“But you said—”
“Is there anything you want?” The coldness in his voice takes me aback.
“I gathered I could keep you entertained.”
“Don’t feel obliged to do so,” he says in a clipped tone.
OK, so I guess the invitation to stay does not include having me in his sight too often. The rejection stings, but apparently money doesn’t come with small-talk skills andmanners. Or maybe Carter doesn’t bother to use them with me. I’ll be just the help.
As soon as we’re back, I throw a thank you his way and make myself busy checking everything is dusted, and the shared bathroom is stocked with my favorite local lavender body wash and herbal shampoo. The wildflowers I painted on the white ceramic still make me smile remembering the days I spent watching YouTube videos, learning how to tile the bathroom by myself. I poured my soul and any time and money I could afford into this cabin after Gramps died, a short six months after his wife. They were the last and best foster family I stayed with. Even though they were old and had grown kids with families of their own, the Millers did their best to care for a scared sixteen-year-old. They were patient and understanding and brought me here whenever I got overwhelmed or when Jim wanted to hide some new tools from his wife in the back shed.
The Millers even encouraged me to take their last name and leave the past behind. They wanted me to be a part of the family, even if they were too old to adopt me.
They left me the small cabin because I was the only one of their kids, blood or foster, who never left Silver Lake Falls. Now I wish I’d stayed with them a bit longer. I was so young when I met Jared. After my eighteenth birthday, I moved in with him without a second thought. And now I have to live with the consequences.
After going through every task I could think of to keep myself busy and out of the way of the man with the personality of a constipated porcupine, I return to the kitchen to find Carter eating a lunch he prepared himself.
This man makes the little rustic kitchen look even better.
“How come you’re not staying at one of the fancy hotels around here?” I blurt out. The question has been churning in the back of my mind.
“Is it wise to ask your guest why he didn’t choose another rental?”
The pulsing headache I always got when Jared evaded a question makes its reappearance.
“You seem more of a seven-star-hotel tourist than a family-cabin-in-the-middle-of-the-woods type of person.”
“What gave it away? The Maserati outside?” He tuts. “Here you go judging people again.”
“It’s a valid question.” I defend myself. “It’s great to have a tenant for three months, but it’s odd.”
Carter eats with such deliberation and control, cutting the food into precise bites. Where do you learn that?
“Want to join me?”
“Oh, no, I already ate,” I answer quickly, afraid he assumes I’m staring because I wanted to eat his food.
His brows crease but he doesn’t push it. Probably more of a good manners thing than a sincere offer.
The silence is my cue to retreat to my bedroom.
“My mother chose it.” He takes a sip of water. “I can’t say no to her.”
I’m surprised he’s willing to share such private details. So the man has a heart. Despite myself, I find it endearing he cares enough to want his mother happy.
Carter is pensive, tapping his index finger on the dull surface of the island. “This place looks better than the pictures.”
“Yeah. I didn’t have time to take other photos and don’t know how to go about a website. Isuck at marketing and online stuff.” I keep talking. “I love to do home improvements. I’m not an interior designer, but I pretend I’m on one of those fixer-upper shows on TV…”
My laugh freezes on its way out when I notice him staring at me. I guess our little exchange was not an invitation to chat. I know I talk too much about things people don’t care about. Jared enjoyed reminding me constantly.
“Yeah, never mind. I’ll leave you to it,” I say, my ears warming. I’ve already lost count of the times this has happened in his presence. It’s ridiculous.
I’m almost at the door, with no clear destination in mind, when Carter surprises me.
“That’s what you want to do with the other cabin?”
I nod, not trusting myself not to start blabbering again about the ideas I have for the place. As soon as I figure out how to do it without ending up broke.
