Page 20 of Falling For You

The idea made me giddy, and before I knew it, the little cabin had overheated, and I needed to shower and dress for the day.

I had to pick up a few things at the store and might even pop into a coffee shop for a real drink.

The thought made me work a little faster at tidying some things up, hopping in the shower, and getting dressed.

By the time I opened the bathroom door, my place was hot. The heat rolled off my sweater as I dashed to the kitchen window and opened it wide. I still hadn’t gotten the hang of regulating things quite yet.

The smell of pine needles, sweet maple leaves, and damp earth filtered in through the open window with the sound of a few hardy songbirds chirping before they headed away for the winter.

It was these little things that I didn’t get living in the big city, and I didn’t even realize how much I’d missed them until now.

I fanned off as the chilly air flooded the cabin, and a light tap at my front door took me by surprise. Since my kitchen window faced the road where someone would pull up, it had to be family who’d walked here from the lodge. Maybe one of my sisters brought me some leftover muffins or something from this morning.

The thought made me smile. When I did figure out where I wanted to live, it had to be close to family. I’d spent far too many years away.

Another knock rattled through the little cabin, and I quickened my step to reach the door. Pulling it open, ready for a muffin, I jumped back when I saw Owen.

He held a bouquet of sunflowers and pushed them toward me.

“Good morning,” he said, smiling cautiously. “I actually brought them to the lodge and bumped into your brother, who told me you were in this cabin.”

I frowned. “So much for personal safety.”

He chuckled and nodded. “I thought the same thing, actually.”

I twisted my lips into a reluctant smile and reached for the flowers. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you,” he offered.

I turned so he couldn’t see my expression, which was dying with happiness, surprise, and downright excitement.

“Do you know I’ve never received flowers before?” I walked the short distance to the kitchen and pulled a mason jar from the cabinet.

“You’re kidding.” He called after me in the tiny space.

I’d left him standing on the porch.

“Fact.” I looked over at Owen, who looked inside the cabin, smiling.

“I think I’m letting in a lot of cold air.” He looked over at me.

“It’s okay. I made the cabin too hot.”

“Okay, then.” He let out a sigh and rocked back on his heels. “I stopped by to see if you’d like to grab a coffee downtown.”

I filled the vase with water and cut the tips off the stems before arranging them in the vase.

“Hmm. I did have some errands to run before I start lunch.” I scrunched my lips together as I looked at Owen. He was dressed in a pair of light blue jeans and a black sweater.

“I also wanted to apologize for the first time we met.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t think we really hit it off, and I was out of line.”

“Did my brother scare you?” I asked, raising my brows. “Is that why you’re apologizing?”

Owen laughed and shook his head. “No. But his loyalty is to be commended.”

“So, what are you really doing here?”

He scratched the back of his neck and shifted his weight as his eyes stayed fastened on mine. “I’m trying to take you out for coffee.”

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