asked, already picking her way through the tall grass to retreat to Sandy. She’d seen enough of the stream and the grass around it being rustled by God-knows-what. “Or are you psychically bound here?”
He followed. “Nope. I guess I always grew up knowing it’d all fall on me one day and I didn’t have ambitions that lay anywhere else. Hopefully Landon will actually come back after college or else it’ll just be me and my energetic buddy Pete.” He helped Ronnie onto Sandy and grabbed the reins. “It’s not that bad a place to live, you know.”
“I’m sure it suits you, John.”
He mounted Midnight and clucked his tongue to get the small caravan moving. “Maybe it’ll suit you, too.”
She doubted it, but she held her tongue.
When they were about a quarter of a mile from the path head, he steered them off to the left.
“Where are we going?”
“Showing you where the guest house is.”
“Why’d you build it so far away from the main house and staff lodging?”
“If you’d ever met my in-laws, you’d understand.”
“Where are your parents?”
“My mother died about five years ago. Bad heart.”
“I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “Sweetest woman you’d ever meet. My dad retired shortly after Mom died. He divides his years. Spends about half the year in Florida and half here. This year he decided to just hang out on the Keys for the summer. Didn’t want to do the traveling.”
“Can’t say I blame him.”
“Yep, he usually comes back for Thanksgiving, though.”
He led the horses to a small corral next to the house. She watched as he filled a trough with water from the installed tap. Once done, he locked up the gate and wrapped his left arm around her waist, guiding her toward the cottage. If it could be called a cottage, and Ronnie wasn’t sure. It was low and square and its stucco walls blended into the countryside, but installed into the slope of the roof were solar panels and several skylights. The finishings on the building, ranging from the shutters on the wide windows to the trim around the doors, appeared hand-cut. Craftsman, even. He slid the key into the lock and pushed his weight against the front door.
When he pulled her in, she found the open living space to be bright, clean, and although the furniture was simply made, it was rather exquisite.
“It’s lovely.” She broke away from him and fingered the detailing on an interesting little table positioned near the door. He dropped his keys onto it and hung his hat on the hook nearby. She did the same and when she caught sight of the mess her hair was in the mirror she was sorely tempted to put it back on, but he had taken her hand and pulled her farther into the room.
“Pet project.” He paused them in front of a wall panel where he flipped down the cover and pushed buttons until air started hissing up through the floorboard registers. “I think I might have gone to school to study design if it hadn’t been for the family business.”
“Planning on hanging out here for a while?” she laughed.
He didn’t answer. He just looked down at his watch and pulled her by the hand again down into a sunken living room and down a dark hallway. He didn’t bother turning on lights. He just kept her moving.
“Some tour,” Ronnie mumbled.
“Changing your mind about living here instead of at the Erickson place?”
“I never said that.” Although the thought had crossed her mind. The house looked small from the outside, but it had to be at least twenty-five hundred square feet. Living there all by herself would seem like a luxury far too rich for her.
“This house is just empty all the time?” she asked as he closed the door of the dark room he’d led them into.
“Mostly. Maybe one day Landon will move in or something.” He started unbuttoning his shirt, never once taking his eyes off her.
“Want to let me in on the plan here?”
“Veronica, please stop talking and take off your clothes.”
She gave him an
He followed. “Nope. I guess I always grew up knowing it’d all fall on me one day and I didn’t have ambitions that lay anywhere else. Hopefully Landon will actually come back after college or else it’ll just be me and my energetic buddy Pete.” He helped Ronnie onto Sandy and grabbed the reins. “It’s not that bad a place to live, you know.”
“I’m sure it suits you, John.”
He mounted Midnight and clucked his tongue to get the small caravan moving. “Maybe it’ll suit you, too.”
She doubted it, but she held her tongue.
When they were about a quarter of a mile from the path head, he steered them off to the left.
“Where are we going?”
“Showing you where the guest house is.”
“Why’d you build it so far away from the main house and staff lodging?”
“If you’d ever met my in-laws, you’d understand.”
“Where are your parents?”
“My mother died about five years ago. Bad heart.”
“I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “Sweetest woman you’d ever meet. My dad retired shortly after Mom died. He divides his years. Spends about half the year in Florida and half here. This year he decided to just hang out on the Keys for the summer. Didn’t want to do the traveling.”
“Can’t say I blame him.”
“Yep, he usually comes back for Thanksgiving, though.”
He led the horses to a small corral next to the house. She watched as he filled a trough with water from the installed tap. Once done, he locked up the gate and wrapped his left arm around her waist, guiding her toward the cottage. If it could be called a cottage, and Ronnie wasn’t sure. It was low and square and its stucco walls blended into the countryside, but installed into the slope of the roof were solar panels and several skylights. The finishings on the building, ranging from the shutters on the wide windows to the trim around the doors, appeared hand-cut. Craftsman, even. He slid the key into the lock and pushed his weight against the front door.
When he pulled her in, she found the open living space to be bright, clean, and although the furniture was simply made, it was rather exquisite.
“It’s lovely.” She broke away from him and fingered the detailing on an interesting little table positioned near the door. He dropped his keys onto it and hung his hat on the hook nearby. She did the same and when she caught sight of the mess her hair was in the mirror she was sorely tempted to put it back on, but he had taken her hand and pulled her farther into the room.
“Pet project.” He paused them in front of a wall panel where he flipped down the cover and pushed buttons until air started hissing up through the floorboard registers. “I think I might have gone to school to study design if it hadn’t been for the family business.”
“Planning on hanging out here for a while?” she laughed.
He didn’t answer. He just looked down at his watch and pulled her by the hand again down into a sunken living room and down a dark hallway. He didn’t bother turning on lights. He just kept her moving.
“Some tour,” Ronnie mumbled.
“Changing your mind about living here instead of at the Erickson place?”
“I never said that.” Although the thought had crossed her mind. The house looked small from the outside, but it had to be at least twenty-five hundred square feet. Living there all by herself would seem like a luxury far too rich for her.
“This house is just empty all the time?” she asked as he closed the door of the dark room he’d led them into.
“Mostly. Maybe one day Landon will move in or something.” He started unbuttoning his shirt, never once taking his eyes off her.
“Want to let me in on the plan here?”
“Veronica, please stop talking and take off your clothes.”
She gave him an
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