“On what?”
Those turquoise eyes flashed. “If you can remember what’s most important.”
14
SUTTON
I shouldn’t have letthe little truth slip free. Because as Cope studied me, I knew he was putting together too many pieces. Ones that created a picture I didn’t want him to see.
I’d learned the lessons at far too high a cost. It wasn’t the things you surrounded yourself with that were important; it was the people. And if you got too caught up in chasing the next high, whatever the form, you could lose what mattered most.
As if reading that, Cope moved into my space, not crowding me but creating intimacy. “This house is family.”
My brows rose, questioning how that could be.
“Ten bedrooms. One for each of my siblings, Mom, and Lolli. Plus, a loft with bunks for Keely. So, if we all want to stay here on Christmas Eve, we can.”
My heart lurched at that. Just enough for the whole Colson crew to fit. Because they were important to him.
“The design itself was Shep’s first big custom project for Colson Construction. It put him on the map in the architectural space.”
I swallowed hard. “You gave him his big break.” And I knew he’d gone on to build a massively successful business.
Cope shrugged. “As you can see, it wasn’t exactly a sacrifice.”
One corner of my mouth kicked up as I took in the house with new eyes. “No, it wasn’t. It’s beautiful.”
Cope inclined his head to the left. “Arden lives down that road. Has a guesthouse and workshop for her art. We put in a barn so she could keep her horses, and Keely can come ride with her.”
A burn lit in my chest. So much thought for everyone else. “What about you? What did you put in for you?”
He grinned. “Come on. I’ll show you.” He climbed the front steps as Luca danced around us. Plugging a code into the lock on the door, he twisted the handle and stepped inside.
“Holy crackers, Mom! This is like a mansion. Coach Reaper, is this a mansion?”
I couldn’t even answer Luca because I was struck dumb by the view. The entire back of the house was windows. All three sides were practically pure glass. But the picture they created tugged me forward as if my feet had a mind of their own.
I heard Luca’s and Cope’s voices in the background but kept moving until I reached the captivating view. I felt Cope at my side more than I saw him. His heat, the strength that seemed to vibrate off him in waves.
“It’s one-way glass. We can see out, but no one can see in,” Cope explained as he reached for the handle of a slider. “But this is what I did for me.”
He slid the door open with ease, and I saw it was one where you could open the whole wall. But I was already stepping out, unable to resist. The back deck was an outdoor lover’s dream. The expansive patio was tiered into different sections. On the top tier to the left was a large outdoor dining space, complete with an overhead covering to protect from the sun. On the right was an outdoor sectional with a firepit in the center that would be perfect for chilly mountain nights. The second tier had countless benches and planters, creating a maze of places to sit. And finally, a stunning pool seemed to disappear intothe pond beyond it, like you were floating on water. Cope had created the perfect harbor.
“You have apool?” Luca shrieked.
There was a flash of panic in Cope’s expression. “Does he know how to swim?”
“Like a fish,” I said, amusement lacing my tone. “We’ll be lucky if we ever get him out of the water.”
Relief swept through Cope. “A fish, I can handle.”
“Cope,” I whispered. “This is magical.”
He grinned down at me. “My favorite part of the whole house.”
“I can see why. You could live out here.”
“I do. Well, other than the hours I log in the gym.”
