I thought so too on Sunday when I brought Chloe with me to Miles’s home to see where we would be living and to sign my employment contract. When we entered the gated community up on the mountain above Carrington Cove, Chloe’s eyes widened as she took in all the magnificent homes, each with their own distinctive look. One was reminiscent of a castle, another a lodge, but Miles’s home was in a class of its own. The steel, wood, and glass house was the crown jewel of the neighborhood. It was set up above the other homes as if it was meant to be their shining light. I would imagine in the dark it was just that with all the floor-to-ceiling windows the house boasted. I couldn’t believe we would be living in such dreamsurroundings.
I turned down the radio with my sweaty palms feeling a little self-conscious driving up the long driveway lined with large pine trees in my old Subaru that had tears in each seat. I may have grown up in Carrington Cove, but my parents lived in the older section on a couple of acres that they bought back when Carrington Cove was a one streetlight town. My dad was a geologist for a local gas and oil company and had provided a comfortable life for us, but he was never going to be wealthy. Though they could sell their house and property for a small fortune now, thanks to the extensive growth Carrington Cove had seen over the years. I didn’t see that happening. Mom and Dad loved it here. Besides, this is where Chloe was, and she was their life. Even though my parents were wary about me taking this job.
Mom had done her own research on Miles, even going as far as writing a report for me. She was dad’s unofficial research assistant, so she lived and breathed digging for information. I had a nice fifteen-page report that she had spiral-bound and laminated. I’d shoved it in my glove compartment after skimming through it and laughing. It was filled with pictures printed off the internet of him and her hand-written captions that were all questions like, “Don’t you think he’s a little old to be wearing such tight jeans?” The answer was no. He looked amazing. Other captions included, “He’s forty, why isn’t he married?” She also listed all his books and ranked them by critical reviews and how much money they had made.Silent Stoneswas on the top. She had informed me she would be reading every book and doing a book report on each one. Oh, how I loved my silly mom. Dad, I believe, was holding out judgment until Mom came to her conclusions. I think he thought it couldn’t be worse thanmarrying Leland, and it meant that Chloe and I would be closer, so for now he was tentatively giving his approval.
I glanced at Chloe to find her eagerly peering out the window with her hand over her mouth, amazed by the grandeur. “Can I invite Brooke over here?”
“Of course. But you know we won’t be living in the main house.”
“Who cares. I bet the guesthouse is awesome too.”
We were about to find out. We pulled up in front of the four-car garage that was attached to the house by a covered walkway. The contemporary rustic home loomed large, but not as big as the decisions I had made in the last couple of days.
I wrapped my arm around Chloe as we made our way to the front door. I admired how the landscape around the house stayed true to the Rocky Mountain scenery. Wild roses and boulder raspberry shrubs dotted the landscape among the junipers and Rocky Mountain maples. However, my favorite were the aspen trees my parents fondly named me after. They said when I was born, my hair shined golden like the leaves of the aspen in the fall. My hair had darkened over the years, but I loved that story.
I gave Chloe one good squeeze before I rang the doorbell. It wasn’t too long before I heard the pitter patter of little feet and Henry’s adorable voice yelling, “Nanny is here!”
Chloe grinned at me.
Miles opened the door and my stomach swooped. He looked too handsome in a form-fitting gray turtleneck and those jeans my mom had commented about. I barely caught his smile before I turned my focus on Henry. He was thesafe option. No swooping, only some heart pricks where the little guy was stealing it piece by piece.
Henry ran to me and I bent down and picked him up.
Chloe was immediately drawn to him too. “He’s so cute.” She took his chubby hand.
“I am cute,” Henry was quick to agree, making Chloe and I giggle.
“I’m cute too.” Miles didn’t want to be left out.
My eyes lifted to find his already peering at me. I reminded myself and my swooping stomach this was strictly business and to play it cool. “Hello,” I greeted him.
“Hello, lo— I mean, Aspen,” he stuttered. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who needed a reminder. “Please come in. It’s a bit nippy today.”
Chloe and I entered the grand home, but before I could admire the gorgeous place, I made introductions. “Miles, this is my daughter, Chloe. And, Chloe, this is Henry.” I bounced him on my hip.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Chloe.” Miles gave her a warm welcome.
Chloe seemed intimidated by him and tucked some hair behind her ear. It was then I remembered she thought he was hot. Which he was. She, like always, recovered quickly and found her footing. I adored that aspect of her, along with so many other things that made her wonderful. “It’s nice to meet you too,” Chloe politely responded before turning right back to Henry, who was happy to garner all the attention.
“Can I get you anything to drink?” Miles offered.
Chloe and I both declined.
Miles bounced on the balls of his bare feet as if he was trying to get rid of some nervous energy. “Well, shall we takea tour before we go over the contract?” he asked me. “My barrister made the changes you requested.”
He sent me a copy yesterday and I was taken aback by the clauses about travel. I supposed I should have expected that he would want me to travel with him at times with Henry, but this was a different world for me. I requested that if I needed to travel with him, it be no longer than three days. I didn’t want to be away from Chloe for even that long, but it seemed reasonable. Miles offered if it needed to be longer, he would only ask me to accompany him if it was during Chloe’s school breaks and he would arrange for her to join us as well. I thought it was a sweet gesture. I also requested that the initial contract be for a year. Miles agreed that would be good for both of us. I knew this meant he could easily terminate me after a year, but my plan was to save as much money as possible and do a good job so that he would be willing to at least give me a good reference. So, in the event we parted ways, I would still be better off than I was now.
“I’d love a tour.” I glanced around the magnificent home. Stone walls dramatically showcased the height of the room. The white oak floors and neutral palette of the furniture and walls added warmth. The simplicity of it all made it stunning. It was easy to see why Sophie was such a sought-after interior designer. She had left her mark and it was beautiful.
Miles seemed grateful to have something to do other than stare at me. He headed straight for the great room with floor-to-ceiling windows that gifted us with a pristine view of the nearby mountain peaks. The low-profile furniture around the stone hearth with a fire burning in it added to the peaceful feeling of the room. I also noted how impeccably clean it was. It didn’t look like a three-year-old lived there,or anyone really. Maybe he had a housekeeper as well as a chef.
“I want you to both feel at home here.” Miles looked between Chloe and me before pointing out the window. “You can see the guesthouse from here.”
Chloe and I eagerly joined him at the window with Henry still on my hip. Henry was happy to add his fingerprints to the unspotted windows. I noticed how that made Miles cringe, but he didn’t say anything. I almost told him he should get used to smudges on everything, but I figured he would soon learn it all on his own.
The guesthouse was more like a stone cottage set back behind the large yard that was covered in fallen leaves and accented by large pine trees. It also boasted magnificent windows. I couldn’t wait to see the inside.
“Sophie,” Miles always paused when he said her name, “hired an architect from Scotland to design the guesthouse. She had seen something similar on holiday in the Highlands. I hope it will be adequate.”
