Page 65 of Enchanted to Meet You

“Actually,” I said happily, “he let me pick the music. Even said I had good taste, though I didn’t play any nineties grunge.”

I tilted my head to look up at him “lovingly” and he grinned down at me, matching the energy exactly.

“Well, it’s so nice you finally made it up here, Ainsley,” Kelcey said, taking a sip from her tumbler. “I know Rhys has brought a lot of people up over the years, but it’s always so funny watching someone try to navigate the house for the very first time. You must feel totally lost.”

The subtle jab hung in the air—a delicate little reminder that she had been here before, that she knew the layout, she was part of the history, while I was just the clueless newcomer being shown around. Rhys’s fingers tightened on my hip.

“She’ll do just fine,” Rhys said, his tone cool and untroubled as he stared at his ex-girlfriend. “She’s with me. And honestly, she looks like she belongs in this living room more than anyone else ever has.”

“Ainsley!” Rhys’s step-mum called from the kitchen just then, cutting in with the practiced skill of a mother who dealt with these arguments every day. “It’s so nice to see you. Rhys, why don’t you show her where she’ll be staying?”

For a second, I expected Rhys to stay and continue the argument with Kelcey, but instead, he slipped his hand into mine and tugged me gently down the hall. As soon as we were up the stairs and out of earshot of the main room, I let out a long, shaky breath and leaned against the wood wall of the hallway.

“You’re a menace,” I whispered, looking up at him. “Did you see her face?”

Rhys leaned his shoulder against the wall next to me, a dark, satisfied smirk spreading across his lips. “I saw it. And you played along beautifully, Ainsley. You’re getting dangerously good at this.”

“I have to be,” I muttered, my stomach fluttering as he stepped closer, trapping me gently between the frame and the pine wall. “Otherwise Justin’s going to figure out I’m full of it, and then my brother will find out I lied about everything, and my life will be over.”

“Nobody’s finding out anything,” Rhys said softly, his eyes searching mine. “I’ve got you.”

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding against my ribs. “Okay,” I whispered.

“Okay,” he repeated gently. He reached down, grabbed my bag again, and gestured down the hall. “Tour time. Let’s go see where you’re sleeping.”

“So,” I said, trying to regain my footing as we walked down the hall, “how long has your family had this place? Kelcey made it sound like she practically built it herself.”

Rhys let out a dry, quiet chuckle. “My dad bought this place when I was eight,” he said, his voice taking on a warmer, softer tone than usual. “Long before Carolyn, Justin, and Leah came into the picture. Long before Kelcey, too, despite what she likes to pretend. It was just a tiny, run-down wooden cabin back then. My dad and my uncle spent three summers gutting the whole thing, rebuilding the frame, laying the stone for the fireplace by hand. I used to sleep on a pull-out couch in the main room while they worked on the roof.” He stopped in front of a heavy pine door near the end of the east hallway and pushed it open. “This is you.”

I walked into the room and caught my breath. The bedroom was bathed in golden, late-evening light. The walls were clad in vertical, warm-toned wood paneling that gave the space a cozy, timeless cabin feel. Two dark-wood twin beds with tall, carved bedposts sat side-by-side against the far wall, dressed in crisp white linens and rich, rustic plaid quilts in shades of burgundy, navy, and cream.

“It’s beautiful, Rhys,” I said, walking over to touch the edge of one of the hand-carved bedposts. “It feels so... classic.”

“It’s the original guest room,” Rhys said, tossing my canvas duffel onto the bench at the foot of the left bed. “My dad refused to modernize it at all.” He paused, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry about the twin beds, by the way. We mostly use this room for my younger cousins. And I’d say you can sleep in my room, but my dad’s pretty traditional about sleeping arrangements when we have girlfriends over.”

“It’s completely fine,” I said. But where I thought I should feel relief at not having to share a room with him for appearances, I was instead washed over by a bizarre feeling of disappointment.

Rhys grinned, leaning his hip against the nightstand. “And don’t get too comfortable. We still have the rest of the estate to inspect.”

“The estate?” I laughed. “It’s a cottage, Montgomery.”

“It’s a compound,” he corrected solemnly. “And as your official host, it’s my duty to show you every single square inch so you don’t get lost when Kelcey tries to test your knowledge later.”

“Well in that case, lead the way,” I said, gesturing back to the hall.

We headed back toward the main hub of the cottage. As we passed the kitchen, Carolyn waved us through, busy plating up grilled chicken cutlets and fresh corn on the cob.

“Don’t take her too far, Rhys,” she called out. “Dinner is in ten!”

“Just doing the quick lap, step-mom!” Rhys called back, guiding me through the heavy glass sliding doors that led out onto the main deck.

The heat hit us again, but out here, elevated twenty feet above the lake level, a steady, cool breeze blew off the water, rustling the tops of the massive white pines surrounding the property. The deck was made of smooth, grey composite wood, furnished with a long outdoor dining table, a massive stainless-steel grill, and several plush lounge chairs overlooking the water.

From this vantage point, I could see the full expanse of the property. The forest sloped gently downward toward a rugged shore made of rocks, which was broken only by the massive wooden dock and boathouse. To the right of the main house, nestled among the pine trees near the edge of the granite ledge, was a separate, smaller building made of dark charcoal wood and glass.

“What’s that over there?” I asked, pointing toward the smaller structure. “A guest house?”

Rhys’s only answer was to grab my hand and pull me in that direction. As we got closer, I realized the building was modern, with three solid dark-wood walls and one massive wall made entirely of floor-to-ceiling glass paneling that faced directly out over the sparkling lake.