Chapter Six – Cadie
Cadie
I was staying at the Moose Village Inn while trying to decide if this was where I would stay. Some part of me said to keep moving on, but I would get tired of the constant upheaval at some point. The other part of me said I was safe here. And if I was being honest, I really liked this little town. I just knew in my heart that no one would come looking for me in a town called Moose Village. At least, that was what I was hoping for anyway.
My phone buzzed and I picked it up to see it was the local realtor I had contacted about finding a place. I wasn’t sure if I should rent or buy. Maybe it would look better if I bought something, but having a large sum of money to purchase a house outright surely would cause red flags.
“Rent, it is,” I said as I stood, slipped my phone into my purse, and walked to the door. Once outside, I saw Nic waiting outside of his Subaru.
“Good morning, Cadie,” he said with a wide smile. He’d asked me out the first time I met him. When I politely declined, he didn’t act like an asshole, which was good. I had heard he was a great realtor and was banking on the fact that the business side would outweigh any feelings of awkwardness.
“Morning, Nic.”
“Ready to look at some places? I pulled some for sale and some for rent.”
I stopped before him as he opened the passenger door for me. “I think I’ve decided to rent. I need a bit more time in Moose Village to decide if I want to put roots down just yet.”
He winked. “Totally understandable. I’ve got more rentals pulled than for sales. I’m not sure what your employment plan is, but you’d have to get prequalified, and you mentioned you weren’t interested in doing that, and I’m not sure if you make enough at the bakery.”
I pulled my face back. “How do you know that? I could have savings and be paying cash.”
His eyes lit up. “Do you?”
Ignoring him, I looked at his car and then stepped back. “I’m going to follow you.”
A look of instant regret appeared on his face. “I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable, Cadie.”
I gently squeezed his arm. “No, not at all. I’d rather follow, if you don’t mind.”
Turning, I walked over to my car and climbed in. I quickly shut the door and started it. Nic didn’t even have a chance to debate it with me. He got in his car and started to drive. I should have gotten the address, just in case we separated.
Oh, well, it was too late now. Luckily, Nic wasn’t a crazy driver, and it was easy to follow him. The first two rentals were terrible. Dirty and in bad shape. The third, we pulled up, and I took one look and shook my head. The front porch looked as if it was about to collapse. Nic got back into his car, and we drove a little bit farther out of town. We pulled down a long driveway and came to a stop in front of a small log cabin. Finally, we were getting somewhere. I was almost ready to come to terms with living in a motel for the rest of my life. It was either that, or asking Katherine if she wanted a roommate.
“Looks like you saved the best for last,” I said with a laugh as I walked up the porch steps. “It’s a bit far from town, but not too far. Secluded, that’s for sure.”
“This one just came on the market. It was by luck that I even saw it come through. A local resident owns it, but lives in New York City, so they rent it out.”
“Really?” I asked as I felt a bit of hope for the first time that day.
“It’s a bit higher than your price range,” Nic warned.
I nodded as he punched in the code. “How much over?”
“It’s currently priced at $2200 per month, but I can see why from the pictures I saw. It’s one bedroom, one full bath, and a half bath. There is a small office that you could probably put a futon in when you have company come over.”
I nodded and walked into the cabin. I gasped at the sight before me. The walls were all painted a soft gray, and the trim was black. To my left was a galley-style kitchen. It looked like brand-new appliances, and the best part was that there were two ovens and a gas stovetop on the island. It wasn’t a huge kitchen, but it was perfect for me.
“The kitchen is darling,” I said as I walked in.
“There is no eat-in option, but you could put a small table over here,” Nic said as he pointed to the other side of the room. The room was large enough to be a living room and a small dining room with built-in cabinets, a small sink, and storage for wine glasses .
“This is a nice size dining area for just me.”
“It is. And over here is the living room area. If you like an open space, this is your place.”
“This is a great-sized living room!” I said with excitement for the first time that day.
Nic nodded. At the end of the room, there was a beautiful wood-burning fireplace. I could easily imagine myself snuggled up in a chair reading while a fire crackled.
“This would be perfect.”
Nic motioned for me to go down the hall. “Down this hall is the bedroom, but first, your half bath.”
He stopped and opened the door to the bathroom. It was darling. There was a small wooden floating counter with a copper bowl, and a toilet was tucked in the corner.
“Here is the bedroom.”
We walked into a bedroom that was about twelve by twelve with exposed logs. “This is bigger than I thought, and I adore the exposed logs.”
Nic smiled. “I kind of wish they would have left more logs exposed. You could easily fit a king-size bed in here and a dresser.”
I nodded.
“And in here, your bathroom.”
I walked into a stunning room. This bathroom had the same counter, but there were two sinks. A large, walk-in glass shower was in the corner, with several sprays coming from the wall and a rain shower above.
“The claw foot tub, I think, is one of my favorites. Along with the black and white tiles. Feels very vintage in here.”
“It does.”
Turning in a circle, I could already picture myself in this house. “I’ll take it. ”
Nic’s brows shot up. “You don’t want to think about it? I mean, it doesn’t come furnished so you would have to get furniture, and you just offered up a lot of money for the rent.”
With a shake of my head, I asked, “It’s fine. I can get furniture. I don’t need much. Can you let them know as soon as possible? I’m ready to get out of the motel.”
“It just came on the market, I’m sure we have time to–”
“It would make me feel better if you could call right now and give a verbal offer.”
Nic frowned but said, “I’ll do it right now. Excuse me.”
As Nic made his way out of the bathroom, I walked over to the oversized closet. Tucked in the corner was a stackable, full-size washer and dryer.
“This is perfect and almost too good to be true,” I whispered as I returned to the kitchen. I could hear Nic on the phone as I approached.
“There is already a verbal offer,” Nic said.
“I’ll pay them three thousand a month.”
Nic nearly choked. “Um, yes, that was my client. You did hear her correctly. Um, well, she works for Opal.”
“I’ll also pay the first six months’ rent in cash.”
Pulling out a card like that was risky, but I wanted this cabin. Everything else Nic showed me was terrible. And with his prejudice about what I could and couldn’t afford, I was honestly ready to nip this search in the bud.
“Yes, she said she would pay the first six months in cash.”
“At the original price of $2200,” I quickly added.
“At the original price.” Nic turned away from me. He mumbled something I couldn’t hear, then turned back to face me as he ended the call. “You’ve got it. We’ll need to return to my office and sign the lease. ”
Smiling, I took one more look around. “Wonderful. I’ll meet you there.”
I stood in the middle of my living room and smiled. This was where I would make a new beginning. It was where I hoped and prayed I could put the past behind me and work on a future.
The sound of a car pulling up caused my heart to slam against my chest. Who in the world could it be?
I peeked out the window and gasped when I saw who had exited the car.
“Kian?”
Opening the door, I stepped out onto the front porch.
“What are you doing here?”
My voice came out rough and angry, and I instantly attempted to soothe it by smiling. “I mean, how did you even know I was here?”
Kian looked confused. “What are you doing here?”
I let out a confused laugh. “I rented this cabin.”
His confused look quickly became one of shock. “You rented this cabin?” he asked, pointing to said building.
“Yes, yesterday.”
Kian laughed as he rubbed at the back of his neck. “May I ask from whom?”
Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, I replied, “Nic. He is a real estate agent and was showing me some rentals, and this one came up when we were out looking yesterday. He called someone, and they agreed to the terms.”
Kian cursed and turned away from me .
“Kian, is everything okay?” I asked as I made my way down the steps and walked toward him.
He faced me and plastered on a fake smile.
“I guess that depends on what you think is okay in this situation.”
Clearing my throat, I asked, “ This situation?”
Kian sighed. “This is my cabin.”
My mouth dropped open. “I’m sorry…what?”
“This cabin, I own it. I leased it out. I was told that the previous renters had moved out and that they were putting it back up on the sites to rent out. I emailed them and told them to hold off since I was coming back to Moose Village, but clearly, they did not. I thought it was too good to be true that the cabin would be empty when I moved back to town.”
Wringing my hands together, I looked back at the cabin and then at Kian. If he was the owner, he would soon find out I paid the first six months’ rent up front. My heart couldn’t possibly pound any harder. He’d surely want to know why I had such a large sum of money.
Before I could even utter a word, Kian’s phone rang. “This is Kian.”
My brows shot up. Was that really how he answered his phone?
“Yes, I just discovered that little mistake. Did you not get my email, Linda, not to put it back on the market?”
I turned and started toward the porch. There was a rocking chair on the porch, and I sat down. It suddenly felt very awkward, and the last thing I wanted to do was walk back into the cabin that Kian Carter owned and was most likely planning on living in since he had moved back to Moose Village .
Kian had turned and walked away so I couldn’t hear his conversation. His voice never raised, so I took that as a good sign. When he ended the call, he turned and made his way up to the porch and sat on the other rocking chair. Neither of us said anything for a good two minutes.
“So, what does this mean?” I finally asked.
“This isn’t your fault, and it would be unfair of me to make you leave. Besides, I can continue to stay at the guest house at my parents’ place. It was the original plan until I thought this place was vacant when Linda told me the renters moved out. She never got my email…obviously.”
“Kian, I can find another place. It’s really okay.”
He turned and smiled at me, and I tried to ignore how it made my heart feel like it tripped over itself. “I don’t need a place to stay, but you do. Besides, you paid the first six months in advance. Who wouldn’t want a renter like that?”
A nervous bubble of laughter slipped free. “Well, after the places Nic showed me yesterday, this place was like the Biltmore, and I didn’t want to risk losing it.”
Kian tossed his head back and laughed. “The Biltmore, huh? I’ve never been.”
“Really?” I asked. “It’s beautiful. The insane amount of wealth that family had was crazy.”
Of course, I neglected to mention that my family was most likely wealthier than Kian’s. My great-great-grandfather was best friends and business partners with John Rockefeller, and good friends with Cornelius Vanderbilt as well. My family seemed to manage the wealth a heck of a lot better than the Vanderbilts. My parents currently live in Italy and probably received the letter from my brother that I’d written to them. I sent it to him and asked him to forward it to our parents so no one could trace a letter from me to them. I so longed to talk to my mother and father. And my brother. I felt lost in this new world I was living in. Kian spoke and interrupted my thoughts.
“People think money will make you happy, but it’s far from the truth.”
I studied his face. Something was clearly weighing heavy on his mind. “I think that depends on the person. If you don’t let your money go to your head and do good with it, then it can make you happy.”
Kian smiled. “You sound like you speak from experience.”
I shrugged. How in the hell did I let that slip?
“Anyway, what do we do with the cabin?” I asked.
“It’s yours. I’ve got a place to stay.”
“The guest house?” I asked.
Kian smiled. “The guest house.”
“I’m curious why you don’t stay at your home; why the guest house?”
“Are we asking personal questions now?” He winked.
I held up my hands. “Fair enough. I’m sorry about your cabin.”
Kian stood. “Don’t be. I’m glad you were able to get it. Where were you staying before?”
“Um, the Moose Village Inn.”
He nodded. “The place didn’t come furnished. Are you going to be able to buy furniture after putting up so much cash up front?”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I glanced at the door that led into the cabin. “I’m sure I can find some good deals.”
Kian stood. “I have a friend who owns a furniture store about thirty minutes from here in Lake Placid. I’m sure he’ll make you a good deal.”
Everything inside me screamed to tell him I was fine and could manage to get it. But another part of me wanted to spend time with Kian. For the last month, I had kept to myself, which wasn’t normal for me. I was a people person, and keeping to myself for much longer would drive me crazy.
Could I trust Kian? When he smiled, and it lit his eyes up, I had my answer. “You don’t have anything better to do today?”
“I’m currently unemployed, so I have all the time in the world. Are you off from the bakery today?”
“I am. Are you sure you don’t mind? I haven’t had a chance to drive around and see what’s in the area, so I wasn’t sure if there was a furniture store.”
His brows shot up. “You’ve been here a month and haven’t looked around the area or googled anything?”
“I have not.”
He ran his hand over his chin. “Have you seen the calendar of events page on the city website?”
Laughing, I replied, “I haven’t.”
“Oh, Cadie, you need to bookmark that page. If there is one thing about Moose Village, they love their city and celebrate. This month is the spring scavenger hunt, even though it’s still normally cold out during it.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“You meet at City Hall and get the list of what is on the scavenger hunt. Once you get all the locations marked off and what you found at each one, you go back to City Hall. Whoever gets there first with all of the correct items wins.”
Smiling, I asked, “What do you win? ”
Kian winked, and I had to force myself not to swoon. Goodness, the man was handsome. Built. Charming. And a bit mysterious. “Respect.”
I laughed again. “Respect? All that running around, and you don’t even get a free ice cream at the ice cream parlor?”
He shrugged. “I haven’t done it in years, and maybe it was because we were kids and we didn’t get anything, but, man, it was a lot of fun. The grownups loved it as well.”
“Did your parents have fun doing it?” I asked.
Kian’s smile instantly vanished. “They never participated in it. At least not with us kids.”
“I’m sorry. That seems like something that would be fun to do with your kids.”
He gave a half shrug. “My parents liked the idea of kids but didn’t like us around. We were messy, loud, and didn’t fit the idea of a perfect world. At least not until we were old enough for them to start shaping us how they wanted us to be. We were a good conversation for them at their functions, and once we were old enough to behave, they would drag us to these events. I liked the Christmas parties, though; they were fun.”
I wanted to take his hand and squeeze it. I didn’t know what it was like to have parents who weren’t in every aspect of my life. I hated that my own lived in Italy, but they made sure to call every other week after I moved out and they even managed to return to the states for Christmas every year. That was the hardest part about this…not having any contact with my family.
Instead of taking his hand, I gave him a soft smile. “I wish I could say I understand, but my parents are very loving. ”
“Do they live close by?”
I felt myself wobble for a half second. “No, they live on the West Coast.” Of Italy.
It wasn’t a lie…exactly.
“Do you miss them?”
Tears stung at the back of my eyes. “Yes. Very much.”
“Hopefully, they can come and visit. I bet they would like the area.”
My parents loved Boston and the surrounding area, which was why I moved to Boston.
“I know they would.”
Kian clapped his hands, causing me to jump. “Let’s get going.”
“Oh, um, let me grab my purse. Come in to…um…your cabin.”
He laughed and followed me into his cabin.
“Love what you’ve done to the place.”
I couldn’t help myself; I giggled and instantly felt myself blush.
“Give me a bit of time, and I’ll get this place looking great.”
A crease appeared between his eyes. “And you’re sure you can buy furniture?”
My heart warmed with his concern. “I do. I had a very well-paying job before, and since I’m single with no kids, I put a lot of money away into my savings. I only offered to pay up front because I wanted this cabin, and I wasn’t sure what my job would look like in six months.”
“Are you not happy at the bakery?”
“Oh.” I waved my hands widely in front of me. “Yes! I love working there, but I don’t know if Opal will need me there long term. I thought it was better to play it safe. ”
His body relaxed. “Trust me, Opal loves you and thinks you are a wonderful baker. I will tell you, she is worried she put too much pressure on you to decorate this Tigger cake.”
My chest squeezed. “Goodness, I don’t want her worrying about that. I’ve decorated cakes before, so I have some experience. It’s finished, so I’m just hoping she will like it.”
He waved his hand as if silently saying I was worrying about nothing. “She is going to love it. Trust me.”
It was my turn to relax a little. “That makes me happy. I adore Opal. She reminds me of my granny, who taught me everything I know about baking.”
“She is pretty amazing.”
We stood there briefly and looked everywhere but at each other.
“We should get going, don’t you think?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yes. Are you comfortable with me driving?”
“Sure, if you don’t mind driving. You know your way around a lot better than I do!”
“That is true. Come on, let’s go. I’ll call my friend and let him know we’re on our way.”