A Little Green Magic (The Little Coven #1) - Isabel Wroth Page 0,11

dams for swimming and fishing.

As he led the way up the crushed stone driveway, Ivy noticed several plots of cultivated earth begging to be filled with plants. She was so busy gawking at the beautifully crafted iron railings on the wrap-around porch and second-story balcony that she hadn’t noticed Uriah changing back to his human form.

“Do you like it?” he asked, startling a little squeak out of her.

Ivy laughed to cover it up, nodding as she handed over his pants. “Did you build this?”

“Yeah. Every rock you see came out of this ground.” Pride colored his voice and made his smile that much more attractive. “I got most of the exterior wood from trees I harvested from the property, and I bartered with one of my construction clients for the barnwood I used inside.”

From random conversation over the past two years, Ivy knew Uriah was a master builder with a specialty for green construction. He did custom work for people all over the state, so it didn't surprise her to learn he'd built this entire place himself.

“The house is done, but that path over there will become a greenhouse walkway connected to the shop that'll go up next.”

Ivy sighed in wonder, able to picture Uriah's plans perfectly. “It's beautiful. I love it.”

His hand slipped into hers, squeezing as he led her toward the front door. “I'm glad.”

After stepping inside, Ivy didn't think much of his weighted answer. The smell of fresh-cut timber, leather, and a hint of rosemary greeted her, but it was the view that took her breath away.

The entire back wall of the main room was glass, making it feel as though they were still deep within the heart of the forest.

Uriah had groomed part of the river to flow right up to the back deck and along a burbling creek, revealing mossy covered spots where one could sit on the rocks and put one’s feet in the water during the heat of the summer.

There was even a waterwheel, and she remembered him telling her several months ago about how his solar panels weren't always enough to bear the load of electricity, so he built a waterwheel to utilize the passive energy created by the river. It took an effort to trade the stunning view outside for the beauty inside.

The whole first floor was open from one end to the other, crowned with exposed beams and tall ceilings. A gourmet chef's kitchen and a large mudroom took up the right side of the house. The dining table large enough to comfortably seat twenty sat beneath a huge chandelier, created from roots of an enormous tree illuminated with beautiful Edison lights.

A cozy nook waited beneath the staircase. Shelves ready to be filled with books or trinkets of some kind surrounded it. Granite countertops gleamed a beautiful snowy white, giving an elegant touch to the otherwise rustic look of the cabinets.

To the left was the living room, dominated by a massive stone fireplace. The hearthstone was one solid piece of rock, at least eight feet in length; the wide shelf of the mantle made from a piece of barnwood flanked on either side by two lattice-paned windows.

She could picture herself cuddled up on the deep leather couch during the winter, the fire roaring to banish the chill. Or stretched out on the rug beneath Uriah while the wind howled and the snow fell outside.

When she didn't immediately say anything, Uriah reached up with his free hand to scrub at his hair, his gaze touching on things with the critical eye of an artist. “I know it looks a little empty right now. I haven't really started decorating.”

“It's absolutely perfect, Uriah. Can I see upstairs?”

“Right this way,” he invited, leading her up the staircase that was wide enough for both of them to walk side by side all the way up. At the landing was another set of couches, flanking a set of French doors that led to the balcony.

“Those are guest rooms,” Uriah said, pointing down the hall to the left. “This is the master.”

Just like downstairs, a stone fireplace dominated the far wall, but instead of windows, there were doors on either side of the rock and skylights overhead.

Her gaze slid easily over the beautiful gray stone to the oversize bed tucked into the dormer. It had to be a custom job, big enough to hold a huge bear and maybe a little witch.

It looked warm and inviting, deep enough to sink into and hibernate. Ivy didn't have any