Back at the garage, when she opened her trunk to put her suitcase in, Alice had let out a startled gasp at the sight of her other suitcases.
"Well, you really were intent on getting out of the city, weren't you?"
Embarrassed, Eden had shoved her suitcase in and closed the trunk.
Alice insisted on helping her carry her luggage into the house, so Eden gave her the carry-on and duffel before stumbling to the house with her two large suitcases. She had no doubt Alice was a strong woman, but she hated to impose on her any more than she already was.
The room Alice showed her to was decent sized with a small walk-in closet and another door that Eden assumed led to a bathroom.
Nice!
She hadn't expected to have her own bathroom. Even though the room still smelled faintly of paint, it was attractive and inviting, with a queen-sized bed covered in a beautiful, embroidered, floral print quilt in cream, peach, and olive green with coordinating decorative pillows. Matching curtains hung on the window.
Eden put her suitcases down and ran a hand over the bedspread. "This is pretty."
Pink tinged Alice's cheeks. "Oh, thank you, dear."
"Wait. Did you make this?"
"Yes. Well, I had help from my friend Sarah and her quilting machine."
"It's beautiful."
Alice waved away the praise and opened the second door. "This is the bathroom. You'll be sharing it with Rudy." She pointed to an open door on the other side of the bathroom. "His room is just through there."
Eden looked in the other room to see a queen-sized bed covered in what looked like a patchwork quilt in blues and grays with splashes of yellow. A computer with multiple monitors filled a large desk that sat against one wall.
"I have to share the bathroom with Rudy?" It was bad enough she'd be living in the hot deputy's house, but she had to share a bathroom with him too?
"Yes, it's called a Jack & Jill bathroom," Alice explained as though she were talking to a child. "Of course, it's usually shared by siblings, but at least you don't have to traipse through Scott's bedroom anymore." Alice chuckled then waved a hand. "Don't worry, he cleans up after himself quite well."
"But..."
Sharing a bathroom with Rudy made her all kinds of uncomfortable. What if she forgot to lock the door? Or left her bra hanging over the shower rod? Yes, it was better than traipsing through Scott and Kennedy's bedroom to go pee, but the thought of Rudy showering behind this door made her skin flush. The bathroom still smelled like him—masculine with a hint of woods and spice—even though he probably showered hours ago.
At least it's a nice smell.
A riotous fluttery sensation swept through her abdomen. She wanted to blame it on anxiety over sharing the bathroom with a man, but she had a feeling it had more to do with who the man was. A good-looking guy that she'd like to get to know better but shouldn't since she wasn't planning on sticking around.
Alice showed her around the rest of the house that looked just as neat and tidy as the exterior. It had a lived-in feel, but it was also cheery and inviting. And comfortable.
It felt like a place where Eden wanted to linger. The furniture was neither over-the-top expensive nor cheap and worn, but everything looked clean and well cared for.
She followed Alice downstairs where she pointed out a spacious family room with a sectional sofa and a large-screen TV. A few decorative pillows and throw blankets made the sectional look cozy and inviting. Yet another space that made Eden want to curl up and relax.
Alice led her down the hall, to first her sewing and craft room then to a home gym.
Eden stepped into the room and breathed in the scent of rubber mats and steel weights. She half expected the room to smell like stale body odor since Scott had come over here twice last week to work out with Rudy. But the faint scent of Rudy's body wash and pleasant masculine scent lingered in the air.
The room was almost as large as the master bedroom upstairs. A Bow flex machine occupied the center of the room with a treadmill to one side and a bench press with a rack of weights on the other. In the corner sat additional padded floor mats and a yoga ball.
Would Rudy and Scott mind if she made use of their exercise room? She hadn't seen anything remotely close to a gym here in Providence, and even though she'd gone for a run a few times, the inactivity wasn't helping her decide what she wanted to do with her life.
"Make yourself at home," Alice said as she left Eden to unpack. "Feel free to come and go as you wish and help yourself to anything you'd like."
Before opening her first suitcase, Eden sent a quick text to Kennedy, thanking her and Scott for letting her crash at their place, then she explained that Whirlwind Alice had kidnapped her.
Kennedy's initial response was a laughing-face emoji. Then she sent another text:I'm sure you'll be much more comfortable at the Wheelers. At least I'll still get to see you often. Have I mentioned what a great cook Alice is?
