did we ever convert you.”
“You did,” I admitted. I gave Butch a pat on the head. “I could never have imagined a place like this.” For the first time since I got here, I had an urge to stay.
The feeling took me by surprise. How was that possible?
“Here we are.” Josh turned up a driveway.
“Where’s here?” I scanned the house.
It was white, like many of the houses in Rutter’s Point, with a long pillared front porch and three dormer windows across the top floor. There was plenty of glass across the paned windows in front. It had a two-car garage at one end and an inviting yellow glow coming from the small window in the front door as well at the two narrow windows flanking it.
“I’ve got a big deck out back,” Josh said.
“This is your house?” I could hear the waves in the distance.
“This is it.”
“And you live on the water?” It seemed so perfect.
“Above the water,” he said as we started walking again. “You can see it, but you can’t get down from here. I suppose you could with ropes and harnesses, but I’ve never been inspired to try.”
“Good call, I’d say.” I was more than curious to take a look inside.
He opened the front door and stood back.
I stepped onto a parquet wood floor in a rectangular entry and took a look around. It was more utilitarian than Madeline’s house with two white benches down each side of the room. They had hooks and small shelves up above and storage cupboards underneath. It looked very practical, and very roomy, particularly roomy compared to my apartment.
“Go on in,” he said, switching on a row of overhead lights.
Butch nosed his way up beside me, and Josh unclipped his leash.
The entry opened into a spacious, comfortable-looking living room with wooden beams, olive-colored walls, a steel-gray corner couch, and rustic-looking wooden tables. There was a stone fireplace opposite the couch and a big glass wall at the far end with a set of French doors off to one side.
“This is wonderful,” I said. “You have so much room to spread out.”
Around the corner was a small dining room, and I could see through it to a blue-toned kitchen on the other side.
“I don’t spend all that much time in this room. It’s more for entertaining.” He opened a glass French door to reveal a massive deck. “This is the best part.”
As I walked outside, a gas fireplace flared up in an octagonal outcropping. It was surrounded by cushioned chairs facing out over the ocean.
I was drawn to the fire alcove and walked that way.
Butch went out in front and hopped up on one of the chairs.
“As promised,” Josh said. “A place to sit down and look at the view.”
“This is paradise,” I said. I bypassed the chairs for the moment and walked to the rail to look over. The cliff was a sheer face below me. “I can’t believe you get to live here. All the time. Every day. How can it be real?”
“I sometimes wonder myself,” he said.
“You are one lucky man.”
“I know.”
I craned my neck to look down the cliff. “Yikes. I can see what you mean about climbing down.”
“Intimidating, isn’t it?”
“But still beautiful.”
“Beautiful,” he echoed softly.
I wanted him to touch me. I waited for him to touch me.
“Thirsty?” he asked in a soft voice. “I’ve got sodas, wine if you’d like it, or hot chocolate.”
I was tempted by the hot chocolate. Memories of the Summer Tide Inn rushed back. I wanted more than his touch. I wanted another kiss. “Is hot chocolate going to be our go-to?”
He turned his body then and gazed into my eyes. “I’m all for repeating the experience.”
The firelight flickered against the planes of his face. Beside us, Butch yawned, stretched, and settled in.
“I’m keeping Butch,” Josh said.
It took a minute for the words to sink in.
My lips curved into a happy smile, a delighted smile. I gave an uncharacteristic little squeal of delight. Before I thought it through, I wrapped my arms around Josh and hugged him tight to thank him. His arms went around me and pulled me close. We molded together and stayed that way while the fire warmed us and the stars flickered over the black ocean.
“I should get that hot chocolate.” His voice was gruff.
“You should,” I agreed, even though I didn’t want him to let me go.
He didn’t. He kept hugging me.
“I’m going now,” he said.
“That’s good.”
Butch rustled beside us again.
Josh finally drew back, but it was just