked on mine. “You really built a library?”
“It’s not full or anythin’, but I put in built-in shelves so that you had room to store all your books. I figured you had so many already and will continue to buy more, so I wanted you to have the proper space.”
She chews on her bottom lip, and I’m tempted to pluck it and ask what she’s thinking.
“I have most of mine in storage at my parents’. My apartments never had enough room and it seemed silly to keep movin’ ’em around.”
“Do you live with your fiancé now?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t wanna go through the hassle of gettin’ ’em shipped up there and takin’ up space. Plus, they’re from when I was in high school and college. Most of the books I read now are from submissions and queries.”
“Hm. Interestin’…” I hide my disappointment.
The Maisie I knew would never be far from her books.
Even when she didn’t read them anymore, she always felt comforted with them around her.
She’d pull them off her shelves, flip through the pages, and bring them to her nose to inhale the scent.
When we’d hang out and she’d read, I’d smile at her expressions when she’d get to a big plot twist or reveal of some kind. I could watch her read for hours.
Every time she finished a book, she’d give me a full summary of everything that happened and if her theories were right or not. I loved that time we spent together, and even if we weren’t talking, being near her was all I needed.
Considering she’d reread her favorites over and over, it’s sad to know she’s no longer near them.
“What is?” she asks, furrowing her brows.
Clearing my throat, I say, “Nothin’. C’mon, this way.”
I walk down the hallway toward the master bedroom and into the en suite.
“Holy shit, this is huge!” She steps into the bathroom, her eyes focused on the deep tub. “I think this is bigger than my first apartment. ”
“Had to make it large enough to fit the tub.”
“Do you use it a lot?”
“Only a few times.”
“That’s it?” She gasps, laughing, and the sound of it has me smiling wide. “I’d never leave. You’d have to pry me outta there.”
That was my hope.
She walks around, looking at everything, opening drawers and cabinets as if she’s trying to find something. I silently follow when she goes into the walk-in closet.
“What?” I finally ask, curious about what she’s thinking.
“There’s no sign of another person livin’ here. No extra toothbrush or clothes.”
“No.”
“I’m surprised.”
“Why?”
Her shoulders lift casually, but she averts her gaze as she continues snooping through my things. Not that I mind, so I don’t bother stopping her.
“You’re a catch, Warren. Figured you would’ve had a special someone in your life by now.”
“I’ve never brought anyone here. Besides my family, you’re the only woman who’s been inside my bedroom.”
That grabs her attention, but her hard stare is hard to read. “Never?”
“Why would I bring another woman to my bed that was meant for my wife and me?”
“Warren…” The sound of my name on her lips sends a jolt of electricity through me, and I hate how badly I crave to hear it again.
Stepping closer, I bring my hand to her face and brush a loose strand behind her ear. “I’d burn it down before I let another woman live here with me.”
Hazel orbs burn through me, but the wheels are turning through her mind.
“You have to move on,” she demands above a whisper. “This ain’t healthy.”
I inch closer again, unable to keep my distance. “I can’t.”
“You deserve to be happy. But that can’t come from me.”
“Then I don’t want it.”
“Warren, please. I don’t wanna hurt you more than I already have. We’re not compatible anymore. Don’t you wanna find?—”
“I’d rather die alone than be with someone else.”
“That’s dramatic.”
“It’s the truth.”
“You’ve not been with anyone else?”
I arch a brow at her question because I thought I was being fucking clear.
“No, Maze. I’ve only been with you. You were my first and last.”
Her throat bobs and my own tightens. We’re a breath apart, but I don’t move, hoping she’ll take the half-inch step to press her lips to mine.
“I should go.”
She moves to step around me, but I grab her arm. “Wait, I owe you lunch.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You don’t wanna see the library?”
That causes her to pause. “Okay, but then I need to get home.”
She’s full of shit, but I don’t call her out on it. Considering she’s the one who sought me out and is on my ass to sign those papers, her wanting to bail means being near me is giving her conflicting feelings.
Seven years apart, and I can still tell when her body reacts to mine.
She follows me down to the lower level and when I flick on the lights, there’s a sharp gasp behind me.
“Oh my God, Warren…” She walks ahead of me and toward the floor-to-ceiling shelves I painted a matte black.