Page 32 of Her Wild Coast Promise

“Does that happen a lot?”

“Not until recently,” he replies.

At the base of the stairs, we grab my luggage, and I start up, with Rosie bounding ahead. “What’s happened recently?” When I glance back, Seth is looking down, as if fascinated by the pattern in the carpet, like he was just checking me out.

“I’m part of a task force,” he replies, then quickly adds, “Your room is at the end. This one’s your office.” He sets my luggage down and opens the door to the left.

Inside, a beautiful mahogany desk with a padded swivel chair faces a giant window. To the left is an overstuffed couch with a footstool and side table, to the right is a handsome wooden shelving unit. Rosie is busy sniffing everything and wagging her tail, as if approving. If I had a tail, I’d be wagging it too.

“Seth, this is lovely,” I say, turning to him.

His grin wipes away the lingering tension in his eyes. Was he worried?

I glance back at the space. “You did all this for me?”

“I want you to feel welcome.” His gaze turns earnest. “You dropped everything to come to my rescue. Making your stay comfortable is the least I could do.”

I step into the room and pull my laptop and notebook from my carry-on bag so I can plug it in. The warmth of Seth’s home and his thoughtfulness envelop me in a soft, comfy cloud, like I’m walking on air. I stare at my reflection in the big window, with Seth framed in the doorway behind me, my duffel still slung over his shoulder.

“Thank you.”

In the reflection, he grins.

If I thought I was spoiled with the office, then I must be a princess in a fairy tale when it comes to the bedroom.

A queen bed with fluffy pillows and a cream-colored comforter faces the mahogany armoire in the corner and a porthole window. On the opposite side of the room is a bathroom. On the wall facing me hangs a pretty watercolor print of a mountain and lake. It has the feel of a cozy loft, and I love it.

“Why such a big house?” I ask, spinning.

He smiles. “I shared it with my parents for a while. So I could take care of them. It’s more than I need now, but I love how peaceful it is here, and my neighbors are awesome. I have two retired schoolteachers who look after Rosie and a gaggle of kids who pester me every Halloween.”

Hearing her name, Rosie glances up with her big brown eyes, and wags her tail. After setting my luggage at the foot of my bed, Seth gives her head a tender pat, then glances up at me. “Go ahead and get settled. I’ll take her out.”

Rosie wags her tail and yowls in a low but insistent tone.

Seth smiles at me. “You need anything at all, I’ll just be downstairs.”

“Thank you, Seth, for all of this.”

“No hard feelings at all though if it doesn’t work for you, okay?”

I shake my head. “I didn’t mean to doubt you.”

Seth disarms me with wicked grin. “Hopefully it’s the last time.”

Rosie gives a softwoof.

“Okay, girl,” he says to her, and spins away. Rosie bounds ahead.

“Will I see you in the morning?” I call out.

“My shift starts at seven, but I run first.”

“What time?”

He turns back from the stairway. “Five thirty. You want to join us?”

I fight my urge to turn him down. I’m not going to help Seth win by sleeping late every day and waiting for gaps in his schedule.

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