Page 12 of Devoted Enough

Flipping my lights on, I heard Haven from behind me.

“Wow! And we’re only in the mudroom.”

Laughing, I reached into a cabinet and got a towel for Haven.

“I’m getting your wood floors soaking wet.”

I walked into the laundry and grabbed a robe.

“You can change out of your clothes in here and put them in the dryer. I’ll show you to the guest bedroom, and if you want to take a hot shower, I can give you something of mine to wear.”

She looked at me and narrowed her eyes. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

I blinked a few times. “Do you honestly think I would leave you on the side of the road in a storm, Haven?”

She shrugged, and I didn’t want to admit how much that hurt.

“What are you wanting in return?”

This time, my mouth dropped open. “I don’t want anything.”

She sighed. “I’m sorry to be a pain in the ass.”

“You’re not. But get out of those clothes before you catch a cold.”

She saluted. “Yes, sir. Right away, sir!”

Rolling my eyes, I exited the laundry and shut the door.

“This laundry room is like a dream! Mine isn’t even a quarter of this size in my apartment.”

I walked into the living room and turned on the lights. They all flickered right before a loud crack of thunder.

Haven let out a small scream and I couldn’t help but chuckle. That’s what she gets for assuming I wanted something in return for helping her.

“That was close,” I said as I moved into the kitchen to turn a few more lights on. As the storm approached closer, it wasgetting darker outside. Given how dark it was, it was hard to believe it was nearly three in the afternoon.

“Um, I put my clothes in the dryer.”

Turning to see Haven in nothing but my robe, I cleared my throat. “Right. I’ll show you to the guest bedroom, and after you get warmed up and changed into something, I’ll give you a tour. If you want one.”

When I glanced back to see if Haven was following me, I noticed she was looking everywhere as she followed me through the living room and to a set of stairs.

“Down here is the guest suite. It has a full-size bathroom and a walk-out to the patio. I doubt you’ll want to go out there, though,” I said when I reached the bottom of the steps. “To the right is the guest room.”

“And to the left?” she asked.

“The family room and bar area. I know it’s a strange set up with the kitchen and main living room up stairs, but I wanted the view for up there and a patio for down here.”

We walked into the guest bedroom, and she took a deep breath. “Nate, this is stunning.”

“I’d like to take the credit, but I have to give it to Rose. Our in-house designer. She did all of the interior.”

“She is amazing,” Haven said as she entered the room. “Is that reclaimed wood on the wall behind the headboard?”

It was strange to be having a normal conversation with Haven. Whenever we found ourselves together, we threw out jabs at one another. This was a welcome change, and I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe we could be friends and move past…well, the past.

“It is. Much of the wood on the walls and the ceiling beams are reclaimed. It was important for me to re-use as much as I could. All the wood outside the house is from an old 1800’s cabin.”

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