Boone flashed her a grin. “Won’t try to argue that point. What I do want to do is return to the discussion we were having before my mother called. You’d just asked a question.”
When Hannah wrinkled her brow in thought, Boone reminded her. “You asked for a recommendation for a place to stay.”
“Oh, that’s right. You said it was complicated.”
“I did, and it is. Ordinarily, I’d send you to Angel’s Rest because it’s truly the nicest resort in this part of the state. However, I happen to know that they are completely booked until mid-August. Between the normal summer crowd and the big wedding this coming weekend, I doubt you’ll find a free hotel room in a hundred miles. Luckily, I have a solution to that particular problem. C’mere.”
He waved her over toward the windows, then pointed toward the small, weathered log cabin some thirty yards away from his garage on the other side of a rail fence. “I bought that property with the thought of future expansion. The cabin has one bedroom, one bath, and a kitchenette. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s clean and comfortable. It’s private. I was going to put my cousin Tucker up there, but he’s decided to bunk somewhere else, so it’s available. It’s yours if you’d like to stay. I hope you will stay. Want to walk over and see it?”
Hannah’s tongue circled her lips as she considered it. Boone could tell she was tempted, so he pressed, “I promise I’ll be an exceptional landlord. I’ll allow you your privacy, and I won’t be a pest.”
She shifted her gaze from the cabin to him, tilted her head, and studied him. “What’s the catch?”
“No catch.”
“There’s something,” she mused, suspicion in her violet eyes.
“Tell you what. I can use a walk after that big meal. Why don’t we go take a look at the cabin before the sun goes down? You can think about it overnight, and let me know what you want to do in the morning. Okay?”
Following a moment’s hesitation, she nodded. Boone hustled her out the door before she could change her mind.
He took the long way around, choosing the path along the shore because it showed the cabin in the most picturesque light. That and the trail exaggerated the distance between his house and the cottage. While they walked, he attempted to sell her on Eternity Springs. His recommendations included his favorite restaurant in town—Ali Timberlake’s Yellow Kitchen—and the live music performances held each summer evening at Murphy’s Pub. He talked more about the soap shop and the Christmas store and the spa at Angel’s Rest. “If you need of a day of pampering, you won’t find a better place for it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said.
They reached the fence that divided the two properties, and he opened the gate and motioned her through. “Oh, smell the honeysuckle,” Hannah said, referring to the vines that draped the fence rails.
“It’s why I decided to leave this fence, at least for now,” he explained. “The flowers attract hummingbirds. I’m a bit of a bird-watcher.”
“Really?”
“Really. I saw a bald eagle last week.”
“I saw one today! It was glorious.”
“Stick around, pretty lady. You’ll see all sorts of wildlife.” Boone pretended not to see her skip a step. He launched into an enumeration of the different species of animals he’d seen since moving into his new home. “Keep in mind, I’ve only lived in the house a few weeks, so I expect the list will be longer by the end of the month. This is a relatively isolated section of the lake, so early in the morning and again at dusk, we get lots of animals coming down for a drink.”
As they approached the door, Boone pulled his keys from his pocket. The ding-a-ling of a small set of metal wind chimes hanging from the eaves sounded a pleasing welcome as he slipped the cabin key into the lock and paused. “I should probably give you a word of warning. When I decided not to tear the cabin down, I asked a friend of mine to handle the updates. I told you about her. Celeste Blessing? She owns Angel’s Rest? Remember?”
Hannah nodded, and he continued, “Celeste gave the cabin a name and a theme. Serenity. So—” Boone swung open the door and gestured for her to enter. “—welcome to Serenity Cabbage.”
As he’d expected, that stopped Hannah short. “Cabbage?”
“We couldn’t decide between Cabin and Cottage. Cabbage became a joke that stuck.”
Laughing, Hannah stepped inside. “Oh, my.”
Boone followed her into the cabin, and as always, he was struck first by the smell. Celeste had commissioned a special fragrance from Savannah Turner to be used in a variety of items at Serenity, everything from fabric detergent to cleaning agents to candles. Thankfully, it had nothing to do with the aroma of cooked cabbage. It was a pleasing scent—fresh, welcoming, and cozy. Boone thought it might have some lavender in it, but beyond that, the fragrance remained a mystery. Savannah and Celeste called it Simple Serenity.
The next items Boone always noticed were the stuffed animals. The little dog was the mascot of Angel’s Rest, named by Sarah Murphy of Fresh Bakery fame, and sold by the hundreds each year along with accessories like dress-up clothes and hats in the Angel’s Rest gift shop. In addition to the plush toy itself, the shop sold Serenity T-shirts, and calendars and pens and socks and bathrobes and blankets. Celeste had installed at least one of every branded item in Serenity Cottage. The touches were subtle, but anyone who spent time here would note the message.
As a result, Serenity had a vibe that made a person want to sink down and chill.
“It’s lovely,” Hannah said. “Homey and welcoming.”
“Peaceful and serene,” he finished. “It can be your sanctuary for a while, Hannah. All you have to do is say yes.”
She stroked the buttery soft throw draped over the back of a rocking chair and opened her mouth. Boone could all but see the word yes formed on her tongue. Then, abruptly, she closed her mouth and frowned. “Something about this strikes me as being too good to be true. What’s the rent?”
“It’s fair.” He gave her his best, boyish, encouraging smile. “You can rent Serenity Cabbage for a month—no, make that the entire summer. You can have it until Labor Day at no charge if you’ll do me one little favor.”
She folded her arms, tilted her chin, and studied him. “Let me guess. You need a date for your cousin’s wedding on Saturday, don’t you?”
“And the rehearsal party on Friday night. It’s going to be a lot of fun. Great Texas barbecue, superb live music, and the groom’s dog will be the ring bearer at the ceremony on Saturday.”
“I’m flattered, Boone. Truly I am. But I have to ask. Why me? I don’t doubt for a minute that you know of dozens of women who’d be thrilled to be your date to this wedding—without the cabin bribe. Why not call one of them?”
“Cabbage bribe,” he corrected. “And you’re right. I imagine I could get someone to go with me. Honestly, up until now, I haven’t wanted to take a date to Jackson’s wedding. Here’s the deal, Hannah. This is going to sound a little crazy to you, I’m sure, but we have this tradition thing going on in Eternity Springs. My friend Celeste—the one who decorated Serenity Cabbage—has this thing about angel wings. She gives an award. A blazon, she calls it, and you have to earn it. When you’re part of the Eternity Springs community, and when most of your friends have already earned theirs, well, it makes a person want one. I want one. I’m competitive that way.”