Page 8 of Taming the Wild Mountain Man

There's alonglaundry list of issues with this place, and it's going to take a lot of time—and money—to work through them all. I'm not looking forward to breaking the bad news to her.

"So, what brought you to Cedar Crest Hollow?" I ask, making a note of a loose light fixture in the dining room.

"Nope." She folds her arms across her chest, looking effortlessly breathtaking in a soft pink linen blouse and taupe high-waisted, wide-leg pants she seems to be fond of. I've never liked those types of pants before, but now? Now I want to write to whoever invented them to express my gratitude for creating something that highlights Tenley's hourglass silhouette so perfectly. "We are not doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Chitchatting."

"You're anti-chitchat? Oh, wait." I lower my clipboard, read the look on her face, and take an educated guess. "You're against chitchat withme?"

"Correct." She tries to bite back a grin, like I just beat her to what she was about to say herself. But it doesn't work. Her rosy, plump lips stretch anyway, and she tips her head back as far as it will go. "You aresooofrustrating."

"I'd ask you why you think that, but I wouldn't want to violate your anti-chitchat policy."

"Urgh. Stop being funny." Her expression softens, and she smiles.

And there it is. Record the date and time because I've done it. I've just made Tenley smile for the first time. It's a hard-won achievement, one I thought might never happen, but now that it has, I revel in my victory.

"I appreciate you coming over and going through all this with me. I have no idea where to even begin."

"I'm only doing an assessment. We haven't gotten to the work yet."

"I know, but…thank you. I never realized how much stress a house can cause."

"It's a big undertaking. Especially for one person."

Our eyes meet. She arches her brow. "Bold of you to assume I'm single."

I shrug. "I trust my intel."

"Who is it? Who's your source"

"I'll reveal mine if you reveal yours."

"Never."

"Fine, then." I click my pen and jot down a note about the cracked windowsills.

Once we've gone through the whole interior of the house, she leaves me to inspect the outdoor things like the roof, gutters and downspouts, and the patio.

Stepping back into her kitchen when I'm done, I notice we have a new companion. Chewy is sitting at Tenley's feet, looking up adoringly as Tenley playfully asks, "Have you been a good girl?"

Neither one of them have noticed me yet, so I linger by the back door, wondering what it is about Tenley that's stirred up something in me no other woman ever has. No other woman has even come close, and the crazy thing is, I hardly know anything about her.

Except that she's the type of person who buys a neighbor's dogs organic treats for when they come over, and she's obsessed withStar Wars. I grin when I spot fourStar Warsmugs proudly on display in an open cabinet. I also know that she's feisty and independent. I don't know why she's moved to Cedar Crest Hollow or what possessed her to buy this place, but I want to.

I want to learn every little thing about her. What makes her tick. How she likes to spend her free time. Where theStar Warsthing came from. The craziest adventure she's ever had. Why she acted funny and pretended like she hadn't received my apologynotes. Yes, plural, because after leaving her one and not getting a response, I left one every other day for a week. Plus the invite to the pool party.

I'm stuck on that. She doesn't strike me as the type of person who'd lie. And why lie about something like that? Maybe she's ghosting me…Or wait, is it gaslighting? I always get those two mixed up.

"Oh, hey." She notices me and smiles, dishing out the last of the cookie to Chewy, who proceeds to lick the inside of her palm clean in case there are any tiny crumbs left. "How did it go?"

I force a smile. "Let's take a seat and go through it."

5

Tenley

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