‘It does. A retreat. That’s why people will come here. It’s an escape, but on the doorstep of Bergen.’
‘Can I use that in my marketing?’
‘No, it’s awful, a horrible cliché,’ she laughed. ‘I can come up with something better.’
‘Would you?’
‘Of course I would. Although this place will sell itself, Mats. As soon as people see this view, you’ll be sold out all the time.’
‘I hope so,’ he said, squeezing her tighter. ‘Come on, let’s go back to the cabin and warm up.’
‘Is that code for trying the bed out?’
‘It can be,’ he chuckled.
16
The bed looked more inviting than it was comfortable, and it really wasn’t ideal for what they’d just done. He’d have to sort out something better for next time. Because he felt sure there would be a next time. But for right now, lying in each other’s arms while the fire flickered, casting shadows on the walls as darkness fell outside, it was perfect.
‘Where will you live when the hotel’s up and running?’ Lotta asked, idly running her finger up and down his breastbone.
‘I think in the short term I’ll probably live here, make some improvements to it as we go along.’
‘It’s lovely, but you need an extension so you can have a toilet, and somewhere to hang coats and leave boots when it’s wet.’
He chuckled. ‘That’s true. It’s not very practical.’
‘I don’t mind peeing in a bucket for a couple of days.’
‘I appreciate it,’ he said, giving another low laugh. He loved that Lotta had been fine with using a bucket for the weekend. He’d put it in the neighbouring cabin and shown her earlier, holding his breath in case she wasn’t happy about it, but she didn’t mind at all.
‘I might do it myself when I finish work. It would feel good to build it with my own hands, with timber from my own woods.’
‘You’re using trees from here to build with?’
‘There’s a huge number of trees that must have been planted years ago for that purpose. All along the long side at the back ofthe farmhouse, and on the land across the water from there. My grandfather, or maybe his grandfather must have planned it to be a lumber forest.’
‘How do you know?’
‘If they’d seeded naturally, they wouldn’t be as perfect as they are. The trees are very straight, strong, and from excellent stock, so there are hardly any knots in the wood. We felled some and sent them to be cut just to see, and we plan to fell some more now we know how great the timber is.’
‘That’s so cool,’ Lotta said. ‘It’s like a gift someone planned for you all those years ago.’
He smiled at her, his heart growing a size at the way she was looking at him. ‘Another discovery that makes it seem like this is the only thing I can do. Do you know what I mean?’
‘I do. I could see it on your face the moment the island came into view this morning. You looked like you’d come home, like you belong here.’
‘It’s the only place I feel like myself,’ he said. It was easy to say these things to Lotta. He knew he could show her the parts of himself he’d never shared with anyone before, and she would be gentle with them. ‘My parents’ house always felt like home but not anymore.’
‘Sometimes home is more about people than a place. It will always be your parents’ house and it must feel like they’re missing from there.’
He nodded. ‘So I don’t know why this feels like home to me.’
‘Maybe it’s a feeling that you’re treading in the footsteps of the generations that came before you. That they’re watching over you.’
‘You don’t think that’s weird?’
‘No. Maybe a bit spooky now that it’s getting dark,’ she giggled into his chest. ‘But it must be something like that drawing you here and making you feel like it’s yours.’
