Page 68 of Home Town Advantage
Me: I miss you.
Sulley: Don’t.
Me: I’m all moved in. Will you come see the house?
I see three dots pop up on the screen multiple times, indicating that she’s writing, but nothing comes through, and then the dots disappear.
Me: Please. I want you to see his creation.
Sulley: Fine. When?
Me: How about tomorrow? Early evening, when the sun is setting? It’s most beautiful at that time of day.
Sulley: See you then.
SEVENTEEN
SULLEY
Ienter through the gate and drive down Vance’s freshly paved, tree-lined, winding driveway. It’s so pretty. Much different from the city. It’s tucked back in the woods. If you didn’t know it was here, you wouldn’t know. I suppose that’s the point. It affords him a lot of privacy.
I’ve been doing my best to avoid his texts. I give one-word responses. Until tonight, I haven’t seen him since he returned to Philly. I need to keep Vance McCaffrey at arm’s length. Yes, we had an amazing two days, but it’s in the past, and that’s where it will remain. I got to fulfill my fantasy of being with him. Now I can move on.
When he texted me about seeing the house, I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea, but I do want to see the finished product. It’s Finn’s design. How can I not at least see it one time? It will also be a good opportunity for me to let Vance know in no uncertain terms that what happened in Montana is never happening again. It was an itch we both had. It’s been officially scratched. We’re done and over. I can get back to hating him for what he did to my family.
My breath catches when I reach the clearing and the house comes into view. Tears immediately fill my eyes. Before me is the biggest and most beautiful cabin I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s hard to call it a cabin. That word cabin doesn’t do it justice. It’s a mountain resort. It looks like it could be an authentic luxury hotel in the Rockies. It’s Finn’s masterpiece. Seeing his final drawings come to life fills me with emotion. Pride isn’t a big enough word for what I’m feeling right now.
The sun is setting behind it, framing it in a peach-colored hue. It almost looks photoshopped. That’s how perfect it is.
There’s a huge circular driveway that leaves me at what must be fourteen-foot-high oversized dark wooden double doors. The front has a magnificent wraparound porch, complete with benches and sofas. It exudes both luxury and comfort.
I exit my car and begin to walk up the small handful of steps toward the front door. Before I reach it, the door opens and Vance appears in worn jeans, an old T-shirt, and bare feet. Why are his giant bare feet so sexy?
Because every single inch of him is sexy.He’s the hottest man ever created.
There’s something amusing about seeing him dressed like this in front of a house that must have cost millions of dollars. At the end of the day, he’s still Vance, a cowboy from a small town in Montana.
He offers me a small smile. “Thanks for coming.”
“Oh, Vance, it’s beautiful. Just perfect.”
He nods. “Thank you. I think so too. Wait until you see the inside.”
I walk in and can hardly believe what I’m seeing. It’s two stories and open for as far as the eye can see, with huge, exposed wood beams and oversized round chandeliers that look like burning candles, though they’re not. There are multiple fireplaces built from real stone, not the veneer you often see in homes now. They’re all wood-burning, which makes me inwardly laugh since I know Collin battled him on the issue.
“Modern mountain living,” he says. “That’s what Collin called it. I think he was right.”
I silently look around, taking it all in. Seeing my brother’s vision come to fruition has me in my feels. I whisper, “He’d love it.”
Vance nods as the corner of his mouth raises. “I know he would.”
Looking at the beams more closely, I ask, “Are they oak? That must have cost you a fortune.” Maple is more traditionally used in wood homes as it’s much cheaper.
He nods. “Yep. No real cowboy would accept anything else.”
I know Finn wanted to make the small cabin out of oak, but it was too pricey, and he was working within a very limited budget.
I can’t help but stare at the beams. They’re just so perfect. I inhale deeply. It smells like the woods and Vance. It’s intoxicating.
