“I did. Her and my dad, both.” She shrugged. “You’re a pretty great guy and your family’s awesome, but there have been a lot of documentaries about women who go off alone with seemingly great guys.”
“How did he—they, I mean—feel about it?”
The way he said it, his fingers tightening on the steering wheel, told her he was actually most concerned about her dad’s opinion of this getaway. That was good because she didn’t want to recount Rhylee’s excited squealing and underwear inspecting, and if she kept the focus on her dad, maybe Danny wouldn’t notice.
“I got one of those ‘if you’re sure it’s a good idea’ kind of lectures. He’d rather I didn’t, but I’m an adult so there’s not much he can do about it.” She sighed. “I’m sure you know that type of lecture.”
“Definitely. We got several of those when we decided to buy the campground.”
He made a few more turns, until they were on a back road. It was lined with trees, the traffic and noise of the city left well behind them.
“And now you’re taking me out into the woods,” she teased. “That can only end well for me.”
He glanced sideways at her. “To be fair, you’ve willingly gone out into the woods with me quite a few times.”
She couldn’t deny that, so Kenzie looked out the window and tried not to think about the kiss out in the woods. It wasn’t easy—she thought about it alot—but she was determined to enjoy this getaway without getting caught up in what couldn’t be.
Her first glimpse of the small cape-style house made her smile. It looked cozy and welcoming, and while she hadn’t knownwhatto expect, this house surrounded by trees suited him perfectly.
“Home sweet home,” he said as he parked the truck so her door was lined up with the flagstone walkway.
They grabbed their bags, and for the first time since she’d known him, Danny seemed shy and almost uncertain of himself as he unlocked the front door. Then he stepped back so she could go in first.
It was lighter and more airy than she’d expected from the outside. Somebody had obviously done a serious renovation because, unlike in most older houses, the downstairs was open and had big windows.
And the extremely neutral decorating palette helped the area feel spacious.
“I haven’t gotten around to adding color yet,” he said. “Maybe some art or…something.”
“How long have you lived here?”
“Almost five years,” he admitted, and she laughed.
Even though the decor was definitely on the sparse side, the furniture was all soft leather and warm wood. It felt like the home of a man who liked to be comfortable and relax. And there was a fully loaded bookshelf clearly not just for decorative purposes that she couldn’t wait to check out.
“I’ll show you your room so we can drop the bags, and then I’ll show you my favorite part,” he said.
The upstairs didn’t have the same wide-open feel, but with the pitch of the roofline, that was to be expected. The guest room at the top of the stairs was simple, decorated in the same neutral tones, but there was a colorful quilt spread across the bed.
Kenzie set her bag on the floor, trying not to look Danny directly in the eye while they were in a room with a bed in it.
“The bathroom is next door. I added an en suite to my bedroom, so you’ll have that one all to yourself.” He stepped back into the hall. “That’s my office at the end, and my room is across the hall.”
“So is your office your favorite part?” she asked.
His face lit up, and he set his bag against the wall near the closed door to his bedroom. “Nope. The construction on the highway slowed us down and I have that appointment, so I’ll show you my favorite space now, before I go. We can save the office for later because it’s not as fun.”
She was surprised when he went back downstairs, and a little disappointed because she wanted to see the room where he wrote his books. But then she smiled as she followed him because his excitement to share his favorite space with her was written all over his face.
As soon as they stepped through the sliding door onto the screened-in porch, Kenzie understood why his office wasn’t his favorite part of the house. “This is beautiful, Danny.”
“Thank you. I spend a lot of time out here.”
“I can see why.”
It was clear which of the cushioned chairs was his by the wear of the cushion and the side table next to it, so she sank onto the other with a sigh. The screen let the breeze flow through but kept the bugs out, and she watched the river flowing through the back of the yard.
“I might never move from this spot,” she warned.
