Page 31 of The Runaway Bride's Vow

She had to use GPS to find his house because it was outside of the city. When she pulled up in front of it, she was impressed. Then again he was a part-time contractor. It seemed reasonable that he would have a nice house. It was a two-story gray Victorian with white trim.

She parked in front and made her way up the steps to the double doors with big frosted windows. She’d no sooner pressed the doorbell than there were rapid footsteps, and then the door swung open.

Kaylie stood there with a thousand-watt smile. “You’re here.”

Brooke returned her smile. “And you’re here. Looks like it’s going to be a party.”

Kaylie’s face scrunched up in confusion. “We’re having a party?”

“Uh, no. It’s just a saying.” When she noticed that Kaylie was still confused, she said, “Never mind.” When she lifted her gaze, she saw Logan standing a few feet back.

His hair was still damp from a shower. His face was clean-shaven. He wore a pair of dark jeans and a dark gray T-shirt. Her pulse picked up its pace. He looked good. Real good.

She swallowed hard as her gaze met his. “Hi.”

They stared into each other’s eyes a moment too long. He glanced away. “Come in.”

Kaylie backed up so Brooke could get through the doorway. She didn’t know what she expected to find when she stepped into his house. It certainly wasn’t the gorgeous wood floors, the decorated entryway, or the wrought iron rail with a wood handle on the staircase. It was a scene out of a glossy magazine.

When her gaze met his again, she said, “Your house is beautiful.”

His face lit up with a smile. “Thanks.”

She lifted her head to take in the high ceiling. It must have been at least ten or twelve feet high. There was a crystal chandelier hanging over her head. It was a splendid mix of old-world charm and modern glam.

To her right was the spacious living room. The walls were painted a pale gray with white trim. The furniture was a charcoal gray and appeared to be picked for comfort more than style, but to her it all looked very stylish with just the right number of knick-knacks and wall hangings.

“Did you do all this yourself?” If so, she was in awe of all his talents.

“Most of it.”

Meaning he didn’t do it all by himself. She wondered if the help he failed to mention was someone like Henry or was it his ex-wife? He didn’t offer any other information, so she was left to ponder the thought.

Kaylie grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the kitchen. And since the house was open concept, the living room flowed into the kitchen.

“Come on.” Kaylie pulled harder on Brooke’s arm. “We can play games.”

“Games?” Brooke’s gaze moved to Logan.

“I hope you don’t mind,” he said. “I told her she could pick out her favorite game for us to play.”

“Yeah.” Kaylie was all smiles. “Let’s play.”

“Not so fast, young lady,” Logan said in an easy-going tone. “We have to eat.”

Kaylie got a serious look on her face. “I’m not hungary.”

Logan gave his daughter a serious look. “You have to eat and then we’ll play.”

With a long sigh, Kaylie said, “Okay.”

The kitchen was jaw-dropping beautiful. Brooke struggled to keep her mouth from hanging open. The counters were done in a white granite or quartz with some gray veining through it. The hardware was all brushed nickel. The cabinets were gray, and the backsplash was white subway tile. It all worked so well together.

There was no detail skipped over in this kitchen, including the long island with seating for six. Six? She counted again. Wow. There were double ovens and even a pot filler over the stove. She felt as though she’d stepped into an episode of a home renovation show.

“If I ever have my own kitchen, this is what I envision.” Her gaze met his and her heart pitter-pattered. “It’s even nicer than the home makeover shows my mother watches on television.”

Logan’s chest puffed up ever so slightly. “I’d love to take all of the credit but Margie…my ex-wife…she helped with it. We were going to sell it when we got divorced. Margie didn’t want the place. She said she wanted to start fresh in a new place, closer to her work.”

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