Page 20 of Something Borrowed, Something You

“Sounds good,” Hunter said. He motioned to the sweet pea plant. “We’ll take that, too.”

“I hope that’s not for me. I can’t bring that on a plane.”

“It’s not. It’s for my place. I don’t have any flowers.” He winked and leaned in so the florist couldn’t hear. “Plus, I figured you might like to smell it after you wake up.”

I had to give him credit; he was at least consistent, even after almost a year.

Hunter loaded the boxed centerpieces and his new plant into the back of his pickup and secured the cap back down.

“What’s next on our list?” I asked as I buckled into the passenger seat.

“My place.”

“Your place? I don’t think so. We have errands to do.”

“This is an errand. Sam asked me to build a wishing well for the shower. I painted it this morning. It needed to dry before I loaded it into my truck.”

Hunter read my face, which called silent bullshit.

“No, really,” he said.

“So this isn’t an attempt to get me in your bed.”

“It wasn’t. But now that I get to impress you with my house, I can’t be responsible for your actions if you try to take advantage of me.”

“You’re nuts.”

“Maybe so, sweet pea. But you haven’t seen my house yet.”

Surrounded by trees in the middle of a large piece of land sat a rustic-style cabin that blended industrial materials and natural wood and rock. The large stone exterior with towering picture windows looked more like an HGTV dream home than what I would have expected from Hunter Delucia.

I exited the truck, still taking in the house. “Is this really yours? It’s amazing.”

“Designed and built it myself. Took me six years.”

“Wow. This is nothing like I expected.”

“What did you expect?” He walked to the back of the pickup, lowered the gate, and slipped out his new plant.

“I don’t know. Something more in-your-face, I guess—not so natural and beautiful.” The sound of water running caught my attention. “You have an actual babbling brook. And trees. Loads of trees.”

“Took me twice as long to build because I used small equipment to reduce the number of trees that had to be taken down. I want to look at nature when I have my windows open. Tried to build something that showcased the land, rather than overpowering it.”

“Well, you definitely succeeded. I feel like I’m in a cabin in the middle of a forest, not ten minutes off the highway.”

“I’m glad you approve. Come on, let me show you inside. This is just the beginning of the tour.” He unlocked the door and put his hand on the small of my back to guide me in. “I think you’ll like the room the tour ends with the best—my bedroom.”

I rolled my eyes, hiding my amusement.

The inside was just as beautiful as the outside. It was simple, understated, and surprisingly eco-friendly. A large stainless steel kitchen was separated from the living room by a granite-top island. Two sets of French doors led to an enormous deck off the back of the house, where a stone fireplace was being built.

Hunter pointed outside. “The fireplace might take me another six years at the rate I’m going.”

“I can’t believe you built all of this. It’s sort of ironic that you build commercial property and have taken out parks to build malls, yet live in an environmentally friendly home.”

“Building is my job. I love it, don’t get me wrong. But that doesn’t mean I want to live in one of the megamalls I build. Do you live in a big building in New York City?”

“Yes.”

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