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Marla rolled into Huntsville around ten-thirty that evening. Her journey had been smooth and uneventful, unlike her past few days. The gentle hum of the Jeep was calming. Just outside of Huntsville, the sky was full of what looked like a million stars, something she didn’t see much in Cincinnati. The peace and quiet of the drive were refreshing. In a half-hour, she would arrive in Guntersville. Happy memories of the lake house flashed in her mind, and she couldn’t wait to get there. She longed to be in comforting and familiar surroundings.
As she drove down Highway 431 on the last leg of her trip, the night was clear, and there was a full moon. Approaching Guntersville, she peered over toward the lake. Although it was dark, the moon was casting faint light beams onto the waves of Lake Guntersville. Marla exhaled as she saw the glistening of the lake. A feeling of relaxation came over her, and she exhaled deeply.
Surprise Valley Road was just ahead before the bridge over Lake Guntersville. She turned left onto the road, and within a few minutes, the lake house came into view on the right. She turned into the driveway and let her headlights shine on the lake house. It was just as she remembered it: warm, cozy, and welcoming. It was a small white, ranch-style house with light blue shutters and a light blue door to match. It reminded her of a cottage from some of her childhood fairytales. Marla felt her muscles relax, and the knot in her stomach loosened. A smile came across her face, and the sensation was almost unfamiliar. She hadn’t smiled for a few days. “I’m home,” she whispered.
After turning off the Jeep, she approached the front door. Using the light from her cell phone, she unlocked the door. Upon entering the house, she flipped the light on. She stood still for several seconds in the living room, just taking everything in. Some of the furniture looked new, but the room was familiar. The big stone fireplace stared back at her with a welcoming look. Her grandmother’s rocking chair was still there next to the fireplace. She surveyed the pictures and shelves on the wall. The shelves still held many of her grandmother’s trinkets and collectibles. Closing her eyes tightly, she breathed in the silent, cozy feel of the room. She slowly opened her eyes, exhaled, and then smiled, as her eyes clouded over with wetness. The house was comforting, but it would never be the same without her grandparents.
She stepped forward into the living room and then abruptly halted when a sound came from the hallway. Within a second, a large man was standing in the hallway with a bat in his hands. Marla screamed and fell back into the closed front door.
“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” She yelled, trembling in fear.
He seemed to disengage a little when he could see that she was not a threat. The man leaned onto the end of the bat. “I should ask you the same question.”
Marla blurted out, “I own this house.”
“What?” He replied puzzled. He didn’t give her a chance to respond.
“Marlena Barton owns this place, and she has been renting it to me for the last two years.”
Marla relaxed her shoulders and exhaled when she realized he wasn’t an intruder. She slowly shook her head back-and-forth and spoke in a gentler tone. “She passed away last month. I’m her granddaughter. She left the house to me.”
Neither of them said anything for a few minutes. Then the man said, “I’m sorry. I hadn’t heard about Marlena. That makes me sad. She was always so kind to me.”
Marla was shocked that he had gone from “bad-boy-with-a-bat” to a sweet puppy dog in a matter of seconds. It disarmed her. She tried to smile and said, “I’m sorry I scared you. I had no idea she had rented the house out. I just learned that I inherited the place a few days ago. The lawyers who gave me the paperwork and key didn’t mention that the house was rented to anyone.”
“Well, Marlena and I had a handshake understanding. There was no contract or paperwork. I met her one night in the ER over a year ago. She had burned her hand on the stove, and she came in to be seen. I took care of her, and we got to talking. She was easy to talk to, and I ended up telling her about how I was new to the area and was looking for a place to stay. She offered this lake house to me.”
Wrinkling her nose, she asked, “You work in an ER?”
The man furrowed his brows, unsure of her line of thinking. “Uh, yeah. I’m a nurse at St. Joe’s North.”
As the reality of the situation sank in, Marla slowly stepped forward away from the door toward him. She said, “Let’s start over. I’m Marla Devereaux. I’m Marlena’s granddaughter. I’ve come here to live.”
The man put the bat down and stepped toward her. He held out his hand to her. “I’m Micah Brady. I’m not a squatter. I’m just a nice guy who apparently needs to find another place to stay.”
His humor relaxed her, although she was still shaking from the scare. Holding her hand out to him, she stepped toward him to shake his hand. Micah took her hand in his and smiled at her. Now that her fear was gone, it occurred to her that this man was shirtless and wearing pajama bottoms. As he held her hand in the handshake, she could see his bicep and pectoral muscles bulging. He had a massive chest, and his six-pack abdomen caused her breath to catch in her throat and her cheeks to flush. Being near this much pumped-up, masculine skin made her feel nervous. Charlie worked out and had a muscular build, but this guy put Charlie to shame. As she surveyed his chest, she noticed a small tattoo over his heart. It was an outline of three little hearts entwined together. She had seen something like this before, but she couldn’t remember where.
Marla’s eyes finally wandered back from Micah’s build to his eyes. He was strikingly handsome. He had dark, deep-set eyes, a chiseled jawline, and a day’s growth of stubble on his perfectly symmetrical face.
Micah half-smiled knowingly, as he had watched her looking him over.
She tried to release her hand from his, but he held on. Her face started to flush again, and he let go. Trying to hide her embarrassment, she cleared her throat and asked, “What are we going to do?”
“I guess I’ll have to find another place to live,” he answered confidently.
“It’s about midnight. I don’t think you’ll be successful tonight,” she said.
“I’ll stay at a hotel for a few nights. I’ll go. If you don’t mind, I’ll come back for my stuff tomorrow or later in the week.”
“I don’t feel right kicking you out like this. Maybe I should go stay in a hotel for a few nights. It would give you more time to find a place.”
“Absolutely not. This is your place, and I can easily find another one.”
“Why don’t you stay until the morning? There are two bedrooms here. I’m okay with that if you are.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate that.”
“I’m going to just get some things from my car,” she said. “Do you have a car? There wasn’t one in the driveway.”
“Yeah, my truck is in the garage, but I mostly cycle around town. I like to take my time going places, so I can enjoy the beauty here.”
Marla nodded, and then she disappeared out the front door toward the driveway. She opened the hatch to her Jeep and was pulling out a suitcase and a bag, when she heard, “Let me get those for you.” Micah was behind her.
She turned toward him quickly, not realizing how close he was behind her. As she barreled right into him, ricocheting off his chest, he caught her. Her suitcase and bag crashed to the ground. She tried to compose herself, still in his arms, as she looked up at him. Pressed up against him tightly, she could feel the heat from his bare, muscular chest. He smelled like musk and fresh soap. A wave of heat and embarrassment washed through her. She hadn’t been this close to a man for some time, even her husband. She stepped back and steadied herself as her knees felt weak and almost buckled under her.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to almost knock you over. I’d like to carry your bags for you,” he said.
Marla stared up at him. She could see the moonlight reflect in his dark eyes. They were gentle but also showed a hint of sadness, and for a moment, she felt tenderness radiate from him. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this kind of tenderness. It made her uncomfortable, but at the same time, her soul craved it.
“I ... I ... um ... okay, but I can get it. You don’t have to—” she tried to say before he interrupted her.
“I’ve got this. It’s the least I can do for scaring you tonight.”
“Well, thank you,” she said. She stood still, dazed for a moment, watching him walk back into the house before she followed him.
Once inside, he walked down the hall toward the master bedroom. She yelled after him, “No, you can put my stuff in the extra bedroom.”
He turned to look at her and smiled, “Well, if I did that, then you’d be staying with me.”
As that thought entered her mind, she quickly subdued it.
“You stay in the guest bedroom?”
He continued walking down the hall. “Yeah, your grandmother visited here a few times while I was renting. I kept her room clean and ready for her in case she dropped in. I hadn’t seen her for about six months, and I wondered why she quit coming.” He dropped off her bags and added, “You know, she used to talk about you all the time.”
Marla stared at him and smiled. “Did she really?”
He nodded. “Yeah, she mentioned you several times.”
Marla smiled and exhaled. In a quiet voice, she said, “I really miss her.”
Micah turned toward the guest room. “Well, goodnight. I will be gone early, though I will have to return at some point to get the rest of my things. Will you give me your phone number, so I can reach you?”
Marla nodded. After giving him her number, she said, “Just let me know when you need to come back for your things. Goodnight.”
He replied, “Thank you for your understanding.” As he entered the guest bedroom and went to close the door, he peeked out. “I’m so sorry about your grandmother.”
Marla replied, “Thank you.” She closed the door to the master bedroom and leaned back on it. Although she didn’t feel threatened by Micah at all, she turned and locked the bedroom door. While unpacking her suitcase, she took slow, deep breaths, trying to process the events of the past few days. She was finally in a place of comfort and felt as if she’d come home. Micah Brady had turned out to be a pleasant surprise. In fact, part of her was relieved to have company during her first night in the lake house. She was lonely, heartbroken, and sad, and although Micah Brady was a stranger, he seemed safe and familiar. His presence seemed to fill a void for her, even if it was for just one night and at a distance. Their time together had been brief, but in that short time, he had made an impression on her. As much as she tried to ignore it, his muscular physique had not escaped her attention. Her face heated, and she felt embarrassed as she remembered falling into his arms. There was safety and a feeling of belonging when he had held her for that brief moment. There was something else about him, though. His sad, gentle eyes and tender soul had spoken to her soul. Had she imagined it? She shook her head as if to shake off her silly thoughts. You’re reading too much into this. Besides, this handsome, incredibly built man would never notice you. Uh, and you’re still married ... well, for a little longer.
Marla felt the sadness creep back in as she thought of her marriage. The fatigue of the last few days had caught up with her. After unpacking, she put on her pajamas and brushed her teeth. Crawling into bed, she tried to clear her thoughts. Closing her eyes, she sank deeper under the covers. As she started to doze, a feeling of comfort swept over her. Being in her grandparents’ lake house was the medicine her broken heart needed right now. Micah’s face appeared in her mind as she was falling into a deep sleep. The last thing she remembered was Micah’s warm, dark brown eyes.