“Nope. Maisie deserves to see it first, and if she wants me to know…”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Connor said with a laugh. “We get it. You’re an honorable guy. Now go and get packed, and we’ll probably see you before you leave.”
“Thanks!” Shaking both of their hands, he walked out of the cabin feeling good, happy. He hated that Maisie had to stoop to this level, but if it meant she could live her life on her terms, then it was worth it.
“Holy shit.”
Maisie gave Axel a tiny shove so she could shut the condo door. This used to be her happy place, but now it just felt…meh.
“Come on in,” she told him as she walked past him to the open setting. “The kitchen is right here, and the dining room is just beyond it, and then the living room. The second level has the primary suite, and the third level has another bedroom that I also use as my studio and a rooftop deck.”
“Again, holy shit,” he said as he followed behind her. “This is amazing, particularly from a craftsman’s point of view. With the exposed brick, the built-in bookcases…” He slowly roamed around the main floor, and she enjoyed watching him.
“So many places are just white walls and windows, and I wanted something with character.” She went and stood beside him as he stared out the window at the view. “I used to enjoy this, but after our mornings on the lake, I think that’s what I prefer.”
Turning his head, he grinned. “It is pretty spectacular.” Pausing, he shook his head. “The lake, not the city.”
“Exactly.” Maisie looked around and sighed. “I’d offer you something to drink, but I literally don’t have anything other than water.”
“That’s fine. Thanks.”
She grabbed a couple of bottles of water before taking him by the hand and leading him up the stairs to the primary suite.
“It’s…open,” he said. There was a half wall so you could look down onto the main floor.
“I know. It never bothered me before, but after all our escapades, I don’t think it’s practical. Think of the echoes.”
They both laughed.
“It’s still a great space, but zero privacy if you have guests spending the night.” He glanced around. “And there’s another bedroom upstairs?”
She nodded. “It’s actually my favorite space in the condo.” They walked up the stairs, and then she stood back so she could see his reaction.
The room was cozy, with the back wall being all large windows. It had a slanted ceiling she’d covered in a floral wallpaper, which matched all the greenery she had out on the rooftop deck. She’d had privacy walls built, and they were lined with greenery.
“Originally this was my office. I had the built-ins done and brought my desk up here, but sometimes I just prefer sleeping up here. It’s crazy, but…it felt more peaceful. Although after sleeping in your cabin, I think that’s the definition of peaceful.”
He nodded and walked over to the sliding glass doors and opened them before stepping out onto the deck. With his head tilted back and the sun shining on him, he looked more relaxed than she’d seen him since their time together after the storm.
“I know you can still hear the city up here, but after a while, you get used to it.”
Turning his head, he smiled. “I lived in Baltimore for several years, so the city noise doesn’t bother me. When I first showed up at the resort after we bought it, I couldn’t sleep because it was too quiet. Now, I’m used to it.”
“Which do you prefer?”
“No contest, the peace and quiet of Harbortown. My plan is to eventually buy a house close to the resort, but for now, the cabin’s just fine.”
“It’s more than fine, Axel. It’s wonderful and cozy.”
“It’s small and kind of a mess,” he teased. “I didn’t mind it when I first arrived, but now I wish I had chosen one of the bigger ones.”
“How come?”
“Because I want you to make it feel like it’s yours too. Right now, there is zero room for anything else.”
Stepping in close, she wrapped her arms around him. “We’ll make it work.”
His arms came around her waist, and they simply stood there watching each other. There were so many things she needed to be thinking about and focusing on, but she couldn’t. Not when he was close like this. When she arrived at the resort earlier, Milo met her and gave her his report. She hadn’t expected him to be the one to greet her, but he took her to his cabin and explained everything he had found.
