This house could make someone happy. Just not…her.
She gasped when she reached the two-story great room. Everything else fell away at the sight of an unobstructed 180-degree view of mountains, canyons, and the shockingly beautiful blue water of the Jordanelle Reservoir. The entire vista looked like a Swiss Alps lake that would never, ever get old.
“Oh, wow!” She pressed her hands to her chest. “I’ve never seen that water from this high in the mountains. It’s unbelievable.”
“That’s the money shot,” Christopher said, stepping next to her. “This house will be gutted and renovated, quadruple in value, and always offer that million-dollar view. You’d just have to do a massive reno, Matt.”
Matt and MJ shared a look and she shrugged. “Count on a year of hell, dirt, money, setbacks, and problems. But in the end, you might love it.”
He made a face like he wasn’t interested in that. “Yeah, you buy the view. And it’s far,” he added. “From Snowberry.”
Which would matter if they were…a couple.
They spent half an hour exploring before conceding the house would require a fortune and several miracles. Back in the car, Matt grinned at her. “One more. Can you stand it?”
“I can,” she said, her never-ending well of optimism apparently full again. “This is fun.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear,” he exclaimed, taking her hand in a move that was now…the only way he drove.
She didn’t hate that, either.
The final house sat at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, framed by evergreens. Christopher hadn’t seen this one yet, but he said the owner was a musician and songwriter, and the pictures looked great.
A wide porch wrapped around the front, its railings strung with white lights that glowed even in daylight. The style was a blend—stone foundation, timber beams, sleek glass doors. Modern, yet warm. When MJ stepped inside, her breath caught.
Itfeltright. Cozy but open, sunlight pouring through the windows, fireplaces on both floors. The kitchen was a dream—farmhouse sink, deep counters, a massive pantry.
Matt leaned on the island, eyes twinkling. “I can picture you in here.”
She turned. “Me? You mean…you.”
He shrugged. “I like this place and if I lived here, I’d want you to?—”
“You have to see the downstairs.” Christopher joined them from an open stairwell that led to the basement. “It’s insane.”
Grateful for the interruption, she turned and walked to the steps.
For whatever reason, Matt stayed in the kitchen while she walked down the carpeted stairs to a rambling walk-out basement. There was plenty of light and space, with the same cozy woodwork and layout that made this house feel wonderful.
On the far side, she pushed open a door to an unexpected theater room, with two rows of leather recliners, a huge screen, and music, movie, and TV posters framed on the walls.
Completely alone, she took a deep breath and tried to imagine…living here with Matt. She tried to picture coming home from the lodge after work, making dinner in that beautiful kitchen, cozying up in here to watch a fun movie.
It would be…not lonely. Nice, even. It might actually be amazing.
The images of a life together bounced around her head, and every one of them managed to be appealing and terrifying at the same time.
Wasn’t this better than a quiet, secluded apartment above Snowberry? She wasn’t sure.
“Could I trade that for this?” she whispered, turning to take another look around.
As she did, she spotted a glass door that led to one more room. Windowless and off to the side, she pushed open the door to a very dark room with…padded walls?
Reaching for a light switch, she bathed the room in the softest amber light, and realized it was for producing music, with guitars, a keyboard, and a set of drums.
Remembering the owner was a musician, she started to back out of the tiny space when her gaze caught on the wall covered with framed record jackets—all vintage and iconic. Elvis Presley. Frank Sinatra. Billie Holiday.
At the far end, spotlighted above a leather sofa, hung a black-and-white photograph of Louis Armstrong, trumpet poised mid-note. Beside it, the familiar record sleeve:What a Wonderful World.
