Still, why hadn’t her father ever mentioned that Willow had a grandmother? Why had she learned about the woman through her death?
It seemed unfair, but Willow knew that life was rarely fair. Being sad about it only made life sad, and she loved her life. She loved her business and she loved the people who worked with her to make that business a success.
So…here she was. Her grandmother had passed away, but had left this house to her. Looking up at the second and third floors, she noticed intricate details, the scrollwork in the corners of the house and the torn curtains inside.
“I’ll get more information by diving right in,” she whispered aloud.
She carefully put her weight on the first step of the wooden stairs. It was more solid than it looked. The wood was good, although the peeling, crumbling paint needed to be sanded off and the whole structure repainted. That would cost a pretty penny, but the end result would be lovely.
The next few steps gave her a bit more confidence, but she still walked carefully. With each step, her heart pounded louder and harder. This was where her grandmother had lived. This was her history. This was a connection to her life that she’d never known existed.
Willow stood at the front door, key in hand, but she paused, taking a deep breath. When she exhaled, she pushed the key into the lock and…twisted.
The squeaking noise was loud and, for some reason, terrifying! Was this house…haunted?
“That’s ridiculous!” Willow admonished herself, but instead of stepping through the door, she remained on the porch, peering through the doorway. Late afternoon sunshine filtered in through the yellowed, sheer curtains, highlighting the dust motes that filled the air. The dust sparkled and danced in the rays of the sun before settling down on the surfaces of the old furniture.
“Wow!” Willow whispered as she took in the dark wood floors and old furniture. She could see the quality of the antiques even from here. “Oh my!”
Stepping inside, lured by the promise of new and wonderful projects, she looked around, awestruck. “Oh, Jake is going to love this place!”
“Who the hell are you?” a deep voice snapped.
Willow screamed, twisting around as her imagination took off at the sound of the deep, male voice behind her. But even as her eyes adjusted, she screamed again, stepping backwards, her shoulder hitting something as she stared at the huge figure in the doorway. Willow couldn’t see his face since the sun was behind him, but she could see that he was a giant! Broad shoulders, long legs and…well, that was all she could see.
The man stepped into the hallway, pulling at the shadows. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he demanded.
Willow gasped as the man scowled down at her. “You…” she pointed weakly at the door behind him. Now that she could see his face, Willow saw that he didn’t have horns or red, glowing eyes. Relief surged through her and she took a breath, unaware of her hand pressed to her chest.
“I’m sorry!” she said, laughing self-consciously. “I just…you startled me and with the sun at your back, it was…” she gave up as his eyes narrowed even more. Dark eyes, she thought. They might be very nice eyes if they’d stop scowling at her like that.
Well, maybe not “nice”, but she suspected they wouldn’t be as intimidating!
“Who are you and what are you doing in this house? This is private property.”
She smiled up at the man, extending her hand. “I’m Willow Mills. Apparently, I’m the new owner. Camilla Mills was my grandmother.”
The giant ignored her hand, continuing to glare at her. “Prove it,” he snapped.
Willow pulled her hand back, feeling awkward and…well, irritated. Who was this guy and what right did he have to question her?
But she reined her temper in and increased the brightness of her smile. “I can’t really prove it, other than the fact that I have the keys,” she showcased the key chain with the fancy charms up in the air. The charms shimmered and danced in the late afternoon sunlight.
He barely glanced at the keys in the air, returning to her face. “How do I know that you didn’t steal the keys?”
Willow’s smile dimmed. “Well, um…” she thought frantically, because he had a point. Besides, this was an exclusive neighborhood filled with beautiful old houses. Not all were Victorian in style. Some were craftsman and others were brick colonials. But they were all large and perfectly maintained. Although none were as lovely as the one right next door. That house had a massive garden and the house was painted a dark purple with lime green trim. It was amazing!
The man’s eyes narrowed further and Willow knew that she’d have to come up with a legitimate reason for claiming ownership. Then something occurred to her. “How about a letter from my grandmother’s lawyer informing me of her passing and my new ownership of the house?” she offered.
He looked at her suspiciously. “Show me.”
Willow wanted to tell the man to take a hike, but if he lived in the neighborhood, she didn’t want to make enemies when she’d barely taken two steps into her grandmother’s house. Besides, if this man knew her grandmother, maybe he could tell her stories. After years of being abandoned by her father, Willow was quite desperate to learn more about the woman who had gifted this amazing house to her.
“It’s out in the car,” she explained pointing to the doorway. She wanted to lead him out, but he was just too big. Even though he’d stepped into the house, his shoulders were so broad that they were still blocking her exit.
Thankfully, he stepped to the side and she was able to pull her eyes away from his face. Raw and masculine were the two words that sprang to mind. Hard and powerful were what she thought when she noticed the immaculate, charcoal suit with the red, silk tie and startlingly white shirt. The man even had cufflinks. Who wore cufflinks these days?
Rich people, she thought dismissively and moved out the door. Back out in the sunshine, she slipped her sunglasses back on, feeling safer somehow outside rather than trapped in the strange house.
“It’s nice that you watch out for the neighbors,” she started off, needing to say something. His silence was a bit unnerving.
Or maybe it was his size. She didn’t like him. Not one little bit. In fact, if he lived nearby, Willow wondered how long it would take for her to plant some tall shrubs so that she never had to see the man again.
But he didn’t offer any additional information. The man simply followed behind her silently. Ominously.
She opened the passenger door of her car and grabbed the file of documents from the lawyer’s office. Sifting through the papers, she came up with the letter that explained her grandmother’s death and the transfer of the house to Willow.
The giant man took the paper, skimming over the words quickly before returning it to her. “Fine. Just…” he paused, looking down at her. “Do you need sunscreen?” he demanded in a harsh, irritated voice.
Willow blinked at the unexpected question as well as the harsh tone. Yes, she had red hair and, along with that came extremely pale skin. But for him to ask that seemed…odd. Almost intimate, she thought. “Um…well, I hadn’t planned on staying out in the sunshine for long,” she replied.
“Ms. Mills,” he started, but stopped, shook his head slightly, then handed the legal document back to her. “Good evening.” A moment later, he turned on his thousand dollar shoes and walked away.