Chapter 19
An hour later, Reid drove down the tree-lined lane to the cabin tucked in the woods. As much as he hated the reason for being here, his pulse picked up at the sight of Sunrise Security’s latest purchase.
Tall evergreens surrounded the log cabin fronted by a narrow porch.
Nothing sprawling like Lily and Madden’s place, just big enough to fit a couple of chairs and maybe a little table to set in between.
The flowerbeds were edged out, but only dirt and weeds surrounded the house.
Bags of mulch lay in a heap in front of the garage door, the unhung shutters freshly painted a deep red beside them.
“Home, sweet home.” Reid turned off the engine. “Well, not really. Madden and I bought this place to use as a safe house for our clients. It’s a work in progress. I figured I could show you around, spend some time here. It’s one of my favorite places.”
A slight frown caused the skin on her forehead to pinch in the middle. “How did it take us so long to get here? You took so many turns, I couldn’t keep track of our location. But I swear we shouldn’t be that far from town.”
He grinned then grabbed the handles of their duffel bags. “We’re only about twenty miles north of Cloud Valley. After we stopped at the store, I took the scenic route. Wanted to make sure no one followed us.”
“Tricky. Here, I’ll take my stuff.”
Normally he’d insist on carrying her things, but he had a truck bed filled with reusable totes to gather. Once she hooked her duffel over her shoulder and stepped down from the vehicle, he hopped out and grabbed everything else.
The midmorning sun beat through the clearing of trees.
Birds sang nearby. As he walked toward the porch, he filled his lungs with the fresh mountain air.
This was a large part of why he’d moved to Wyoming—for peace and nature, to carve out a place beside the mountains where he could appreciate the quiet.
One day he’d carve out a place that belonged only to him.
But for now, he’d take refuge in the little cabin and the woman beside him.
The reason they were there sucked, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t find ways to enjoy their time together.
He’d even made sure they both brought enough stuff for the night in case they decided to stay.
Eve followed him up the two steps and waited while he disarmed the security system and unlocked the door. When she crossed the threshold, he held his breath. She wasn’t the high-maintenance type, but that didn’t mean unfinished floors and fresh drywall in the kitchen wouldn’t turn up her nose.
Setting her bag on the ground, Eve walked into the living room and spun in a slow circle. “This place is adorable.”
The tightness in his chest loosened. The cabin was special to him, and he wanted Eve to appreciate it as much as he did.
“It will be.” He crossed through the living room to the attached kitchen and plopped the bags on the long island. “Madden and I keep trying to find time to get the work done. It’s taking a little longer than we thought.”
“You’re doing the work yourselves? That’s impressive.” She strolled around the perimeter of the space until she met him in the kitchen. “I didn’t know you had that skill set.”
“Oh, I have a lot of skills you don’t know about.”
“Oh, really?”
He unpacked the refrigerated items from the bags. “Yep. You’ve already eaten my cooking.” He shot her a wink before placing the items in the fridge then turning back around to grab a box of microwave popcorn.
“You’re a man of many talents. Maybe I can show you some of my own.”
He almost choked as his mind went to every dirty innuendo she could possibly mean.
Rounding the island, she plucked the box from his hand and kissed his cheek. “I mean around the cabin. I’m pretty handy myself. While we’re here, I might as well be useful.”
Her comment was a reminder of something he’d picked up at the store that was still in the back of his truck.
He hoped she’d view his offering as something special and not be put off by his idea.
“I’m glad to hear you say that, because I have something in mind.
” He laughed at the dubious furrow of her brow.
“Okay, we’ll talk about that after we get settled. ”
“Does it matter where I put this?” She shook the box in her hand.
“Not really. As you can tell, things aren’t exactly organized around here.”
She stuck the popcorn in a cabinet then zeroed in on swatches of paint colors lying on the granite counter. “Are these paint choices for the kitchen?”
He finished unloading the groceries then leaned against the counter beside her.
Now that they’d opened the gates to this new part of their relationship, he couldn’t stand having any space between them.
“Yeah. We’re leaning toward this dark blue.
Something deep and rich, soothing for people in rough situations who find themselves here. ”
Smoothing her fingertip over the color he’d selected, she grinned up at him. “I like it—the color and the reason behind it. You and Madden are a great team. You put detail into the small things, which goes a long way with people. Can I see the rest of the cabin?”
“Of course.” He snatched her hand and took her back through the living room. “There’re three bedrooms and one bathroom. We didn’t want anything too big, but enough space in case someone has a kid or something.”
Her hand tightened in his. “I can’t imagine being in danger and having a child to worry about. You should make sure to have some games and stuffed animals around.”
He pushed open one of the closed doors, showing off the room they’d designated for a younger guest. “Already thought of that.”
The walls were painted a light gray. A cream-colored blanket covered the queen-size bed and a bookcase filled with puzzles, books and games was pressed against the far wall.
“Oh, wow. I didn’t expect the rooms to be complete.”
He closed the door and shifted to the other room across the hall, revealing a similar space but with a long dresser instead of a bookcase.
“We thought it was wise to have the rooms done first. People can stay here without cabinet doors in the kitchen. It’d be harder without beds and a quiet place to rest.”
“Smart.”
He padded down the hall and ushered her into the primary bedroom. “And this is my favorite space in the house.”
With wide eyes, Eve strolled through the cozy room.
She passed the fireplace that blended into the log wall and tapped her fingers on the circular table flanked by matching bucket chairs.
Her gaze landed on the large bed with the pale blue quilt topped with a mound of coordinated pillows.
“This room was ripped out of my dreams. Who did this?”
He stood in the doorway, enjoying watching her. “Me.”
She faced him with the prettiest smile. “I think I could stay here forever.”
Her words tightened his chest, making him somehow grateful for this chance to whisk her away, regardless of the reason.
Hopefully they could dig into that deeper a little later, because if he didn’t get her out of this room right now, they’d never leave.
Curiosity urged Eve another step farther outside. Reid stood in front of her with one of the tote bags slung over his shoulder. “I’m afraid to ask what you have in mind.”
“Come sit with me for a second and I’ll explain.” He sat on the first step and patted the wooden planks beside him.
Eyeing him carefully, she lowered herself onto the step. She leaned over to peer into the bag, but he scooted it away. “Why can’t I just see what’s inside?”
“Because I want to talk first. How are you holding up?”
Leaning her forearms on her knees, she stared out into her beautiful surroundings. “Right now, in this moment, I’m good. I can almost forget all the craziness that’s consumed my life the last few days. I’m glad we came here. It’s taken my mind off my troubles for a little while.”
“I’m glad you like it as much as I do.”
“I’m just sorry Tara didn’t come with us. I know how happy you are to have her in town.”
“She’s probably having the time of her life. You and I both know Lily is giving her the VIP treatment, which Tara will eat up with a freaking spoon.”
“I hope so,” Eve said. “I wish I had some horses to ride or a trail to hike. Something to keep my focus off everything.”
Her mind went back to standing in the cozy bedroom. She hadn’t exaggerated when she’d said she could stay there forever. What she hadn’t mentioned was wanting Reid to be there with her. A part of her had wanted him to sweep her off her feet and keep her occupied in that bed for the rest of the day.
The other part warned it was still too soon. There were still too many layers to Reid she needed to peel back.
“If you have paint, I’m good with a brush. Maybe you and I could knock out that kitchen while we’re here.” She’d much rather be outside, soaking up the last bits of summer sun while the breeze filtered through the trees. But sitting and thinking were her enemies right now.
“I have a better idea.” Reid scooped up the bag he’d been hiding and set it between them.
“Last night, the things you said about Tyson Brown stealing so much from you really stuck with me. I hate that he has that power. I meant what I said about taking back that power—about rebuilding your life. If you’re up to it, I’d like to help you take baby steps to do that now. ”
She tried to make sense of his words but couldn’t.
Her silence must have spurred him on, so he continued.
“You told me about your dad. About how he’d take you to pick flowers.
Hell, you even brought me some to thank me.
I don’t know if I ever told you how much that meant.
You’ve used your love of flowers to bring joy to others as well as to make yourself happy.
I want you to start reclaiming what you love. ”
A shiver tap-danced down her spine and the scent of hundreds of petals invaded her senses. She pressed the heels of her hands against her closed eyes and tried to block out the image of rose petals left on her bed like some kind of sick offering.
A gentle touch on her back opened her eyes and she sucked in a large breath. “I want that, I really do, but I don’t know how. Especially with this guy still out there, threatening to show up and send me right back into a tailspin.”
“I understand your misgivings. But that’s where these come in.” He opened the top of the bag and shifted it so she could see inside.
Her heart melted like butter. “Are those flower bulbs?”
“Yeah. I snuck some at the store when you weren’t looking.
Luckily, in these parts, you can find steaks to grill and garden supplies in the same place.
I grabbed tulips and daffodils and peonies.
As you can see, we need to make the outside of the cabin look a little more presentable.
If you’re up for it, we could plant these.
Knowing that it’ll take some time for growth.
Some time for the beauty of these plants to shine through. ”
Tears stung her eyes. She dipped her hand inside the bag and touched the rough surface of the dirt-covered bulbs. These weren’t just flowers waiting to be planted. These were promises of a brighter future.
Promises of hope.
“This is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me,” she said, awe filling her voice. “You’re not just giving me a chance to use my hands and lose myself in something besides my own fear. You’re giving me an opportunity to bury seeds and allow them time and space to bloom. To thrive.”
“Maybe I just want free help to fix up this cabin?”
Laughing, she bumped her shoulder against his. “Maybe, but I doubt it. Thank you. This means the world to me. Do you have gardening tools?”
He shook the bag. “Best damn store around.”
“Then let’s get started.” Standing, she took the bag and walked over to the overgrown flowerbed in front of the picture window. “Do you have a plan for where you want these? A layout for what you want the garden to look like?”
“Nope. Madden and I have been so busy on the inside, we haven’t given much thought to outside. Not to mention I have two black thumbs.”
She studied the curve of the flowerbed, the width of the space and how best to utilize it. “At my house, I plant things in clusters to give a more English cottage feel. It’s organized chaos, like my life. We could do the same here.”
“Perfect. Just tell me what to do.”
She grinned. “It’s that easy? I just tell you what to do and you’ll do it?”
He returned her smile and shrugged, his cowboy hat hiding the crinkles she knew surrounded his eyes. “I’ll do whatever I can to make you happy.”
Her heart leaped as high as the birds whistling their song above her.
She had plenty of ideas for how he could make her happy, but for now, she’d stick with the necessities at hand.
Tilting her head to the side, she planted her fists on her hips and schooled her face into the best don’t-mess-with-me expression she could muster.
“All right then. I need you on your knees.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed on a hard swallow. “Excuse me.”
She pointed to the flowerbed. “Before we plant the bulbs, we need to pull the weeds. We can’t do that standing up.”
Growling, he hooked an arm around her waist and yanked her against him. “That’s all you want from me, huh? Weed pulling?”
Now it was her time to swallow past the ball of desire lodged in her throat. She tipped up the brim of his hat so she could look into his eyes then rested a palm on his chest. “For now, yes. I can’t make any promise for later.”
“Oh, I can. I promise you what I have planned will be a hell of a lot more fun than playing in the dirt.”