Page 7 of Wandering Closer

My eyes widen as I soak in what he said. “Lily is who bought Gary’s place? You’re telling me she’s been right down the road all week and I had no idea?”

He looks at me over the top of his bottle as he slowly takes a sip like a jackass. “Yup.”

Holy shit. I shouldn’t get excited. She’s a city girl, likely trying out the small town life just for fun, but I am thrilled. There was something about her, beyond her beauty, that drew me in.The way her eyes lit up as I told her about the area, the way her hands never left Shadow’s fur as we talked, the way her cheeks tinged pink when I flustered my words. And I have her living right next door.

“Do I invite her over for dinner or something? Go introduce myself? Is she living alone? When is she home?” My brain runs through all the possibilities, trying to think of the best way to go see her again without being a creep.

“You think I asked for her life story?” Jake scoffs. “She said she has coffee on her back porch most mornings. That’s about as much as I know. Oh, and she’s out of your league.”

I kick his ankle, but think that through. I could go over in the morning with muffins or something, but I don’t bake. Shadow could ‘accidentally’ run through her yard. Yeah, that might be the one.

“You want dinner? I was going to grill some chicken.”

“Yeah, that sounds good. Grab me another beer? I’m too tired to drive home tonight,” he says, scrubbing a hand down his face. “Mind if I crash here? I will be out first thing in the morning. I’ve got two tables to make this weekend.”

“Of course.” I head inside to grab the ingredients from my fridge. I hand him a beer when I step back on the porch before setting my tray on the grill and firing it up. “Two tables is a lot to get done in one weekend, need any help?”

“Nah, I don’t have any other plans, so I can get it done. The orders have been coming in faster though since I put some pieces in the showroom in Seattle. If it stays at this rate, I’ll be making it a full-time business by the end of the year.”

I plop back in the chair next to him while the grill heats. “Congrats, man, it’s finally happening. You deserve all the success coming your way.” Jake gives me a small smile, then finishes his second beer. He’s the most humble dude when it comes to his business, which is at complete odds with his cockypersonality. He could probably afford to quit now and pursue his business full time, but he secretly has been helping out his parents and he can’t do that on just one income yet.

We enjoy the warm summer night, and eat dinner on the porch, both of us giving Shadow pieces under the patio table. Besides my brother, River, Jake is my best friend, and I love easy nights like this with him. I tell him about seeing Sherry and how things are going with the SAR team, while he tells me about the work he’s doing on his bike and how his business is growing. I don’t feel old most days, hell I wouldn’t even consider 28 to be old, but when we both decide to go to bed at nine, I feel it.

When Shadow’s bells pull me from sleep the next morning, Jake is already gone. There is no lag in my steps as I head down the stairs to let her out. I came up with the perfect plan last night to meet Lily again, and I am ready for it. Making a cup of coffee, I fill Shadow’s dish with breakfast. When she comes back in to eat, I head upstairs and throw on some gray sweats but leave my shirt off. I may be rusty at flirting, but I know what women like.

With my coffee in hand, Shadow and I head back outside and tramp through the woods toward Gary’s old cabin. “Okay, you’re my wing woman this morning. I need you to find Lily, and stay with her, even when I call you.” I give her a scratch behind the ear as the trees start thinning and I can just make out the cabin. “Go ahead girl, find Lily.” She takes off at a run, bee-lining straight for the cabin, like the best girl that she is.

I wait around for a minute, sipping my coffee, until I hear Shadow’s happy bark. I know she’s found her now, so I wait another minute before I call her name and walk closer to them. She shows me again that dogs are a man’s best friend by not coming when I call. Finally, Lily’s back deck comes into view, and there she is.

Her long brown hair is thrown into a bun on her head, an oversized pink cardigan wrapped around her small frame, as shesits on a couch with a mug in one hand, Shadow’s face in the other. I’m stunned just watching the sweet smile on her face as she talks to my dog.

Shadow is the first to acknowledge me, looking over and giving an excited woof, clearly proud of herself for listening. Lily’s gaze follows and I stand still as her eyes trail up from the shoes on my feet, stalling a little on my bare chest, and finally up to my face. Her cheeks flush as we lock gazes, neither of us making a move.

Her melodic voice calls out, “Thoren? I thought I recognized this sweet girl.” Her hand is still rubbing through Shadow’s fur. Unease starts to cross her face as she seems to register I just appeared out of the woods. “What are you doing here?”

Shit,didn’t think that part through. A big guy she met once appearing at her home out of nowhere. “I own the cabin at the end of the road. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. Shadow caught the scent of something this morning and ran off and when she didn’t immediately return, I came looking for her.” I scratch the back of my neck uncomfortably, kicking myself for not thinking this through more. “It’s nice to see you again, Lily. I’m really sorry about the intrusion. Come, Shadow.” I pat my leg, ready to head back home and wallow in my mortification in peace.

“It’s okay, I was just surprised,” Lily’s small voice says. She looks me over again, then seems to deem me not a threat. She points to the mug in my hand. “Do you need a top off for your coffee? I was just about to get some more.”

The smile on my face explodes as I stride over to her. “That would be great, thank you.” As soon as I step onto her deck, I feel the boards give under me. I glance down to see that over half of them are warped and rotting. Lily stands from the couch, her cardigan falling open to show a silky matching sleep set. I tryhard not to stare, but she looks effortlessly sexy and I want to wrap her in my arms and enjoy the nice morning together.

She is oblivious to my ogling and wayward thoughts as she gently takes my mug. “Sorry about the rotting deck. It’s next on my list of things to fix. Do you take creamer or sugar?”

“However you take it is fine, thank you.” I watch her step into the house before taking a seat on the other side of Shadow, giving her a quick kiss. “Good girl, you get a big treat when we get home.”

Lily comes back out and passes my mug over, taking her spot on the couch again. “How long have you lived next door?”

“Almost four years now. It was in rough shape when I bought it, but she’s a beauty now. I did most of the work myself, so if you need help with the deck or anything, let me know. Do you like it here so far?”

“If you mean the area, I’m in love. Every bit of this town, the people, and the land around me is exactly what I was looking for. If you mean the house, ehhh,” she takes a sip of her coffee. “It needs a lot of work. I’m eager to tackle the projects but also might be out of my depth. I just am ready for it to really feel like mine. Something I poured my heart and soul into and am proud of the outcome, you know?” She stares absentmindedly out at the woods, taking another sip before looking over at me.

“I do know.” I really do, too. It’s nice to know that someone else wants to put in the work to make something right. When I was with Jen, she wanted a modern new build home where she wouldn’t have to lift a finger or do anything. She complained constantly about the time I was spending working on fixing up the cabin, but never once offered to come with or help. Lily seems to understand the joy and pride you feel when you put in the work yourself.

“I think I remember you said you moved out here for work. What is it that you do?” I ask, as Shadow finally leaves her spot between us to explore the yard.

“I’m an author. I wasn’t before, I just wrote on the side. But I got picked up by a publisher and got a decent bonus to write a series. Since I can write from anywhere, I decided to do it somewhere I would love. Somewhere that I could find inspiration from the world around me.”

“That’s amazing, congratulations. What is your new series about? You seem too sweet to write thriller, so my guess is romance.” Her cheeks turn pink, and the flush travels down her neck to her chest. “Ohhh, you write dirty romance, don’t you?”

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