Page 90 of An Endless Memory

What if he already had someone to entertain?

I shook my head. Eliot was not Carter. Jasper spoke highly of him, and my brother was the cynical one. People thought he was more casual than Alder, but Jasper just kept it to himself better.

I drove, my stomach crawling higher into my throat as I got closer. Eventually, the peaks of a log cabin came into view.

“Oh my…” The place was sprawling, and while it was old, it had a character that couldn’t be missed. It was stately yet rugged, but I wouldn’t say it was inviting. Whoever had built this wanted something that screamed money and the Western lifestyle and then they hadn’t paid any more attention to it.

The flower beds out front didn’t have old stalks poking up from the almost melted piles of snow. The grass had been trimmed, but it grew over a walking path from the garage to the front door.

Eliot’s pickup was parked in front of the garage.

I parked next to him. It was too late to back out. He might’ve seen me pull up already. I checked my reflection in the rearview mirror. My face was the color of a tomato. Damn my blush. My eyes were almost panicked, but at least my curls weren’t frizzed out everywhere today. I’d actually put some product in this morning.

I left my belongings in the car, grabbed only my purse, and scurried to the front door. The wind this far out in the country was stronger and had a colder bite. I hadn’t grabbed my jacket either. I rang the doorbell and huddled in on myself.

No answer.

I knocked.

No answer.

Another doorbell ring.

This was such a bad idea. I took my phone out and texted Jasper. He’s not answering.

Jasper: He’s probably in the barn or stables. Or shop. Or out in the pasture. Go through the garage door.

I was not feeling good about this. Eliot was busier than ever. I’d be a nuisance.

My phone buzzed. IT’S FINE.

I looked around like Jasper was right behind me, watching how indecisive I was.

I tucked the phone away and walked around the garage. The entry door was on the side. I stepped in and smiled as familiar scents surrounded me. The garage had the oil and grease smell of Grandma’s shop.

Gingerly, I entered the house and crept farther inside. I took my athletic shoes off and ran clammy hands down my jeans. At least I wore a nicer sweater than a hoodie. Might as well interrupt someone’s workday in style.

“Eliot?”

His name echoed down the hallway. I passed through a laundry room, then by a bedroom and bathroom. They were pretty plain for a log cabin. Then I emerged from the hallway.

“Wow.” The vaulted ceiling had wooden beams arching across it. Large picture windows overlooked the Knights’ property. I could see a big red barn, two sprawling shops, and mucky pastures and pens from the melted snow. Cattle grazed farther out. I couldn’t see the horses, but Jasper had mentioned a stable.

No wonder he didn’t want to leave. He had all this, and I didn’t even officially own the house I was living in.

Behind me was the kitchen and island. They were both dated. My footsteps were barely audible on the hard floor. It was warm under my feet. Inside wasn’t uninviting, but it screamed bachelor from rafters to foundation. The decorations were simple and mostly prints of various Montana landscapes. The place had been freshly painted, maybe in the last few years. As for furniture, the main area had more of a ski lodge feel than a home.

“Eliot?” The place was empty, but my nerves needed an outlet.

How much did I snoop?

I left my purse on the island and continued down another hallway. If the large windows in the living room and kitchen didn’t let in so much light, this would be a disconcerting walk. Doors lined each side.

I passed an office with an imposing desk, but there was a comfortable-looking recliner parked in front of a large-screen TV. On the end table next to the chair was a simple laptop. From what Eliot had said about his bookkeeper, I could guess a lot of work was done from that chair.

The rest of the rooms were likely bedrooms, all nice-sized, judging from how deep the hallway was. I turned around and retraced my steps.

I heard boot steps and they were growing louder.

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