Page 42 of The Guest Cottage

No matter what she wore, it teased him, because he couldn’t stop thinking about getting her out of the clothes.

Saturday morning he was waiting for her, wondering if he’d last another day, when she started down the hill looking incredibly sweet with her hair haphazardly pinned up. She wore a roomy T-shirt over pull-on shorts, no shoes, and carried her usual mug of hot coffee.

Immediately, he set aside his fishing rod, securing it to the bank, and headed her way. They met at the ramp to the dock, and without a word, he bent down and took her mouth. She was warm and soft, and he was in a bad way.

“One more day,” she murmured, making him groan. With a secret little smile, she caught his hand in hers, and together they walked out on the dock. Instead of sitting in the chair, she settled at the end of the dock with her feet hanging over, her toes just touching the icy water. “I’ve been thinking.”

He sat facing her, one leg bent, his arms resting on his knee. “God, me, too.”

Glancing his way, she grinned. “Wonder if we’re thinking the same thing.”

“Doubtful.”

“Okay, so I’ll share. What’s the plan?”

“Get you naked, kiss you all over, and enjoy each other for most of the day.”

Her eyes had widened with his first words, and now she blinked . . . before snickering. “Love your plan, but I meant, will you come to the cottage, or should I meet you at your house?” Quickly, she added, “I’ve never seen your house, and I admit I’m curious.”

He rolled a shoulder. “It’s just a house, same as any other around here. I’m at the end of the road, so there’s no reason for you to drive by, unless you were going there specifically. You’re welcome to visit anytime, though. It’s older than the cottage, not as updated, but it’s bigger and it’s comfortable.”

“You’ve chosen not to update it?”

He glanced out over the water, but she deserved to know. “It was my mother’s house. Maybe because I still see her there, I like it as it is.”

Understanding, she stated, “Your mother was happy there.”

“Very. Her bedroom was downstairs, with the living room, kitchen, and bathroom close by. It’s easier for me to climb the narrow stairs that lead to an attic conversion, where there’s a smaller bathroom, a big closet, and a sitting area, so I sleep up there, now. I turned her room into an office, but not much else has changed. The basement is still my work area.”

“Did you finish those plans for the siblings? Wade, Gloria, and Bobbi?”

“Yes, and they all three approved, which almost never happens. They’ll each get what they want, but it’ll take a little longer.”

“Do you have anyone who works with you?”

“Sure. Bramble boasts some really talented but retired tradesmen. We have an electrician, a plumber, and a tile setter. Whenever I need help, they’re happy to take on a part-time job. The only time I have to pull a worker from outside Bramble is when we need to pour concrete. That doesn’t happen often, though.”

“So you’re like a general contractor who just organizes the work?”

“Actually, I’m a licensed plumber and electrician, too. I could do it all myself, but that’s time-consuming.”

The approaching dawn reflected in her dark eyes. Smiling, she guessed, “The retired people enjoy your company.”

She always saw him in a favorable light, but she wasn’t wrong. “They enjoy chatting with anyone, really. Plus, they have a lot of experience—decades’ worth, in fact. Almost every time I work with one of them, I learn a new trick.”

She started to say something else, but a sound echoed around them, coming from near her cabin. She glanced back, as did he, but there was nothing to see.

Yet.

Suspicion, and an innate alertness, had him narrowing his eyes. “That sounded like a car door.”

Lowering her voice, she asked, “You think?”

“Were you expecting anyone?”

She shook her head. “No. I haven’t heard from either of my in-laws, so I can’t imagine them returning. No one else knows I’m here.”

“Lawyer? Realtor?”

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