Page 24 of The Guest Cottage
Half grinning, he waited to explain until he’d walked around the truck and gotten behind the wheel. “You’re right. No one tells outsiders to leave or anything like that. But the boat launch is closed, so no boats are put in. Bren Crawford, who rents out boats—paddle boats, rowboats, fishing boats, and a few pontoons—is closed all week until Friday evening. Butler, who owns the inn and is also the mayor, only opens on weekends.”
“This town has a mayor?”
He ignored her question to say, “Basically, all recreation is shut down except the tavern and this restaurant, and that’s not enough of a lure to bring in the crowds. If anyone does show up with thoughts of hanging around, there’s no place for them to stay. Other than the inn, I have the only rental property in Bramble.”
She looked at him in surprise. “But they let me stay here.”
He started the truck, and his headlights came on, showing a startled deer that stared at them, frozen for a moment, before it bolted away.
“Oh!”
He drove forward slowly. “Where there’s one, there are usually—”
Four more deer leaped across the road, their bodies incredibly graceful, their white tails the last thing she saw as they disappeared into the landscape. “It’s a whole herd of them.” This was something else she’d never experienced. The house she’d shared with Dylan, which would soon be sold, was remote enough for wildlife but fenced all the way around for security.
“They’re all over the area. Always be careful when driving at night. They have a tendency to dash in front of cars. Just last year, one ran right into the side of my truck. Broke off an antler, too, but was otherwise okay.”
Horrified, she asked, “You’re sure?”
“After doing sizable damage to the driver’s door and front fender, it ran off into the woods without a single limp.”
“I’ll remember to be careful.” The thought of a wreck terrified her. She couldn’t bear the thought of hurting one of the beautiful creatures.
“Now, about the property you rent. That’s another exception the originals made for me. They were all really good to my mom when I got her a house here. It came with the little lake house down the hill, and I figured when I was home on leave, I could stay there. That way we each had our own space, but I’d be close.”
He bought his mother a house. That seemed incredible to her, a wonderfully selfless act for a son.
“Then when the other house came up for sale, I wanted it, too. I figured it could be rental property if she needed the extra income.”
Again, it boggled her mind that he’d purchased three houses, all in an effort to take care of his mother.
“Mom had the knack for winning people over. She talked about me to them, so they felt like they knew me, too. When she got sick and needed help . . .”
One glance, and Marlow knew he was struggling. With the memory, or with sharing it? The moment felt so intimate. Softening her tone, she asked, “They let you move here permanently?”
“They did. And when I asked about buying the house—the one you’re in now—they had a big meeting and approved it, as long as I didn’t rent it out to a group of kids or anything. You might’ve noticed, it’s quiet on the lake at night.”
“Very quiet. I love it.” Once, she’d heard whispers from her covered porch, and finally realized it was two fisherman going by on the lake in a rowboat, talking softly. Sound traveled easily over the water.
“I remodeled it before showing it to anyone, and then the townspeople realized I had handyman skills, and the next thing I knew, I was doing repairs for everyone.”
The urge to scoot closer to him, to touch him, nearly overwhelmed her. He was that easy to be around, and that appealing. “Do you like it? Being a handyman for everyone, I mean.”
He gave his response some thought before saying, “I owe everyone here. They don’t agree, but that’s because they’re such good people. When I moved my mother here, she was . . . fragile.”
Marlow wasn’t sure how he meant that, and she didn’t think he needed her asking questions, so she waited.
A full minute passed before he continued. “Mom flourished here. I got her settled, but I didn’t have a lot of time. I worried, checked on her when I could, but when I saw her again, she was a different woman. Healthier, happier. Like you, she appreciated everything, especially the peace and quiet but also the people.” He flashed her a quick grin. “And like you, she wanted a job at the tavern.”
“Your mother worked there? Seriously?” To have an affinity with his mother delighted Marlow. “See? Smart women know what they’re doing.”
“Stubborn women, too, apparently.” His grin kept any insult from the words. “I’m glad I wasn’t around when she made that decision, or I would have tried to talk her out of it.”
“Like you tried to talkmeout of it?”
He skipped past that, saying, “Turned out to be a great fit for her, a home away from home. All the regulars knew her and liked her. They became her social group, and for her, working there was like belonging to a club.” He pulled into the tavern parking lot. “You and my mother are two very different people, though.”
With a heartfelt groan, Marlow asked, “Is this going to be about money?”
