A Love Worth Waiting For and Heaven Knows by Jillian Hart

mine.”
    â€œHe did what?” Noah leaned the borrowed skis next to Julie’s. “He gifted this to you?”
    â€œI know. Pretty great, isn’t he?” There was no mistaking the affection in her voice. “He wanted to give us all a better start in life than he had. His ranch is just up the road. You probably saw the house when you drove out here.”
    Noah hadn’t noticed. He was too busy looking around at the incredible view. What she called a cabin was really a two-story log house. Not extravagant, but nice. Very nice. And the land, why, it had to be seriously valuable. Something a man just didn’t give away…. “I see where you’re going with this. You must have heard Harold and I didn’t exactly become best friends.”
    â€œI did hear a version of that.” She opened one ofthe glass doors—no keys, she must have left it unlocked—and stomped the snow off her boots. “You could keep an open mind the next time you meet him. Give him half a chance.”
    â€œYeah, yeah. If I wanted a lecture, I could have let Nanna do it.” With a wink, he followed Julie inside.
    â€œI’m not lecturing, and you asked about the house. What do you think?” She held her arms wide, gesturing to the home she was obviously proud of.
    â€œWhat’s not to like?” He took in the golden honey floors and walls. The open beam ceilings that made the kitchen and eating nook feel spacious. Glass windows stretched from floor to ceiling, showcasing the perfect view of shrouded forest and mountains. “I wouldn’t mind looking out at this every day when I come home from work.”
    â€œIt’s great stress reduction. I put up my feet, look out the window and every trouble melts away.” She put cups of water in the microwave. “Want to try it? The recliner in the living room is to die for. Once you get in it, it will take an act of Congress to get you out.”
    In the living room, a gray striped cat took one look at him and raced up the stairs in a blur. He should have figured Julie for a pet person. A blanket was folded on the couch cushion, with telltale cat hair on it. It wasn’t too hard to imagine her curled up on the couch watching television at night, with the cat at her side.
    It was a pretty big place for one person. He could see his reflection in the living room windows as the sun peeked out, streaking through the glass. The view was even better from here. A man who’d given this to his granddaughter probably wasn’t short on cash.
    â€œHow many grandkids are there?”
    â€œTen of us.” Julie sounded pleased with herself.
    She ought to be. He’d been determined to find out Harold’s true motives. True love was possible, but there were other more likely reasons.
    Greed. He saw every day what people would do for the almighty dollar, as if that was what truly mattered. Women he’d dated and he’d thought he’d been in love with. Friends that wound up betraying him. Even his family. Whenever Mom or Dad gave him a call, as rare as that was, it was because they needed a few hundred grand to get them by.
    â€œI hope you like hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows.” Julie breezed into the room in her stocking feet, the hem of her jeans wet with snow. She carried two brimming mugs and thrust one at him. “You don’t look like a marshmallow kind of guy, but too bad. You’re getting them anyway.”
    â€œWhat does that mean? I am a marshmallow kind of guy.” The cup was hot against his fingers, the chocolate aroma rich and sweet. The marshmallows melted into a foamy froth. “As sweet as can be.”
    â€œDo I look gullible?” She grabbed a remote and pressed a button. The fireplace in the corner roared to life. “You’re a self-made man, according to all my friends who read that recent magazine article about you.”
    â€œI inherited my first million,