Page 27 of Summer Heat
The open space was a lounge area complete with a sectional couch and windows that faced the ocean. "There's a deck where you can sit outside. I go out there when I can't sleep. But tonight, I wanted to show you this."
At the end of the room, there was a barn door that he opened to reveal a media room. Maya gasped as she jumped onto a leather chair in the front row. "A movie theater."
"Technically, it's a media room. It was the only place I could put it since this house doesn't have a basement, and I didn't want to detract from the historical elements downstairs," Shep pointed out.
There was a small kitchenette in the back that contained a fridge with every drink we'd want: water, soda, and juice. There was a larger popcorn machine he probably used if he had more guests over.
I wondered if he'd even told his family about this room. Or was this his personal oasis? Downstairs, he preserved his grandmother's memory, but this was his.
We picked drinks and got settled in the front row next to Maya.
Shep leaned back in his chair. "The question is, which movie do you want to watch?"
Maya mentioned a princess movie, and Shep navigated through the streaming service until he found the one and hit Play.
I leaned over to whisper. "You didn't have to give in to her request."
"This is her night. I want her to have fun."
It wasn't Maya's birthday, but he wanted her to feel at home here in his house. I appreciated that more than he could ever know.
We watched the movie and ate popcorn. Once we set it aside, Shep grabbed candy from the kitchenette and distributed it to us. They were in the same boxes you'd see at a movie theater, adding to the ambiance.
Eventually, Shep grabbed a blanket to cover the sleeping Maya, and we watched until the end. It felt decadent to be watching a movie in a home theater. I wasn't sure when we'd ever get another chance to do something like this.
When the credits played, Shep lifted a sleeping Maya into his arms. "I'll carry her downstairs."
I wanted to tell him that he didn't have to do that, but I wasn't sure I could carry her down the winding steps. Instead, I followed him to her bedroom, where I rushed to pull down the blankets before he set her on the sheets.
I didn't bother with changing her, just pulled the blanket over her body. I set her pajamas on a nearby chair in case she wanted to change when she woke up, and slipped out.
Shep waited for me in the hallway.
I placed my hand on his chest, feeling the thump of his heart underneath my palm. "Thanks for a wonderful evening."
He gazed down at me, and my breath caught. "It was just a movie."
"It was so much more than that. Maya feels safe here with you. I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for us." I took a step back, letting my hand fall away from his body. I missed the warmth immediately.
Shep nodded toward his room. "Do you want to see the rooftop deck? It's something else."
I had a difficult choice to make. I could politely decline and keep our relationship platonic, or I could see where the evening would take us.
Chapter Eight
Shep
Why was I inviting her to the rooftop deck? It was small and intimate, and I'd never shared it with anyone before. The primary bedroom and the attic space were the only places in the home I called my own.
My grandmother told me stories of playing in the attic, but she hadn't been up there in years before her death.
There were no memories up here, other than the ones I'd made. On the roof, I felt alone but on top of the world. As if nothing could reach me. I'd never felt the desire to share it with anyone else.
I'd resisted telling anyone that asked that I'd completed one project—the attic—and that's why I hadn't had time to make a dent in anything else. I was proud of this space.
Emotions flittered over her face. Curiosity and doubt warred with each other. Finally, she said, "When will I have an opportunity like this again? How many people get to see your rooftop deck?"
I grinned at her, inordinately pleased that she'd said yes. "Not many."
