And maybe one day, I’d meet a handsome man in town who’d be up for a casual, uncomplicated relationship.
The majority of the homes in Lark Cove were set behind the businesses along the highway. They were normal-sized homes situated in friendly blocks where everyone knew their neighbors.
On the other side of the highway, the lakeside, the homes were larger. They reminded me of the houses in the Hamptons, though not quite as big and more rustic lake house than beach chateau.
Logan turned off the highway toward the lakeside of town, following a quiet road that wrapped around the shoreline until he pulled up to a house that screamed Logan Kendrick.
It was all class, like the man himself: handsome with its cedar shakes and gleaming windows and well-manicured lawn. The boathouse on the water was larger than most of the homes we’d passed in town. The loft above it was going to be my abode for the next couple of weeks or months, however long it took to buy my own place.
As Logan parked in the detached garage and shut off the SUV, Charlie hurried to unbuckle her seat belt. “Piper, do you want to see my fort?”
“You know it!” I told her, helping Collin free from his car seat. The two-year-old squirmed out and crawled to the front before I could stop him.
“Daddy! Daddy!” he yelled, then giggled as Logan swung him out of the car and tossed him into the air.
“Come on, little one,” Thea said, opening the back door to get out Camila’s carrier. “I bet you need a diaper change and a bottle.”
Camila cooed at her mother, her tiny mouth forming a hint of a smile. The jury was out on which parent she took after, but I’d get a front-row seat to watch as she grew up.
I climbed out behind them all, deciding to leave my suitcases for the time being. I wanted to play with the kids some before dinner.
“When is the meeting with your realtor?” Thea asked as we walked toward the house.
“Tomorrow,” I said as Charlie slipped her hand in mine. “He’s got three places lined up for me to see.”
“Want some company? Logan can watch the kids and I can tag along to give you the inside scoop on potential neighbors.”
“You wouldn’t mind? I’d love to have your input.”
I’d thought of inviting Thea along on my house-hunting trip, but I didn’t want to smother her. The last four months had been incredibly lonely, and since she was my only girlfriend in Lark Cove, the chances were real that she’d get sick of me soon.
“Of course, I wouldn’t mind,” Thea said. “Though I should warn you, I’m probably going to become that friend who calls and texts too often. Have I mentioned that I’m really excited you’re living here?”
She couldn’t have known, but I’d really needed those words and the enthusiasm in her voice. Thea Kendrick was good people.
“Ready to see my fort?” Charlie asked.
I looked to Thea, just to make sure it was okay. She nodded and smiled. “I’ll get Camila changed and fed, then we’ll come find you. White wine or red?”
I amended my earlier thought. Thea Kendrick was great people. “White, please.”
“You got it.” She smiled and disappeared into the house with the baby.
“I’ll take care of your suitcases,” Logan told me as he set Collin down to go play in the yard. “You just relax.”
“Thank you, Logan. For everything.”
He patted my shoulder. “You’re welcome. Glad you’re home.”
Home. I was home.
As he followed Collin to a stack of toys on the deck, I turned down to Charlie. “Fort time?”
She nodded. “Want to race?”
I slipped out of my four-inch stilettos. “Loser is a rotten egg!”
The next day, Thea and I were hiking through the trees behind the home my realtor had just shown us. This particular property was located in the mountains and had some acreage in the forest. So while the two of us were exploring, my realtor was back at the car, giving us a moment to debrief without him hovering.
“What do you think?” Thea asked.
“I don’t know.” I sighed. “That house is . . . there are no words.”
She giggled. “I’ve never seen a house so dedicated to a decade.”
“Ugh. Have you ever seen such hideous carpet? It was like the designer looked at an orange creamsicle and said, ‘How can I turn this into a paisley shag?’”
“Exactly.” She laughed again. “I can’t get over those yellow cabinets in the kitchen. And that wallpaper? Lime green stripes should never be paired with beige.”
I looked over my shoulder to the house and grimaced. It was an old-style rancher with three bedrooms, each needing a complete overhaul to bring them into this decade. Did I have it in me to take on such a large project?
This was our last showing of the afternoon. The first two homes we’d seen were in town. Both were nice, far better than this sixties monstrosity, but they were within twenty feet of a neighbor on each side.
I’d spent over a decade in apartment buildings and townhomes, sharing walls and public spaces with neighbors. I was ready to have some space.
“You’re sure you don’t want to look for something down along the lake?” Thea asked. “Something newer?”
“I just can’t afford any of those listings right now.” Only a few lakeside properties were on the market, and everything available was way outside of my budget.
Thanks for that, Adam. In a dick move, he’d contested our divorce, forcing me to spend a chunk of my savings on an expensive attorney.
So to stay within my price range, I’d have to purchase a house in the middle of Lark Cove or buy this one and do a complete renovation. The first choice was by far the easiest. But the latter option had its perks too.
This fifteen-acre property on the mountainside was gorgeous, and there was only one neighbor, a cabin about fifty yards away. It was close enough to run over in an emergency but far enough that I wouldn’t have to see them unless it was intentional.
“I do like it up here in the mountains.” Though Thea’s lakeside home was peaceful, there was something enchanting about being surrounded by hundred-year-old trees. The forest smelled rich and mossy with a hint of pine spice in the air.
“It’s a beautiful spot with your own hiking trail. You wouldn’t have to worry about setting up a home gym. Just climb this every day and you’d be in killer shape.”
“No kidding.” I was breathing harder than I ever had in a spin class.
We continued our hike, going up the steady incline behind the house that led to a ridge at the back of the property. My realtor had pointed us in this direction, encouraging us to hike to the top.
He was a good salesman, that one. The farther away from the house we walked, the more I was willing to buy it just so I’d have this as my backyard.
By the time we reached the final stretch of the trail, my thighs were burning. Sweat was beaded at my hairline and a drop rolled down my cleavage. I was comfortable in my cuffed boyfriend jeans and a casual T-shirt, but what I really should have worn was my gym attire.
“Almost there,” I told Thea as the trees opened up and the ridge came into view.
We pushed through the last twenty feet and smiled at one another as the trail leveled off, turning to run along the ridge. We followed it, stepping into an open meadow filled with spring wildflowers.
“Wow,” Thea whispered. “I’m starting to think a remodel is the way to go. Who cares what the house is like when you have this?” She held out her hands to the view.
“This is . . . unbelievable.”
From here, the towering mountains were visible in the distance. The one we’d just climbed was no more than an anthill in comparison. The valleys below were green and lush. The horizon went on and on for miles, and nearly the entire lake spread out behind our backs.
“Let’s keep going.” I took one step farther down the trail, but Thea grabbed my arm, holding me back.
“Wait,” she whispered, her eyes aimed ahead of us.
A momentary flash of panic hit. Is it a bear? I didn’t want to get eaten by a bear on my first real day in Montana. Slowly, I turned and followed her gaze, my feet ready to bolt at the sight of a grizzly.
But it wasn’t an animal that had caused her to freeze.