The tightness in his chest loosened. The cabin was special to him, and he wanted Eve to appreciate it as much as he did.
“It will be.” He crossed through the living room to the attached kitchen and plopped the bags on the long island. “Madden and I keep trying to find time to get the work done. It’s taking a little longer than we thought.”
“You’re doing the work yourselves? That’s impressive.” She strolled around the perimeter of the space until she met him in the kitchen. “I didn’t know you had that skill set.”
“Oh, I have a lot of skills you don’t know about.”
“Oh, really?”
He unpacked the refrigerated items from the bags. “Yep. You’ve already eaten my cooking.” He shot her a wink beforeplacing the items in the fridge then turning back around to grab a box of microwave popcorn.
“You’re a man of many talents. Maybe I can show you some of my own.”
He almost choked as his mind went to every dirty innuendo she could possibly mean.
Rounding the island, she plucked the box from his hand and kissed his cheek. “I mean around the cabin. I’m pretty handy myself. While we’re here, I might as well be useful.”
Her comment was a reminder of something he’d picked up at the store that was still in the back of his truck. He hoped she’d view his offering as something special and not be put off by his idea. “I’m glad to hear you say that, because I have something in mind.” He laughed at the dubious furrow of her brow. “Okay, we’ll talk about that after we get settled.”
“Does it matter where I put this?” She shook the box in her hand.
“Not really. As you can tell, things aren’t exactly organized around here.”
She stuck the popcorn in a cabinet then zeroed in on swatches of paint colors lying on the granite counter. “Are these paint choices for the kitchen?”
He finished unloading the groceries then leaned against the counter beside her. Now that they’d opened the gates to this new part of their relationship, he couldn’t stand having any space between them. “Yeah. We’re leaning toward this dark blue. Something deep and rich, soothing for people in rough situations who find themselves here.”
Smoothing her fingertip over the color he’d selected, she grinned up at him. “I like it—the color and the reason behind it. You and Madden are a great team. You put detail into the small things, which goes a long way with people. Can I see the rest of the cabin?”
“Of course.” He snatched her hand and took her back through the living room. “There’re three bedrooms and one bathroom. We didn’t want anything too big, but enough space in case someone has a kid or something.”
Her hand tightened in his. “I can’t imagine being in danger and having a child to worry about. You should make sure to have some games and stuffed animals around.”
He pushed open one of the closed doors, showing off the room they’d designated for a younger guest. “Already thought of that.”
The walls were painted a light gray. A cream-colored blanket covered the queen-size bed and a bookcase filled with puzzles, books and games was pressed against the far wall.
“Oh, wow. I didn’t expect the rooms to be complete.”
He closed the door and shifted to the other room across the hall, revealing a similar space but with a long dresser instead of a bookcase. “We thought it was wise to have the rooms done first. People can stay here without cabinet doors in the kitchen. It’d be harder without beds and a quiet place to rest.”
“Smart.”
He padded down the hall and ushered her into the primary bedroom. “And this is my favorite space in the house.”
With wide eyes, Eve strolled through the cozy room. She passed the fireplace that blended into the log wall and tapped her fingers on the circular table flanked by matching bucket chairs. Her gaze landed on the large bed with the pale blue quilt topped with a mound of coordinated pillows. “This room was ripped out of my dreams. Who did this?”
He stood in the doorway, enjoying watching her. “Me.”
She faced him with the prettiest smile. “I think I could stay here forever.”
Her words tightened his chest, making him somehow grateful for this chance to whisk her away, regardless of the reason.
Hopefully they could dig into that deeper a little later, because if he didn’t get her out of this room right now, they’d never leave.
Curiosity urged Eve another step farther outside. Reid stood in front of her with one of the tote bags slung over his shoulder. “I’m afraid to ask what you have in mind.”
“Come sit with me for a second and I’ll explain.” He sat on the first step and patted the wooden planks beside him.
