Page 52 of Craving Francesca

Something about her was familiar.

I climbed off the bed so I could see it better. I didn’t recognize her with a closer look, but I couldn’t shake the feeling I’d seen her somewhere before.

“I’m outside,” Gray called, startling me.

Shoving my feet into my shoes, I made my way toward the door. I’d joked that Gray’s room at the clubhouse looked like a serial killer’s, and he’d defended himself by saying he didn’t live there…but his camper wasn’t much better. There were few personal touches. A multicolored kitchen towel hanging from the tiny stove and a pillow that saidPlease Leaveon the couch. I would’ve bet everything in my bank account the pillow was a gift from Harper.

“How you feelin’?” Gray asked as I stepped outside.

“Not terrible,” I replied. That was the best I could do.

“Fair enough. You hungry?”

“Why do you keep trying to feed me?” I asked as I walked toward him. He was standing next to a smoker on the far edge of the pop-up tent.

“It’s dinnertime.”

“Damn, I slept for a while.”

“You needed it.”

“Thanks for rescuing me again.”

“You didn’t need rescuin’,” he argued, looking me over. “Just a favor.”

“Tomato, tomahto.” I smiled. “What are you making?”

“Bacon.”

I waited.

“Just bacon?”

“I’ve got some eggs inside,” he replied, lifting the lid of the smoker.

“Breakfast for dinner. I like it.”

“Thought you might be hungry when you woke up. I don’t have much here.”

“So, you know what I said about serial killers?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

Gray laughed, shaking his head.

“I mean, come on. You have to admit this isn’t much better,” I continued as he chuckled.

“Don’t have a lot of space,” he explained, still smiling. “Add a bunch of shit, and it’ll just seem even smaller than it is.”

“Okay, I’ll give you that,” I conceded. “Why did you get a camper instead of just building a house?”

“Cost,” he replied, pulling a few of the bacon strips off the smoker. “To build a house you gotta dig a well and septic before you even start the build. Then the price of construction. I figured I’d stay out here a while first, make sure I liked the spot before I committed.”

“And?” I asked, taking a piece of bacon. “What’s the verdict?”

He nodded, his eyes on the smoker. “Probably build in the next few years.”

“I don’t think you could find a better piece of property,” I agreed, stepping out from under the tent to spin in a slow circle, taking in our surroundings. It was really beautiful. The land opposite the road dropped off, and you could see hills and valleys in the distance. The view was incredible.

“Now I just gotta find a house plan I like,” he said. “Haven’t found one yet.”

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