“It’s not fair that you have to clean when you cooked.” His mouth twisted as he stretched his leg out in front of him on the couch. “I’ll do breakfast.”
“If your ankle is better,” I said mildly. I was used to doing it all alone anyway. Up until this week, we’d had a nanny for after-school help, but she didn’t stay for dinner, so I usually handled the night routine all on my own. Which was fine, and how I liked it, but I couldn’t deny that it was nice to have someone to talk to as I washed up. “You’re helping simply by giving me conversation.”
“I’ll try harder to be interesting.” He laughed, but honestly, he didn’t have to work hard at that. Despite my predisposition to dislike the guy, he was plenty interesting, even the things he’d rather not talk about. And he was easy on the eyes, what with his tall, broad build, rugged jaw, wide mouth, sharp eyes, and sandy hair that was like a muted strawberry blond. He’d undoubtedly been a freckled-faced kid with brighter carrot hair.
“I found a big stick.” Charlotte rushed back into the living area, depositing one of Grandpa’s old walking sticks next to Calder on the couch before scurrying off again.
“Thanks. This will help.” He slid a hand down the polished wood. The gesture was in no way sexual, and it spoke to how long it had been since I’d touched another adult in a nonprofessional capacity that his movement made heat unfurl in my stomach. “This looks handmade.”
“Yes.” I forced myself to look away from his big hand caressing the wood. “My grandfather was a big outdoors person, and he kept hiking even into his later years. I’d had a feeling one of his old sticks was around here.”
“This place really has been in your family a long time?” He glanced around, almost as if seeing the cabin interior for the first time.
“My grandfather built it himself, along with some friends who purchased nearby parcels. He was a professor at one of the small colleges in Seattle, and this was his escape. I spent a lot of weekends here as a kid, especially after my parents divorced.” Much as I didn’t like dwelling on that bit of unhappiness, my voice was fond, as it always was when I spoke about my mom’s parents.
“That’s neat. I was a military brat, so we moved around a ton. My family’s always been big on camping and outdoors though, so I think it’s cool that your family had a place to come back to like this.” His face scrunched up as if he were thinking hard. “But if it’s your family’s legacy, why did Tim think it was his?”
I blew out a breath as I put the last clean dish in the drainer. “I inherited this place along with my grandparents’ Queen Anne house early in my relationship with Tim. He hated it here, but that didn’t stop him from trying to get it in the divorce.”
“Divorce sucks. This is why you’ll never catch me hitching up.” Yup, bachelor uncle, exactly as I’d thought. And smug, the way single people seemed to get when they heard about my misfortune. “Relationships always end badly unless you catch lightning in a bottle like my folks, and the odds of getting that lucky aren’t worth the gamble.”
“Says the card sharp.” I wiped down the counter with more force than needed.
“Hey, I don’t take bets I don’t expect to win.”
“Well, I certainly didn’t intend to get a contentious divorce, but here we are.” I tossed the rag down, tempted to lob it at Calder’s head, especially when he made a noise like he’d scored a point on me in some game.
“Exactly. You thought you’d won the lottery only to be one number off. Fool’s gold.” He shook his head with an expression that was either sympathy or pity, and I wasn’t sure I liked either.
“Tim’s no prize, that’s for sure.” Done cleaning, I checked the wood situation, channeling my frustration into poking the fire before I sank into one of the side chairs in the living area. “And back to your question, he saw the paperwork for the cabin back when I inherited and again when we were sorting out the settlement. That’s probably how he managed to have paperwork that convinced you. However, we’d finally agreed on me keeping the house and cabin and essentially buying him out. I’ve got it in writing.”
“Damn. That’s cold.” Calder whistled low. “If it was yours to start with, that doesn’t seem fair.”
To you and me both, buddy. “It’s a community property state. And Tim was never the biggest on fairness, sadly.”
“Assuming you’re telling the truth, he’s an even bigger bastard than I thought.”
“Of course I’m telling the truth,” I snapped as the girls returned, clattering down the stairs. Calder’s skepticism was to be expected, but it still grated. I was so tired of arguing Tim’s version of facts. Someone on my side would be a nice change.
“The renters didn’t leave any treasure, but I picked my favorite of the little beds,” Charlotte reported, oblivious to the rising tension in the room. Wearing a triumphant grin, she was holding a book with Madeline trailing behind her.
“I know.” I softened my voice for her. “I always loved picking as a kid too. I’d take turns sleeping in all three.”
With adult eyes now, I could see my grandmother had probably hoped for more grandkids when they’d made the sleeping loft, but they’d always made me feel treasured, and the extra beds had meant that I could bring a friend occasionally.
“I’m sleeping in the one by the teeny window.” Charlotte’s decisive nod dared Madeline to object. “That way I can watch the snow.”
“Good idea.” I glanced at the front window where sure enough it seemed to be still coming down by the bucket full and blowing around. That wasn’t a great omen for plows making it through in the morning. The sooner Calder and his confounding opinions could leave the better.
“We found the closet full of games and old toys. I forgot that was here.” Charlotte dropped to sit cross-legged on the rug and Madeline followed suit.
“Anything interesting?” Calder asked.
Charlotte shrugged. “Boring stuff, mainly. But then I remembered the bookcase.”
Madeline made an indignant noise. “I was looking there first.”
“Yeah, well, I was the one who found this.” Charlotte held up the slim book. “Ghost stories! Ones from around here.”
I groaned. As much as I was all about indulging the girls’ interests, I was ready for Charlotte’s obsession with spooky things to be over. “Why am I not surprised you found that?”
Nose in the air, she gave me an arch look. “Because I always find the best stuff.”
That was debatable. “At least it’s not alive.”