The winter sun set over the horizon in a burst of red and gold as Jake hauled an armful of kindling up the stairs to the lodge. He’d lost track of the time as well as how many cords of wood he’d stacked, but he estimated that he had cut enough wood shakes to reroof one small cottage, and possible two or three of the booths. A good day’s work. What he didn’t know was if his father wanted to repair the buildings.
The longer he worked, the better he felt. Tomorrow morning he’d contact his parents and ask them what plans they had for the lodge. If they wanted to sell, he was okay with their decision. Well, not exactly okay, but he would learn to live with it. He hadn’t realized how much he missed this place. But he couldn’t expect his parents to keep it if it had become too much for them to manage. And his life was in Europe, which reminded him that he should also call his manager, Cally, and let her know to tell the rest of the band that he wouldn’t be back until after Christmas.
The thought of returning held little appeal, which caught him off guard. He had everything he’d ever wanted. He had his music and his band, and everyone said how lucky he was. He was living the dream. But was it his dream?
He pushed open the door to the lodge. The aroma of beef stew mixed with herbs greeted him like a hug. He followed the aroma to the restaurant where the flames in the fireplace danced and gave off a sunset glow.
Jake stacked the kindling in the wood box near the fireplace, petted Woofy who eyed him carefully, and headed into the kitchen. He considered it a win that the dog hadn’t bitten off his hand.
He paused before entering the kitchen. Miranda had transformed the space and made it her own. The smells of a rich stew bubbled on the stove. Fronds of ferns, cedar, and dried hydrangeas were grouped in vases and displayed in every nook and cranny. His mother always had kept the kitchen pristine, but there were subtle changes that he knew were entirely Miranda. She loved bringing the outdoors inside.
Her hair was damp from the heat of the kitchen and her face flushed as she stirred the stew. She was the most beautiful vision he’d ever seen. How could a woman fill his heart the way she did? He had been a fool to let her go. He’d realized it too late.
He cleared his throat. “It smells delicious.”
She removed the spoon and set it on a plate, wiping her hands on a towel attached to the waistband of her jeans. Her expression was guarded. “I hope you don’t mind. I sort of took over the kitchen.”
“Mind? It never smelled better in here.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “We got off to a rough start. I’m sorry,” Jake said, and meant every word and more. “I overreacted when I first saw you.”
She slid him a glance and a gentle smile. “Me too. Come in. I’ve set the table for us.”
His heart stopped at her use the word, “us.”
“Your dog growled at me.”
Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “He’s my protector.”
Jake took a seat at the table. “The only one?”
“Excuse me?” She ladled stew into their bowls and sat down opposite him.
He shook his head and reached for a spoon. “Never mind. To answer your question earlier, I didn’t know what happened to this place. I haven’t been home in a long time. Whenever they spoke of the place, they said business had slowed but that they had plans that would turn things around.”
“Why would they misrepresent what had happened?”
“That’s a mystery to me as well. My parents are proud people. Perhaps they didn’t know how to tell me.”
“Perhaps.” Her voice trailed off as she stirred her stew. She set her spoon down. “My aunt said the strangest thing earlier. She said that there were guests arriving in a few days. For some reason I had the impression that it would be a small gathering of family and a few friends. But my aunt made it sound as though the lodge would be filled to the brim. Do you have any idea how many are expected?”
“Not a clue. My impression was the same as yours.”
The back door of the kitchen burst open and Owen walked in. “Smells like old times in here. If I hadn’t promised my Mary that I’d be home before dark, I’d ask if I could join you for dinner.” He nodded to Miranda. “Your aunty told me to tell you that she had to leave.”
Miranda shot up from her chair. “What do you mean she left?”