He didn’t wait to see if she took his suggestion. Instead, he exited the vehicle and popped the trunk.
“I can take my bag.” Courtney met him at the back of the car.
They’d both packed light. “Don’t worry about it.” After grabbing both bags in one hand, he closed the trunk.
Cold air hit them head-on when they stepped outside, and once again Josh wished the garage was attached to the house. Despite the chilly temperatures, Josh paused and enjoyed the absolute silence around them. Compared to New York or Los Angeles, Providence was a quiet city. However, even in Providence some type of noise was always around. Here, silence prevailed. And rather than tall office and apartment buildings and paved streets, various trees surrounded the property, providing them with ample solitude.
“There are a bunch of trails through the woods. If you’re up for it, we can take a walk later.” There was also a rocky, winding path that went down to the water, but while much of the snow from the last storm had melted and the path should be fairly clear, he didn’t want to risk either of them slipping on any ice on the way down.
Releasing his hand, Courtney pulled her hat down lower and then stuck her hands in her coat pockets.
“I’ll need my gloves first.” She walked alongside him across the driveway and under the large portico. Frequently, he parked under it when it rained rather than drive into the garage.
Josh unlocked the door and followed Courtney inside. Less formal than his father’s and especially the Belmonts’ homes, the front door didn’t open into a grand foyer with hallways leading in different directions or into rooms designed to impress rather than to use. Instead, the small entranceway led into a three-story cathedral living room. Windows and glass doors dominated the outermost wall, providing breathtaking views of Frenchman Bay as well as the hundred-and-thirty-foot granite and bluestone terrace with its outdoor kitchen—a kitchen he could honestly say he’d never used. A granite fireplace took up much of another wall. Hardwood floors matching the beams visible throughout the home filled every room on the first floor except the eat-in-kitchen. And if he didn’t want to enjoy a meal in there, he could eat in what was one of Adalynn’s favorite rooms, the breakfast nook. Since it made up the first floor of the home’s turret, it was circular, and no matter where you sat you had a great view thanks to all the windows. No matter the meal, his daughter insisted on eating in there because it reminded her of a castle from one of her favorite stories.
Courtney looked around the room and removed her jacket. “This isn’t what I expected.”
He’d spent over a year looking at homes in the area before the listing for this one came up. It’d been described as having a timber frame design. At the time, he hadn’t known what that was, but it had sounded about as different from his house in California as you could get. After one look at the pictures on the real estate website, he’d known the property was just what he’d been looking for.
“What were you expecting?” he asked.
Josh left the bags and his jacket near the sofa. Later he’d bring all of it upstairs, but first, he’d start a fire in the fireplace. The previous afternoon he’d called Dan and Tia to let them know he’d be up this weekend so they could get the place ready, which meant there was plenty of firewood on hand and food in the refrigerator. Somewhere in their late forties or early fifties, the couple had worked for the Monahans, the previous owners of the home. When Josh purchased the property, the Monahans had given Dan and Tia a glowing recommendation and suggested he consider keeping them on. He’d taken their advice and hadn’t regretted his decision once. While Dan took care of maintenance both inside and outside and supervised any contractors hired, Tia took care of the general cleaning and food shopping when Josh stayed at the home.
“Something more like… I don’t know exactly.” She shrugged and moved closer to one of the glass doors leading outside. “Maybe Sara and Christopher’s place.”
He’d never seen her cousin’s home. Josh did know Sara and her husband lived in Alicante, a small, wealthy town located about an hour from Sacramento. Considering where it was located, he had a fairly good guess of what she’d been expecting. Actually, the house he owned in Malibu probably would’ve met her expectations. Personally, he much preferred this place. Nowhere other than here did he feel at home.
Well, maybe that wasn’t 100 percent accurate anymore. Each day that passed, Courtney’s penthouse felt more and more like home. Still, all the other properties he owned felt more like vacation spots, places he stayed when he needed a place to sleep. None were places he wanted to spend any length of time at.
He paused in arranging the firewood and stood. “You don’t like it?”
Evan disliked the place and told him so every time he came to visit. He insisted the property’s only redeeming quality was the view. Josh didn’t care what his brother thought. The guy didn’t have to live here. Courtney didn’t have to live here either, and it was possible this would be her only visit. Regardless, her opinion mattered to him. He wanted her to enjoy visiting and feel as relaxed as he did whenever he walked inside.
“That’s not what I said.” She turned away from the windows and joined him by the fireplace. “I love it. It’s different from what I’m used to. I’m glad we came up this weekend.” Courtney reached for his hand. “How about we go for a walk before you start the fire?” She led them over to where they’d left their jackets and handed him his first. “You do know how to get one going, right?” Courtney had one arm in her jacket when she asked the question. “Because we’ll need it to warm up when we come back inside.”
He could think of a great way to warm them up, no fire needed. “Don’t worry.”
While Courtney’s hands and feet remained comfortable, her face was another story. By the time they returned from their walk, Courtney feared she’d never have any feeling in it again. If they spent any significant amount of time outside again on this trip, she’d ask if Josh had a ski mask hanging around she could borrow.
Right now, thanks to the fire and a mug of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, the cold was a distant memory. Courtney sipped her drink and watched the flames dance. She didn’t know why, but she found it oddly hypnotic. Somewhat mesmerized by the fire, it took a moment for her brain to register that the 1812 Overture was coming from her purse. With Josh upstairs getting his chess set, she had no good reason not to answer the phone—except for the fact she didn’t want to be bothered. With their wedding day closing in, she couldn’t afford to miss a call pertaining to it.
Courtney took her time getting to her feet and retrieving her purse from the other side of the sofa. By the time she pulled out her phone, it had stopped ringing, but the words missed call along with Mom remained on the screen. Her mom hadn’t said anything else about pushing back the wedding since the night she’d brought Josh by to meet the family. Instead, she’d helped with any task Courtney passed along, not that she’d handed over many responsibilities.
After hitting redial, Courtney resumed her spot near the fireplace. The way she saw it, there was no reason she couldn’t talk to her mom and be toasty warm. Marilyn answered immediately.