Walking up his driveway, he twisted around and pointed at me as if I were in trouble.“If things don’t work out between you two, give me a call.”
“Bye, Mr.Shaw.”
Deacon shook his head and ambled up the drive.
When I reached Arrowhead territory, Robyn was sitting on the gate.Her khaki shorts and lace-up boots were a cute look and showed off her tan legs.Tak must have sent her to open the gate so I wouldn’t have to get out of my car.
I rolled down my window.“You didn’t have to come out all this way.”
She approached the car window and smiled.“My yoga class starts soon, and I like to greet my students at the gate.”
“How’s that going for you?”
“Better than I thought.I also teach meditation techniques and controlled breathing that helps reduce anxiety and stress.I’ve got three pregnant women in my class, but everyone mostly joins for fun.Interested?”
I chuckled softly.“It sounds like something I might need in the near future.Not the part about pregnancy.I guess you don’t want a ride back.”
Robyn swept her hand over her shag cut.“No, but thanks.”
“Are you sure?It looks like rain.”
She squinted at the sky.“I’ll shelter under a tree, but a little water never hurt anyone.”After she opened the gate, I drove through and waved.
Thunder rumbled as I headed down a private drive that was so long the house was nowhere in view until the trees began to thin out.A light mist sprayed the windshield but immediately evaporated.They had a gorgeous property—nothing showy like some Packmasters I’d seen.Their large home complemented the rural surroundings because of the wood and stone walls.The porch didn’t cover the entire front of the house, but there was enough room for several chairs.Showy Boston ferns hung over the wooden railing, and bright purple vincas cascaded from the pots by the steps.
After parking, I made my way to the front door where Tak was waiting.
He smiled cheerfully, his long hair in a single braid as always.“Good day for a visit, Miss Thompson.You might need a car wash when the roads get muddy.”
I smiled.“We need the rain.As long as there isn’t any hail, it doesn’t bother me.”
He admired the Mercedes.“That’s a nice car.You can park in the garage.”
“This won’t take long.”
“Come inside.”He led me into the spacious entryway, and I glanced at the impressive stone fireplace on the left-hand wall.Although winter was over, they had plenty of firewood stacked up in the nook.
What a cozy home.
I tapped the gong by the door with my fingernail.“What’s this for?”
Tak chuckled as we walked through the archway on his right.“That’s the dinner bell.We don’t use it anymore, but it brings good memories.”He stopped in the center of the near-empty room.“Our activity room doesn’t get much activity.Virgil set up his music, and we play games.”
I looked at the Clue board game on a round table.“It has potential.”
“A house is something you grow into.People are always in a rush to finish, but we’ll be here for many generations.Why fill it all up now?I want to leave enough room for new packmates and our children to add a piece of themselves.”
Striding across the room, he slid open two wooden doors and invited me into a stunning private library.The dark wood shelves wrapped around the walls and extended all the way up to the lofty ceiling.The built-in lights made browsing easy.Two rectangular windows on the upper right-hand wall brought in a little light, but the rest of the space was filled with shelves.I imagined Lucian reading late into the night under the soft glow of a table lamp, his fingers burrowed in his disheveled hair, his brow furrowed while he turned the page.
Tak hustled to the arched entryway on the left and closed two sliding wood doors.“The contractor I hired put these in,” he said proudly.“They were custom made, and we redid the entire wall to fit them.”
I admired the red stained glass on each one.“They’re beautiful.”
“I wasn’t thinking about privacy when I first designed this room.That used to be open.”Tak offered me a seat at the square table.“But this is where I have most of my business meetings, and because of the bedrooms and bathroom in the back, someone’s always passing by and looking in.”
I sat and admired the shelves.Most were empty.“Are these all educational?”
Tak rocked with laughter.“Some.Salem brings in books for his work, and we also have repair manuals.That shelf there”—he pointed to my right—“is nothing but romance.”
