From the backseat, Sara leaned in and whispered, “He cooks?”
Claire gave the smallest nod and replied without looking at her. “He didn’t have to do that.”
“I asked him to,” Jaxon said, catching her eyes in the mirror. “Didn’t like the idea of your rental sitting in a dark parking lot all night.”
When they pulled into the driveway, the SUV sat parked and waiting on the right side, the soft late-afternoon sun kissing its windshield. Jaxon handed Claire the keys before stepping out and walking toward the house.
“Wow,” Taylor breathed, slowing on the sidewalk. “This house is… stunning.”
“Thank you,” Jaxon replied, unlocking the front door. “She didn’t always look like this. Took a little elbow grease.”
He stepped back and motioned inside. “Come on in. Make yourselves at home. I’ve got to get to work in the kitchen.”
“Can we look around?” Sara blurted out.
Jaxon smirked. “Go for it. Grand tour’s all yours.”
That was all the permission they needed.
The girls turned into the house like they were filming an episode of HGTV: Coastal Lust Edition. Claire followed, hanging back just enough to watch them soak it all in.
They headed straight to the dining room, flipping on the lights to reveal an oak slab table that looked hand-carved and deliberate. The walls were deep navy with white wainscoting, and above the table hung a rustic chandelier that looked like it belonged in a magazine spread.
Macie turned to Claire, wide-eyed. “Who the hell is this guy?”
Claire opened her mouth, but Sara beat her to it.
“This is nice,” she said, already looking toward the hallway. “But I want to see the bedroom. Which way, Claire?”
Claire held up her hands. “Your guess is as good as mine. I didn’t go in last night.”
They all turned to look at her like she’d committed a felony.
“We had dinner outside. Down by the dock.”
Macie gasped. “Claire Stone, you lucky witch.”
They moved on, climbing the stairs with the same energy as a group of teenage girls at their first sleepover. Room by room, they peeked in, complimented, giggled—and then paused at the only door left shut.
They all looked at each other.
“This has to be it,” Macie whispered.
“What if it’s just a bed and a TV like every other dude?” Taylor said.
Claire rolled her eyes. “Have you seen the rest of this house?”
She opened the door slowly—and every breath left the room at once.
The view was the first thing that hit them.
The window shades were raised high, and through the glass, endless marshland stretched toward the horizon, water glinting in the distance. It looked like something out of a dream—like the world had folded in just for this house to exist on the edge of it.
“Can you imagine waking up to this every morning?”
“You should find out,” Sara said under her breath.
Claire’s cheeks turned crimson as she stepped inside.
