Chapter Seven
The first thing Skylar did when she woke up Sunday morning was grab her phone from the nightstand, her fingers still tingling from last night with Rawley. Sunlight streamed through the half-open blinds, casting golden stripes across her rumpled comforter as she typed a message to Ryan.
Good morning! She watched the screen, biting her lower lip in anticipation. When the gray bubbles appeared, a smile spread across her face.
Hi. How is your lazy Sunday going so far?
It’s only nine, Ryan. Skylar laughed, the sound echoing in her quiet bedroom.
Did you just get up?
About an hour ago. I had trouble sleeping. Her toes curled against the cool cotton sheets as she typed.
Why? Didn’t dinner go well?
Skylar’s cheeks flushed hot as she replied, As Rawley said, we enjoyed dinner, but dessert… damn. She sent it with a grin, then waited, drumming her freshly manicured nails against the phone case. When Ryan’s message finally appeared, Skylar laughed.
Dessert? Is that what you’re calling it now? So, how was it?
The best ever. It was so hot, Ryan. I’m in trouble now because if this doesn’t work out, he has already ruined other men for me. She pressed her face into the pillow beside hers, inhaling the lingering scent of Rawley’s aftershave.
I’m so happy for you! When you have chemistry it’s always good.
You and Seth do. I see it when he’s close to you and you’re all googly eyed.
“Excuse me? I do not do... googly eyes.”
Skylar laughed, stretching her legs out across the tangled sheets. I’m going to his place around eleven to go horseback riding. I cannot wait.
I bet. I hope you have a great time with him.
Me too. I couldn’t wait to tell you. I almost sent you a text last night after he left.
He didn’t spend the night?
No, he has two dogs he had to get home to.
I can understand that. Let me know how today goes.
What are you doing today?
Hopefully, my fiancé. Love you!
Skylar laughed as she set the phone down, her heart so light.
Ryan and Seth’s happiness was palpable, like something you could reach out and touch.
She wanted that same electric connection, that same certainty.
Maybe it would be with Rawley, maybe not, but after last night, the way his hands had moved across her skin like he was memorizing every inch, she couldn’t imagine any other man measuring up. In any way.
At ten thirty, she stepped outside into the sweltering heat that hit like a physical wall, making her T-shirt cling instantly to her skin.
She climbed into her SUV only to leap back out, the leather seats scorching through her clothes.
She got a towel from the back, placed it on the seat, and got in again.
Reaching out, she jabbed the ‘start’ button and cranked the A/C to maximum before retreating back into the blessed coolness of her house.
That vehicle needed at least five minutes of climate control before it would be habitable.
As she waited for the car’s air conditioning to battle the merciless summer heat, she hoped she wouldn’t be late. Time was ticking and she couldn’t wait to see him again.
Snatching her purse from the kitchen counter, her cowboy hat from the peg, she headed for the front door, keys jingling.
“I’ll be back later, Cosmo,” she called out, scanning the empty living room for the cat. No response. “Why would you think he would?” she muttered to herself. “He’s a cat. He only graces you with his presence when it suits him.”
She opened the door, releasing a blast of scorching air that made her skin prickle instantly.
She pulled it firmly shut, the lock clicking with finality.
Each step to the vehicle felt like walking on hot coals, even through the soles of her cowboy boots.
When she finally yanked open her car door, the rush of cooled air was a small mercy, though she still left the towel carefully over the sunbaked leather seat that threatened to sear through her jeans.
Skylar put Rawley’s address into the navigation screen on her infotainment system, then backed out of the driveway. Her stomach was in knots. It shouldn’t be. Not after last night. With a smile, she realized she didn’t care if they went riding or not. She just wanted to be with him.
When she pulled up to his house, she gasped.
It was stunning. Just as she imagined a farmhouse should look.
It was white with black shutters, the porch, scattered with white rocking chairs and a swing, and it looked like it was wrapped around the entire house.
The steps leading to the front door were wide and inviting, but she pulled to the side steps and saw the door open and Rawley stepped onto the porch with two black and white dogs following him.
He walked toward her vehicle and waited until she stopped, then he opened the door and put his hand out to her.
“Hi,” she said as she pushed the button to shut the vehicle off.
“Hi. Did you have any trouble finding the place?”
“Not at all. My GPS got me here just fine.” She reached for her purse, then stepped out and he kissed her lips.
“It’s hot today.”
“I think that’s an understatement.”
“Well, we could go swimming when we come back.”
“Swimming? Where?”
“I have a pool out back.”
“Nice, but I didn’t bring a suit.” She stared at him to see him trying not to grin, then she felt a cold nose nudge her and looked down. “Hi, babies.” She squatted and rubbed their ears. “I love Border collies. What are their names?”
“Calvin and Hobbs. Calvin has the blue eyes.”
“Cute names.”
“Come inside, then we can go.” He looked at her feet. “I’m glad to see you wore boots.”
“I grew up on a horse farm.”
“Oh, so you know how to ride.”
“I do. I’m ready to go. I’d just like to put my purse inside and of course, see the house.”
Rawley grinned. “Of course.”
He took her hand, led her up the steps and into the kitchen.
“Oh, Rawley, this is so beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
She gazed around. The kitchen featured mahogany cupboards with matching wood planks that gleamed with a deep, reddish-brown luster beneath the recessed lighting.
The countertops were beige and white marble, veined with delicate gold that caught the morning light.
Stainless steel appliances gleamed like sentinels.
She smiled when he wrapped his arms around her from behind and nibbled on her neck. She laughed then leaned away from him.
“We’re going riding.”
Rawley chuckled. “Alright. I’ll behave… for now.”
“I bet that won’t last long.”
“You’d win that bet.”
“Come on, then.” He led her behind him.
In the dining room, a round mahogany table, polished to a mirror finish, sat centered on a hand-woven braided rug of burgundy and navy, with an antique China cupboard against one wall, its glass doors revealing the sparkle of crystal within.
A fireplace dominated the far wall, a relic from another century that had been lovingly preserved.
Polished mahogany columns, round and substantial, flanked either side of the hearth, their rich auburn grain catching the afternoon light.
Above the mantel an ornate mirror sat surrounded by the rounded columns and flanked by divided windows with white plantation blinds.
The original brick firebox remained intact, its edges blackened by decades of winter fires, while the wooden trim, restored to its original luster, created a warm frame around the entire assembly, bridging past and present in this thoughtfully refurbished space.
French doors with beveled glass panes connected the dining room to the living room, one standing invitingly open.
Entering the living room, another fireplace of granite sat on the side wall, with built-in bookshelves on both sides housing leather-bound volumes and family heirlooms. A large picture window bathed the front of the room in natural light, its window seat upholstered in the color of forest moss.
Victorian wallpaper in a subtle pattern covered the walls, perfectly matching the era of the home.
In the foyer, the floors were cream ceramic tiles with inlaid rosettes of terracotta, and the second staircase curved gracefully against the wall, its white banister gleaming like fresh snow, leading to a landing halfway up where a stained-glass window cast jeweled light across the space.
In the hallway leading back toward the kitchen, sat an old grandfather clock.
Skylar turned to face him and her breath caught in her throat as he looked at her.
“It’s a beautiful home, Rawley,” she said, running her fingertips along the polished mahogany banister.
“Thank you. Come on, upstairs.” He caught her hand in his and guided her toward the sweeping staircase with its plush crimson runner.
She paused at the octagon window, its leaded glass casting prismatic patterns across the hardwood.
Pressing her palm to the cool pane, she leaned close and peered out.
She smiled when she spotted the swimming pool below, its azure waters shimmering like scattered sapphires in the golden afternoon sun.
She nodded for him to continue and let him lead her up the rest of the stairs. The hallway stretched before her like a dimly lit tunnel, its polished hardwood gleaming under the afternoon light. She stopped to look at the photos hanging on the walls.
“Those are my grandfather’s. I found them in an old trunk in the attic.
“They’re old, aren’t they?”
“Yes. I took them to a framer, and he restored and framed them for me.”