Page 304 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

Chapter 5

Mia

Summer started last week. What great timing my grandmother had. I guess it didn’t matter when Joan died, the will stated I needed to spend asummer here before I sold the estate. One whole summer.

Who confirmed I adhered to the will’s conditions? Ashton? I should probably find out.

After my little episode last night in Noah’s truck, and a good night’s sleep, I now thought a little clearer. I wandered downstairs, taking everything in with fresh eyes. The house was nothing like I remembered from the summer I spent here. Though, as a resentful teen, the house had only resembled another prison.

Faded, chipped paint, hairline cracks in the ceiling, dated window furnishings. The farmhouse needed repairs here and there but from what I could tell, nothing major. Joan died almost two months ago and given the thin layer of dust, no one tended to the inside of the house in her absence. Someone maintained the gardens, which saved me some work.

Ideally, I’d hire someone to complete the repair work before putting the house on the market. But money wasn’t exactly bursting from my pockets. At a minimum, if I wanted a reasonable price with a quick sale, the house needed a thorough cleaning and declutter. That only cost my time, which I now had plenty of.

First, I needed to collect my car from the bar and apologize to Noah for last night. The poor guy all but threw me out of his truck when he dropped me home. I mean, I would too if a stranger burst into tears in my car for no apparent reason. At least the rain stopped sometime during the night, which made for a dry walk to the bar. After that, I’d start cleaning.

Everything felt better with a plan.

I grabbed my coat but pulled up short when I opened the front door.

Noah strode up the stairs with a takeout cup in each hand. When his gaze lifted to mine, my breath stalled. His eyes were impossibly bright during the day. Such a contrast to his raven hair and groomed short beard.

“Hey.”

That strange feeling I got when I first arrived at the bar returned. A sense we’d known each other before, even though we’d only just met. Maybe we were kindred spirits because I’d remember him if we’d ever met before now.

In an unrelated thought, why was I so comfortable with him turning up at my house?

Weird?Maybe. Cute?Definitely.

I closed the front door behind me. “Hey, yourself.”

Last night, I noticed his good looks, but now, in the light of day? He was hot. Like insanely hot. Rugged male with small-town charm.

He wore a T-shirt and jeans combo as though the cool weather didn’t faze him. Locals probably thought this was a heatwave. Once again, my gaze zoomed in on all that ink. The forest on his forearm seemed so lifelike, with a river flowing through the middle, and a single black wolf near his wrist.

Maybe I sensed our connection because he also liked wolves.

“Coffee?” He handed me a cup.

A light chuckle bubbled in my chest. “I take it coffee is an acceptable beverage choice?”

“Second only to bourbon.”

His lips kicked up at the corner, revealing a deep dimple. Just when he couldn’t get any hotter, he went and did that.

“Good to know.”

I sipped the coffee and moaned as the caffeine registered on my tongue. Joan’s house was devoid of edible food. Before I climbed into bed last night, I threw out everything in her fridge, so I didn’t accidently poison myself sneaking a midnight snack.

Noah hitched his chin toward his truck. “Want a lift to the bar?”

Switching the coffee between my hands, I slipped on my jacket. I should invest in a rain jacket if I needed to stay here for the summer.

“Thanks. Saves me walking.” We jumped into Noah’s truck and he started the engine. “This is becoming a habit, you driving me around.”

His fist tightened on the steering wheel. “Every little bit helps.”

Huh?I pivoted to ask what he meant but stopped. Although he offered to drive me, the frown and pained expression on his face said he wasn’t too pleased about it.

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