1. Seven Years Later
Chapter 1
Seven Years Later
CHARLIE
“Oh my gosh, Casper! Look how cute this town is!”
The white furball chirped with a meow and popped his head up like he knew exactly what I’d just said. Sticking my fingers through the front of his crate, I gave him a scratch under his chin before looking back to the small downtown area we were driving through in our new hometown.
Townsfolk bundled in long coats and scarves walked along the cobblestone sidewalks. Trees were decorated with twinkling lights—remnants from the holiday season that just passed.
There were so many cute shops inside of the old brick buildings. Excitement thrummed through my veins as I wondered what little treasures I might find inside.
As I slowly drove forward, I made a note to come back to Sarah’s Bakery. It looked too cute with its pink awning and swirly logo. You could always tell how good a place was by the number of people inside. The small bakery was packed to the brim with patrons. Every single table was occupied and there were several people standing in line.
My new home .
I still couldn’t believe it. After years of dreaming, I finally made the decision to pack up my life in Charlotte and move to a small mountain town in Georgia. It would be an adjustment for sure, but I was excited for what was ahead.
About twenty minutes past the downtown area, rolling hills started appearing on both sides of the road with grand mountains in the distance. Even with the gray winter sky, the view was stunning.
Having grown up in Charlotte, North Carolina, I’d been a city girl through and through. The idea of being surrounded by nature and wide-open spaces called to me though, and I was excited to finally be where my heart longed for. I’d needed space and something different for a long while.
“I think this one might be us,” I said to Casper. His front paws were tucked underneath himself and his eyes were starting to get droopy like the long ride had finally taken its toll on him.
The GPS cued me to turn left onto what appeared to be a long winding dirt road. Tall brown grass lined both sides for what had to be miles over countless hills. I smiled to myself because this was exactly what I hoped it would be. Not a skyscraper in sight. No trash on sidewalks or lost tourists asking too many questions.
Just pure, untouched beauty.
When I leased Badger Creek Cabin, the landlord reached out to me and told me I should meet him at his house on the property first so he could show me how to get to the cabin since there wasn’t a designated road for it.
I was nervous at first. I wasn’t exactly the best with directions and if there wasn’t even a road leading to my new home, I was likely to get lost on more than one occasion. But the landlord made it seem like it would be a fairly easy drive once I got it down.
Casper’s paws stretched through the front grate of his crate a few minutes later when we arrived at my landlord’s house.
I pulled up next to a giant truck in the driveway and took a moment to settle in. The main house was also a cabin that appeared to be made of fir wood with a beautiful reddish hue to it that was a stark contrast to the dull grass that surrounded it. With a wraparound porch, it looked exactly like the tiny cabin I was meant to stay in, just on a grander scale.
My heart fluttered with excitement, and I let out a little squeal as I clapped my hands together. “Okay, buddy! We’re here!” I popped my head closer to the front of his crate and crooned at him. He purred with appreciation when I ran my fingers between his ears.
Leaving the car running so Casper would stay warm, I hopped out and smiled at the bite of cold air hitting my cheeks. I loved winter. In fact, I loved every season Mother Earth had to offer us. Each one brought something different and beautiful. A new experience every few months always made it feel like life was brimming with energy.
Gravel crunched under my boots as I headed up the walkway. When I got to the front door, I took a deep breath in. This was the start of my brand-new adventure, and I couldn’t believe after years of conjuring this moment up in my mind, I was finally here.
I knocked three times before burying my hands in my coat pockets. Footsteps sounded on the other side of the door.
“Eek!” I whispered to myself.
The door swung open to reveal a giant man taking up most of the entrance. My gaze landed at chest height and the first thing I noticed was how his T-shirt laid perfectly over his sculpted pectoral muscles.
Oh! I thought to myself before my eyes skated upward. Black stubble lined his square jaw, making a perfect backdrop for plump lips that seemed almost too soft against his dark features. But his eyes…bright green like a lily pad dancing along the surface of a pristine lake.
His eyes .
I know those eyes .
“You,” I said aloud before I had a chance to think about the word I’d just sputtered.
The same realization sparked in those vivid irises as he looked me up and down with fiery indignation.
“No.” His voice was gruff and stern before he stepped backward and slammed the door in my face.
I remained standing on his front porch where he left me in utter shock wondering what mystical forces might be at play here. The man who saved me seven years ago was my new landlord and he’d just slammed his front door in my face.
Well, this is off to a great start.
I peeked through the long window that lined the side of his door, but the blinds were closed so tightly, I couldn’t see even a sliver of the inside.
The cold was starting to seep its way into my jacket the longer I stood on his front porch. There was no mistaking the recognition in his eyes when he saw me. I just didn’t understand why he didn’t want to see me. How the recognition turned into…disdain.
Maybe I should have turned away and found a new place to stay. Intruding on his space wasn’t my intention and if he didn’t want me here then I could respect that. But I’d also fought for this opportunity for years. The least he could do was give me a little more than a no .
Raising my closed fist, I went to knock on his door again but didn’t get the chance when it flew open, and he stepped through the threshold. I looked to my fist hanging midair and swallowed before it fell to my side.
We were nearly toe-to-toe, and I had to crane my neck to look into his face.
“I’m Deacon Calhoun.” He extended his hand out to me.
I looked at it and blinked. No apology. No explanation for why he slammed the door in my face and left me out here in the cold.
Okay, this is how things are going to go then . I can play along with this if it gets me what I want .
Slipping my hand in his, I almost moaned at the warmth that engulfed my palm. But when I peeked up at his face, I saw a flicker of pain dance across his eyes and his brows pinched together slightly.
“It’s nice to formally meet you, Deacon. I’m Charlie Banks.”
“Yes, I know.”
I supposed he did know. Not just from that fateful day we had together but from my paperwork I submitted for the rental.
If there was ever an awkward moment in my life, this one surely took the cake. I pulled my hand away, severing the connection that seemed to cause him distress.
“Are you still okay with me being here, Deacon?” The cold was biting and all I wanted to do was get situated in my new home and snuggle with Casper after this frigid greeting.
His voice was gruff as he said, “It’s fine. Let me show you the way to the cabin.”
As he tried to move past me, I grabbed a hold of his wrist, and I swore he stopped breathing. Avoiding my gaze, he kept his eyes locked straight ahead.
“I can leave if this is too uncomfortable for you.” Not knowing why he was reacting this way toward me, it was all I could offer. I didn’t want to go. But if it was something he needed me to do, I would.
Haunted by some unknown part of our entangled past, his eyes were sullen as they shifted to look at me. “It’s fine.”
With a deep breath, I let go of his wrist and followed him in silence as he jumped into his truck, and I settled back into the driver seat of my sedan.
Casper let out a little squeak of concern. He always had a way of knowing when I was feeling off.
“Looks like we’re in for a bit of a ride with this one, buddy. But I think it’ll be okay.” The hum of his purr settled my nerves as I shifted gears and followed behind Deacon’s truck.
The drive wasn’t too long. Maybe a little more than five minutes. When the cabin came into view, my breath hitched, and my heart fluttered.
“Wow,” I breathed. “It’s so beautiful.”
Still behind the wheel of my car, I stared at the tiny cabin before me. Bright fir wood, the same as the main house, was stacked in layers building up the frame of the home. The porch was much smaller than Deacon’s, but it was perfect with a rocking chair and side table that had a small pot of primroses. Three hanging pots filled with pansies swung in the gentle breeze along the edge of the overhang.
Picturesque didn’t begin to cover it. I was smitten with the cabin and beyond thankful that Deacon decided to let me stay here after his momentary panic…was panic what I saw in his face?
Shaking my head, I let any worries about my new landlord go. The property seemed huge, so I doubted we would run into each other that much anyway.
Deacon appeared from the driver’s seat of his lifted truck, so I grabbed Casper’s small crate and headed toward the front door.
Butterflies struck my stomach when I heard the sound of rushing water. “Is there a river behind the cabin?” I asked excitedly as I watched him sort through a ring of keys. I didn’t miss how large his hands were and blushed when I thought back to how warm he felt when we shook hands earlier.
Deacon grunted his affirmation. “Didn’t you see the photos online?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t realize the river was right behind it. I thought it was just somewhere on the property.”
He settled on one of the keys and pushed it into the lock. “I wouldn’t suggest going onto the dock. It needs to be repaired after a big storm blew some of the panels off. I’ll be around this weekend to get it back in working order.”
“That would be wonderful. Thank you.”
Those striking green eyes glanced at me over his shoulder and for a moment I wasn’t standing on a charming cabin porch anymore. Heat licked up my ribcage and my lungs burned from smoke inhalation. The only thing keeping me cognizant was the sound of his voice, calling after me. Telling me to stay awake. That he would do anything to get me out.
Meow! Casper let out a whaling note of frustration that broke me away from the glimpse into my past.
Lifting the crate upward, I stroked his paw and told him, “It’s okay, buddy. Almost time for you to run free again.”
“Is that a cat?”
I looked up at Deacon who seemed to have found an even more disdainful look than the one he gave me when he first saw me at his house.
“Yes, his name is Casper.” I lifted the crate so Deacon could see him clearly.
He looked down at Casper. His lips shifted into a tight line before he looked back at me.
I shrugged. “The rental posting said that pets were allowed.”
He mumbled something under his breath that sounded a lot like ‘I hate cats’ before shoving the cabin door open. I brought Casper’s carrier closer to my chest and whispered to him, “He didn’t mean that.”
Casper and I followed Deacon inside and I had to quiet the squeal that built inside my throat. The space was so cute! It was loft style with a pretty decent sized kitchen. White veined quartz sat on top of sage green cabinetry that gave the space an elevated feel from a typical cottage core vibe. A small loveseat took up one corner of the living space with a pine and mahogany wood coffee table in front of it.
Best of all, the bed on the opposite side of the space was king-sized and looked heavenly after the long drive I’d just made. A yawn ached at the back of my throat, but I kept my mouth closed trying to stifle it.
“There’s fresh towels and linens in this closet here.” He opened a narrow doorway that housed three shelves of everything I would need. Then he pointed to the only other door in the space, to the right of the bed. “The bathroom is through that door over there. It’s a tight space, but with it only being you it should be fine.”
He paused for a moment, his hand lingering over the door handle. “It is just you, right? ”
I chuckled. “Yes. I’m not sneaking another tenant in here, I promise.”
His eyes turned stormy, the bright green darkening a few shades. Then, I realized he wasn’t asking about me sneaking in a tenant. He was wondering if I had a man who might be visiting.
I refrained from snorting. After his cold greeting, I was going to keep my extra-curricular activities to myself. He didn’t need to know what he didn’t need to know.
“Everything looks great, thank you.” I changed the subject from my waning love life, then set Casper’s crate on the ground so I could let him out to explore. A quick undoing of the latch and he bounded through the opening.
His little whiskers flinched as he sniffed the air of his new home before setting his sights on Deacon. Casper pranced toward him, and I couldn’t help but giggle when he started rubbing against Deacon’s jean clad legs, winding around and around.
“Um, what’s it doing?” For such a large man, Deacon looked genuinely disturbed by my little fluff ball.
I grinned. “He’s just saying hello. When he winds through your legs like that, it means he likes you.”
Confusion knitted his brows together. “How can he like me? He doesn’t even know me.”
“I’m not sure.” I bent down to pick up Casper. “Maybe it’s your winning personality,” I snickered. He glowered at me.
Silence filled the small space as we stared at one another, neither one willing to give an inch. That was when I noticed the small ember flakes amongst the pine green of his irises. I’d never seen eyes like his before.
I let myself become entranced by them, noticing all the fine details so I might keep them with me. Not that I would ever need a reason to think about him. Especially not about the small scar that split the cupid’s bow of his upper lip. Or what it might feel like to run my palm against the side of his stubbled jaw.
He cleared his throat, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts. I stumbled back a step, like being too close to him might make me do something stupid. The man clearly loathed my existence for whatever reason. The last thing I needed to do was complicate things in my new home.
“Well, thanks for the tour. I’ve got it from here.”
“Right. Yeah. I, um, left my phone number on the fridge in case anything comes up that you need help with.”
I glanced behind me where a sticky note with his phone number was taped onto the fridge door. “Thanks.”
Another awkward pause and then, “Okay, I’ll get out of your hair.”
With that, Deacon walked out my new front door and I was left to wonder what I’d just gotten myself into.