“Nope. I think he sees everything. My guess is that you’re both playing the same game.” His grin widened. “Can’t wait to see who wins.”
“I will.” She resisted the urge to look at Baxter again. “Now, I need to buy myself a camper of some sort. Can you direct me to the nearest location selling them?”
Blank surprise filled his handsome face. “You’re buying a...?”
“Yes.”
Both brows lifted. “Planning to stay on?”
Her brows came down. “Why not? I’m good at this housekeeping stuff.” At least she thought so. “And the position is open, right?”
Jumping on that, he said, “Yes, and you’re hired.”
“Is that your decision to make?”
“Trust me, Coop will be thrilled. Everyone else quits after the first day.”
Ridley gave an elegant shrug. “Everyone else is a wuss.”
Skepticism stole his good humor. “You’re sure you’re not just doing this to spite Baxter?” Pretending a pleading look, he said, “Don’t toy with me, doll.”
“Oh, I’ll spite Baxter, count on it.” And she planned to get started on it right away. “But the job has nothing to do with him.” No, the job had to do with her sister—and the strange self-satisfaction she felt in the work. She let out a breath. “So... I need some digs and there’s no time like the present.”
He worked his mouth to the side, then asked, “RV? Fifth wheel?”
Ridley waved her hand, unsure which was which and simply said, “Yes, one of those.”
“For here?” Daron clarified.
Definitely here. How else could she provoke Baxter? “I’m going to reserve that nice spot over there—” she pointed “—with the woods behind it. I already checked and it’s available.”
Daron turned to stare at the spot she indicated. “There?”
She shrugged. “It’s not the ideal location, I admit. I’d much prefer to be near the creek. Fewer bugs, and the sound of water moving is so soothing. But the spot by the woods will have to do.”
Bemused, he asked, “So you’re going to live here, permanently?”
Why did he keep saying it as if she’d be moving into a cave? Maybe there was something she didn’t know. “It’ll be a...” she pursed her lips, looking for the right words “...long-term reservation.”
“Huh.” Daron glanced toward Baxter, then shook his head with a huffing laugh. “Poor bastard.”
Ridley affected a look of affront. “Are you insulting me?”
“Nope. Just admitting that you’re a ruthless player of the game.” Hands on his hips, he asked, “Have you ever driven an RV? Or pulled a fifth wheel?”
“No, but it’s not a problem because I’ll have it delivered.”
“When?”
“Tonight, if possible.”
His face went blank, but he quickly recovered. “Tonight? Not unless you’re paying cash—”
“Oh, I am.” Few benefits remained from her disastrous marriage—lots of money being one of them.
“Do you have any idea what a nice RV costs?”
“I searched the internet, so I think so.”
He chewed the corner of his mouth a moment. “You want it as soon as possible?”
“Yes.” She was most anxious to start her provocation of Baxter.
“I want to show you something.”
Teasing, she said, “Oh, honey, I’ve already seen it all.”
“Ruthless,” he muttered with a grin, then gestured. “This way.”
“Oh, all right.” She really wanted to get on her way, but she could indulge him for a moment—especially since she felt Baxter still watching them. Was he closer now? Getting the wrong impression?
She hoped so.
How dare he ignore her after they’d come so close to—
Daron stopped in front of a massive RV with a FOR SALE sign in the window of the entry door. “Here you go.”
“Here I go?”
“You want an RV, this one is for sale, it’s by the creek and already paid up for the rest of the summer. If you stay on as housekeeper, Coop will reimburse you some of the rental fees—a perk of the job.”
“It’s yours?” For some reason, she thought he lived outside the park.
Daron laughed. “No, but I’m taking a commission for showing it to interested people.” He dug keys out of his pocket. “Come on. Check out the inside.”
“I don’t know.” She wasn’t keen on buying anything used.
“It’s only a year old,” he hurried to say, as if he’d known her thoughts. “And it’s in pristine condition.”
“Then why is it for sale?”
“It’s a divorce situation.”
“Ah.” She waited while he unlocked the door and automatic stairs came down. Then she gasped, blindly following Daron as he stepped inside. The interior was... “Decadent.”
“Right?” He stood back while pointing out obvious features. “Four-door refrigerator, full dinette, leather couch and wing chairs—and the driver and passenger seat swivel, so when you’re not traveling, they become part of the living room.”
Ridley had no idea a moving house could be so plush. Daron was waxing on about the engine and auto-leveling or something, but she wasn’t concerned with that.
Heading down the hall to see the rest of the interior, she passed a microwave oven, three-burner stove, solid-surface countertops and lots of kitchen storage.
In the moderate bathroom, which was still far bigger than what Phoenix used in the cabin, she found twin vessel sinks and a shower curved to fit into the space. The shower wasn’t large, but then, she wasn’t a large woman. “No bathtub.”
Daron leaned close. “You’re welcome to use mine when you feel the need to soak.”
Grinning at his cheesy—and surely playful—come-on, she headed into the bedroom. “Hmm. This is tight.” The king-size bed took up most of the space, with drawers built underneath and a stationary dresser/clothes closet on the opposite wall, a TV in between.
Lounging in the door frame, Daron said, “I hate to break it to you, but they don’t make them bigger than this. If you want more room, you’ll have to go custom, and that’d be months before it was ready.”
The idea of months made her wrinkle her nose. “Really?”
“Afraid so.”
Not all that disappointed, Ridley ran a hand over the padded headboard, the surface of the nightstand, and then the velvety soft coverlet—and made her decision. “I’ll take it.”
Blinking, Daron straightened from his lounged position. “You’ll take it?”
“Everything has been cleaned, yes?”
“The bedding, yeah, but you’re now the official housekeeper. I’d go over it all again if I was you.”
“Of course you’re right.” She ran her finger over a layer of dust.
A little disbelieving, he looked around. “Do you want to know the price?”
“Is it fair?” she inquired.
“A bargain, actually.”
She thrust out her hand. “If I pay you now, how soon can I move in?”
Appearing dazed, he accepted her hand, his brows up so high they disappeared under his tumbled brown hair. “Er...” He looked around again, then shrugged. “Whenever you want.”
“Perfect. If you’d like to ride with me to the bank, we can get it taken care of right now.”
A grin slowly spread over his face. “Let me see if Maris can keep the dog a little longer.” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket.
While he made the call, she started back through to the living area, admiring the tasteful decor while also making a mental note of the things she’d like to buy. New throw pillows, a rug for the entry, maybe some fresh flowers for the dinette. She opened the cabinets and found most empty, but dishes and glasses remained in a few.
“Maris is a go.”
Of course she was. Not only was the dog adorable, but Ridley suspected Maris would do just about anything for Daron, even though they appeared to have a contrary relationship. “The dishes stay?”
“Sure, if you like them. Matching towels in the bathroom, too.”
She nodded, thinking that she’d have to go to the BMV next, then the grocery, and of course she’d have to call her insurance agent—
“One question,” Daron said from behind her.
Absently, her thoughts full with her to-do list, Ridley asked, “Yes?”
“How rich are you?”
At the open front door, she turned to face him with amusement. “My ex had scads of money—and so I took what I could when he filed for divorce.”
“He filed?”