“Thanks to various government incentives, it’s been a good field—and it’s getting better.”
If she couldn’t create the kind of album she needed, maybe she could learn enough to open a solar plant. Except she’d be miserable. All she’d ever wanted to do was sing.
She picked up her guitar and ran through a few chords. She used it so much and had used it for so long that it almost felt like a part of her. It was comforting just to have it in her hands. “Does this house have solar? Is that why we have no heat? Because there’s been no sun?”
He chuckled.
“What?” she said.
“Nothing. I had to explain to someone else that— Never mind. Anyway, yes, this place has solar, but it also has a gas furnace. The solar system delivers the electricity. So the air-conditioning, most of the appliances, the sprinkler system and the lights all run off the solar. I could’ve installed a special heating unit, too. But it didn’t seem cost-effective for a rental.”
“Tenants usually pay their own utilities.”
“That’s a consideration for some landlords, yes.” He frowned as he turned to her. “There’s nothing wrong with this thermostat—not that I can tell. I’ll check the unit itself.”
After reclaiming his tools, he went out back while she set her guitar aside and stood at the kitchen window, watching his flashlight bob as he walked. He looked good in those jeans, she thought—then stopped herself. She had no business admiring his backside.
He returned about fifteen minutes later but said he couldn’t find anything wrong with the unit itself, either. He suggested it might not be getting power and tried throwing the circuit breaker.
When that didn’t work, he came back in and, muttering something she couldn’t hear, tried the thermostat again. Only then did he reluctantly admit that he couldn’t fix it. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m not an HVAC guy, but I can get one out here first thing in the morning. The bad news is that this place won’t get any warmer tonight. So I’ll pay for you to stay at one of the two bed-and-breakfasts in town. They’re both comfortable, and you can have breakfast in bed, which is more than you’ll get if you stay here.”
He was trying to make it as appealing as possible. She was tempted to accept his solution, especially when he gave her a crooked grin that revealed how uncomfortable he felt at having to ask. But she wasn’t interested in staying anywhere else. “I can’t go into town,” she said. “I’d rather not be seen, don’t want to deal with...all that celebrity stuff. I told you before, I’m here to lie low.”
His eyes widened slightly. “I wish I had a better solution, but I don’t. You can’t stay here. It’s too cold, and it’s going to get colder. Maybe you haven’t heard, but we have a huge storm moving in. It’s already snowing.”
Once again, she tightened the belt on her sweater. “I’ve noticed.”
“So, please, will you allow me to put you up somewhere? One of the B and Bs in town? Little Mary’s belongs to a good friend of mine. I’ll call her. If she hasn’t left for the day, she’ll let you in the back way.”
Lourdes really didn’t want to deal with any strangers. She felt bruised and battered by all the setbacks she’d experienced in the past few months. She just wanted to hide out. That was why she’d come here to begin with. She could’ve gone to a motel or a B and B anywhere.
“I’d rather not.”
He seemed at a complete loss. “So...what are you going to do?”
“I’ll be fine here. I’ll...wear my coat and pile on the blankets, get through the night somehow.”
“Are you serious?” he said.
“Yes. I’m serious. I’ll survive.”
A scowl descended. “There’s a real possibility you won’t. In any case, I can’t take that risk. I’d be too worried. And think of all the people who’d be devastated if something happened to you.”