Page 25 of Cut to the Heart of It
I reached my hand out and the dog let me pet his head. “Hey there Tiny. You sure are cute.” I looked at Johnny. “I have a dog. Ziggy. But he stays with Mom since I have the apartment.”
Johnny brought the bag and alcohol inside and shut the door. I looked around with my jaw open. It was like a magazine spread for a rustic home. Tall, beamed ceilings, huge windows, open floorplan, and cozy but woodsy furniture.
Tiny was by my side, panting and smacking.
“I’ll take this upstairs, why don’t you come, and I’ll show you around.”
Johnny stretched his arm out, so I took his hand and followed him.
“There’s a bathroom downstairs by the kitchen. And one in my room.”
We made it up the long flight of stairs and Johnny nodded down the hall. “Danny’s room is there on the end, and that door in the middle is the bathroom and the laundry room is in there, too.” He walked ahead into a door. “This is my room.”
I followed him and again found myself with my jaw on the floor. The huge bed was carved from wood with tall posts and matching nightstands on either side. Vaulted ceilings with a fan, several windows with Buffalo Plaid that matched the bedding.
“This is…wow.”
“The master bath is in here,” he said as he pointed into another door.
Poking my head in. I gasped. A huge, jetted garden tub with plenty of room for candles sat below a window, with a stand-up shower just on the other side. His and her sinks sat atop a long white marble counter.
“Are you sure a woman doesn’t live here?”
He laughed. “No, but I did hire people to help with the updates. You like it?”
I nodded. It was beautiful and warm.
I turned and he was there, wrapping his arms around me. “You hungry, tired?”
“A little tired actually.”
He led me out of the bathroom and to the room. “Climb in. I’m gonna go catch up with Danny and I’ll be up in a few. Get some rest.”
I climbed into the soft, cozy bed and Johnny leaned down to kiss my forehead then pulled the blanket over me.
After he turned the light off and closed the door, I tossed and turned.
He was amazing. This house was amazing. But I’ve known him less than a week.
Then why was everything in my being screaming at me to stay?
Chapter 14
Johnny
I spent a while chatting with Danny, thankful to be home with my son. He didn’t ask many questions about CJ, but I had been telling him about her for days. I went back upstairs after a while, and she was fast asleep.
I stripped down to my boxer-briefs and slipped into bed, draping my arm over her then gently pulling her against me. She was warm and soft. I hadn’t slept as good as I did with her in years.
When I woke up to an empty bed, I panicked. It was barely daylight, but I heard something in the kitchen. Danny wouldn’t be up that early, so I flew from the bed and ran downstairs.
She turned when I went bounding down the stairs and my heart sank when I noticed her bag next to her feet.
“CJ,” I said as I closed the space between us. “What are you doing?”
She put the coffee cup down. “Having coffee.”
My lips thinned and my hands flew to my hips. I nodded to the luggage.
