Page 28 of Wilde Sanctuary

I’ve left you clues around the town, but not to turn it upside down. Your first stop is here, as I knew it would be, the second is to Mrs. Trombley for some tea.

Charlie laughed, delighted, and took the rose back to her car.

She had tea with Mrs. Trombley and had her fortune read, then she was taken on a brief tour of the harbor with Rhett’s artist cousin, Rowan, who Rhett had described once or twice as half-fish. She moved from location to location around the town,taking in the people and places that were so special to Rhett. She saw how it was a part of him, and how it could be a part of her too. By the middle of the afternoon she’d accumulated almost a dozen red roses.

“Eleven,” Charlie said as Cassie handed her one more with a smile. “Who do I get number twelve from?”

“Can you guess?” Cassie asked, holding out the final clue.

“Rhett,” she said, taking the note. She opened the paper and read it with a laugh.

The final stop is just for you and me, you’ll find me waiting near THAT tree.

Charlie laughed and, throwing a hasty thank you over her shoulder, headed out the door.

Of course he’d bring her back to the cabin where they’d been stuck in the storm. Somewhere quiet and amongst the trees he loved so much.

It didn’t take her long to reach her destination. She pulled up next to where Rhett had parked his truck and turned off the engine. She bundled up her roses and climbed out of the car, walking slowly to the front door.

Her hand hesitated, unsure if she should knock or just open the door.

“Charlie,” Rhett said from behind her.

She squeaked and spun on her heel to face him, holding one hand against her chest. How such a giant of a man could be so light on his feet was a mystery.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He ran his hand over the back of his neck.

His proximity, the smell of whatever he used to launder his clothes, his deodorant and a slight whiff of wood smoke had her head spinning. It was just uniquely him. No cologne. She couldn’t imagine him fussing with his appearance, and yet helooked like he’d stepped out of a designer clothes fashion shoot with the mood board of ‘sexy outdoorsman’.

Jeans that looked like they were made just for him were stretched over his muscular thighs, his feet encased in heavy boots that had seen better days. He was wearing another tight tee shirt—this time black—under a plaid green and black shirt. The man seemed incapable of spending five minutes with his hair not flopping over his forehead, the brown locks just begging to be pushed back from his eyes.

He belonged here like a fish belonged in the ocean. And she loved him with every part of her.

“You got the flowers.” He said. “I hope you had a good day.”

She smiled and walked a step towards him, holding the roses against her chest. “Yes, they’re beautiful. But isn’t there meant to be one more?”

“Oh, yeah there is. Come inside.” He stepped around her and pushed open the door, holding it so she could enter.

She gasped, staring around the cabin. “What have you done to this place?”

“You don’t like it?”

“No! I love it!” Charlie walked into the center of the room and turned on the spot, taking it all in. The kitchen had been renovated, and the walls painted white with pale green trim. The old furniture was gone, replaced with a cozy looking sofa and a small dining table and two chairs. Brightly colored rugs adorned the floor, giving the room a bright, cheery feeling.

Charlie walked to the bathroom, Rhett following with a smile. She gasped at the claw-footed tub and the separate shower, a far cry from the old bathroom fittings. And then there was the bedroom. Floor-length gauze curtains covered the windows, and the walls were freshly painted white. An armchair and bookshelf in the corner made for a cozy reading nook, andthe bed itself was covered in a handmade quilt, another bright rug on the floor.

“You did all this?” She asked, turning to face Rhett.

“I wanted you to see what it could be like,” he said, flushing slightly.

“But you didn’t have any money…”

Rhett nodded. “I called in some favors.”

Charlie smiled. “I love it.”

“You do?”

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