Page 65 of Guarded Secrets
It was like when she’d come to his apartment for the first time. Seeing her at his home would make it even more difficult to keep her separate from his life.
Owen stood with his hands in his pockets.
She turned to face him. He hadn’t remembered to brace himself and had to absorb the impact of her beaming smile. He coughed when it felt like his breath had backed up in his lungs. Who could resist a woman whose default setting was sunshine and light?
“Owen, your home is lovely. You’ve got the forest behind you, and I bet from your front porch you have a stunning view of the valley.”
“You’re not wrong.”
“Front porches are my favorite architectural feature.”
“You have a favorite architectural feature?”
“Yes, I do. I have strong opinions about houses. One being that every home should have a front porch. They add so much character. Do you have a swing? I didn’t see one, so if you don’t, you mustget one. Then you could sit in your porch swing and watch a thunderstorm sweep across the valley as you sit wrapped in a blanket, sipping hot tea, and knowing you’re where you are meant to be.”
“That’s mighty specific. I’ll have to see what I can do about a porch swing. The house is over sixty years old, and it needed a total rehab, so fair warning, much of the interior is a work zone.”
“Oh, that’s exciting. I want to see what you’ve done.”
Point proven. In his experience most women balked at staying some place rough, but Keeley saw it as an adventure.
She tilted her head. “Is it hard to be here with your grandparents gone?”
“At first, yeah. Not anymore. I’m changing the interior enough that it won’t look like their home.” He shrugged. “This was a goodplace for me when I was a kid. I spent my summers here. The memories are good.”
“Did you know Walker and Sawyer when you stayed with your grandparents?”
“Yeah. We played Little League together. Hung out. My grandparents contributed some cash to the lawyer fund to help clear Walker’s name when he was in prison.”
“They sound like good people. I wish I’d met them.” His grandparents would have loved Keeley. They’d accepted Gloria when he’d married her, but that relationship had never warmed.
Keeley turned her head to take in the sweep of his land. “You’ve got a good defensible space.”
He was glad for the change of subject. Her parents being on top of fire mitigation on their property, he wasn’t surprised she was aware of the added responsibility the wildfire threat brought to their community.
Every person who lived in the mountains had to be vigilant about fire safety, but some people lived in a fantasy world, thinking wildfire would never be a problem for them.
“I had to clear out a dozen trees. Hated doing it, but it was the only way I’d have a chance if there’s a fire. I’ve also spent a lot of time and money hardening the house.”
She opened the back of her SUV and reached for her suitcase, but Owen was there ahead of her. He lifted a brow when he hefted it out of the rear cargo area. “You pack some bricks, princess?”
She grabbed a smaller bag. “No, but I didn’t know what I’d need so I packed several books, and my laptop, and I brought my hair dryer.”
“Okay.”
“No snarky comments about women packing too much?”
“Why the hell would I do that? You need what you need.”
“That’s quite civilized of you.” They walked toward the back of the L-shaped house. “If you hardened the house, I’m guessing eventhough they look like it, the shingle siding isn’t really made of wood.”
“You’d guess right. They’re fiber cement. I sealed all the gaps and installed specialized soffit vents to keep embers out. Pain in the ass, but it’s done.”
“That’s smart, and the shingles look nice. And you’ve got a metal roof.”
“Yeah. Living up against the forest, I’ve got to be smart. I’ve been thinking about putting in a pool. I like to swim, and I’d get a pump so I could use the water in case of a fire.”
He led her across the yard where he planned to build a deck, but where currently he housed a rollaway for the debris created by the remodel.
