Page 2 of Wild Side
I muster a nod before closing the door and gesturing her through to the kitchen. The windows on this side of the A-frame face the lake. It’s a stunning view, and I can’t blame her for stopping to admire it.
“Beautiful.”
I watch her for a beat, eyes trailing her profile with a level of interest that I don’t bother hiding. She carries her shoulders tall, plush lips slightly parted. “It is.”
My gaze stalls out on her mouth. A sly grin twists those lips as she turns to me with a quirked brow. She returns my once-over just as blatantly.
“A man of few words, huh?”
“Guess so,” I respond, turning my back as I turn to open the fridge. “Drink?”
“Nah. I won’t be that long.” I can hear the amusement in her voice as she tugs out a stool at the island.
I take out a can of soda water and crack it, leaning against the counter behind me to face her. She’s folded her hands, fingers woven together, and pressed her lips in a tight line.
“So…” The word trails off, and I wait.
And I wait.
I take a casual sip of my bubbly water and set it on the counter beside me.
She continues staring at me, and I’m not oblivious to the way her eyes have shifted, following my arms as I cross them in front of me and take her in.
“So,” I say back, with a small twitch of my lips.
She sniffs and straightens, eyes flitting to the side and back. “I’m just going to come out with it. Erika has not had an easy go of it. Her stories are not mine to share. I just need to know that she and her son, Milo, will be safe here.”
I shift slightly. “Okay. My home base is out of the country, and I’m only here now and then. There’s an alarm system though.”
“That’s not the kind of safe I mean.” Her teeth strum at her bottom lip before she sighs. “Listen, I know I’m overstepping, but my sister is just finally in a good place, and I don’t know what she would or wouldn’t… Ugh.” The woman runs an agitated hand through her hair. “I hate myself for asking this, and she’d fucking kill me, but… if you have any drugs stronger than Tylenol, can you please put them somewhere that no one would suspect?”
My brows drop, and I lean forward. “What?”
“Prescription drugs. I want to make sure she won’t have access to them.”
“She’ll be living next door. Not with me.”
Tabitha shrugs and looks away again. “She’s charming and beautiful and finally back on track. Never say never.”
This woman has no clue how deep my trust issues go if she thinks I have designs on my new tenant. “I’m not planning on pursuing your sister.”
She flinches but doesn’t hesitate to look me dead in the eye when she says, “Well, that plan might be one-sided.”
“Are you…” I trail off, unsure of what to say. I have never had a more bizarre conversation with a perfect stranger in my life.
“I am being a snoopy, overprotective sister who has listened to her gush about you for two days. Just nod your head if you understand me, and we can agree to never talk about this again.”
I spent all of maybe thirty minutes around Erika when I first showed her the place. And a few more when I gave her the keys and met her son. She seemed accommodating about managing the mail situation along with the yard and gardens. She was nice. Okay, really nice.
Too nice?
And her kid was cute.
But my head definitely didn’t gothere.
Still, I nod.
Tabitha’s palm slaps against the granite countertop, and a triumphant grin emerges on her face. “Excellent. Great. Good talk.” She slides off the stool, but not before taking one longing glance back over the space. “This is a nice kitchen. Nothing better than cooking with a view.”
