“No. I’m fine. I’ll go and see the man who rented the cottage. Did he know someone else might be living in the rest of the cottage?”
“No, although the rental agreement only gives him access to grandma and granddad’s side of the cottage. If it makes you any happier, Gabe used to be a detective in the New York Police Department. If you decide to stay, you couldn’t ask for a better neighbor.”
“We’ll see,” Natalie said. “I’ll call you tonight and let you know what’s happened.”
“You can always catch a flight to Indianapolis and stay with me.”
“Thanks, mom. I appreciate the offer, but I’ll speak to Gabe first.” When they’d finished talking, Natalie slid the phone into her pocket and opened the driver’s door. She was so tired she was tempted to fall asleep in the truck. And if talking to Gabe didn’t work out, that’s what she might have to do.
* * *
Gabe opened his front door.The woman standing on his porch didn’t look like any landlord he’d met. With her long brown hair pulled into a ponytail, black jeans, and a baggy red T-shirt, she could have been one of the hundreds of tourists passing through town.
Her deep blue eyes regarded him suspiciously. “Are you Gabe?”
He crossed his arms in front of his chest, leveling his best bad cop stare in her direction. “It depends on who’s asking.”
She didn’t even flinch. Interesting.
“I’m Natalie Armstrong. One of the owners of the cottage.”
“I thought you might be.”
Natalie’s eyes narrowed. “You knew I was coming?”
“A friend overheard you speaking to Mabel.” Reaching behind him, he took a folder off the hallway table. “This is a copy of my rental agreement.”
Her gaze skimmed over the document, pausing when she saw his signature. “You’ve been here three months?”
“Almost four.”
A deep doggy woof gave him a ten-second warning that Sherlock was running toward them.
He turned and used a hand signal. “Stop.”
Sherlock’s bottom hit the floor. With his ears pricked up, he looked at Gabe, waiting to see what happened next.
“You’ve got a dog?” For the first time since he’d seen her, Natalie’s blue eyes softened. “He’s beautiful. What’s his name?”
Gabe studied the smile on her face. If she thought she could sweet-talk him out of his rental agreement, she was wrong. “Sherlock.”
Her smile turned into a full-throttle grin. “Can I pat him?”
“Sure. Just go slow. He was a police dog and doesn’t like strangers.”
Natalie held out her hand.
Sherlock, being the contrary beast that he was, proved him wrong by not only licking her hand but moving closer.
“He likes me.”
Gabe cleared his throat. “That doesn’t mean you can tell me to leave.”
“That’s not why I’m here. I didn’t know anyone had rented the cottage, but that’s not your problem. I need somewhere to stay and the rooms at the back of the cottage are empty.”
“You want to move into the cottage?”
“Not the whole building,” Natalie said quickly. “Just the rooms at the back. I’ll have my own bathroom and there’s a separate kitchen. I’ll be completely self-sufficient.”
