say more, agree to go with me tomorrow to see the estate I want to buy.”
So he could tempt her even more? “I’ve come this far, you might as well show me everything. But I warn you, nothing will change my mind.”
THE NEXT MORNING, GIL MET HER IN THE LOBBY OF THE HOTEL TO take her to the property he wanted her to see. They drove out in his SUV, and as they approached the estate, Mattie’s breath caught. When she crossed the threshold of the majestic home, she recalled her taunt from the night before and blushed. In her defense, she’d never considered such a dwelling as this, with its towering ornate ceilings and arched doorways that led to rooms more spacious than her entire apartment had been back home.
The blonde-haired realtor took them past a spiraling staircase, then down a short hallway to a gourmet kitchen.
“Look Mattie, two ovens,” Gil teased. “You could bake cookies and biscuits to your heart’s content.”
Mattie swept her hand along the marble counter and imagined the meals she could prepare. The idea seemed hilarious compared to the antique stove she used now. After a few minutes of consideration, they entered a narrow enclosed porch with a fireplace in the middle.
“This is the solarium,” the agent said. “An intimate place to retreat on cold nights with a cup of cappuccino when it’s just the two of you . . . and then in warmer weather you can entertain out on the lanai.” She walked them through an open passageway where an outdoor veranda spanned the entire back of the home, bordered by exotic plants and concrete arches braced with tall pillars.
From that point on, Mattie followed along in a trance, unable to believe people actually lived in such luxury. Gil might be able to fit in to this sort of lifestyle, but how could she with her meager country ways?
She wouldn’t know where to begin.
As they neared the end of the tour, they entered the master bedroom, which boasted a private sitting area the size of the kitchen with closets alongside a mirrored dressing room. The adjoining master bath was no less elegant, boasting an oversized spa centrally located behind a huge bay window that overlooked an enclosed view of a privacy garden.
“I’ll let you look around for a few minutes before we continue,” the agent said, then moved out to the hallway.
Gil came to Mattie’s side with a cheeky smile that would rival any Cheshire cat. “Did I tell you, or what?”
“Can you really afford this . . . palace?” She hated to admit that a part of her enjoyed imagining the possibilities, while her more conservative side argued the place was too pompous for any self-respecting person to own.
“You haven’t seen anything yet.” Gil kissed her on the nose, completely oblivious to the whirling doubts within her. “Wait till you see the barn.”
THIRTY-SIX
“YOU MEAN TO TELL ME YOU WEREN’T IMPRESSED?” GIL ASKED AS he headed west toward the coast, wanting to show Mattie another of his favorite spots. He didn’t believe Mattie’s objections for one minute. What woman wouldn’t jump at the chance of being the mistress of such an estate?
“I never said that. I simply suggested the place was too pretentious for my tastes. No one would deny the home was beautiful . . . breathtaking, even.”
Gil smiled at this description, more fitting of his passenger. She was gorgeous last night, but her outfit today suited her more. Dressed in a tiered skirt and a denim jacket, her simple beauty took his breath away. He especially liked that she’d worn her hair down again and not in its usual braid. “Then you liked it — could even picture yourself there, especially in the barn? With the private clinic I plan to build, you’d be the envy of every vet in the country.”
She stared down at her lap and played with the layers of her skirt. “What makes you think I’m so ambitious?”
He thought of how hard she’d worked to build her clientele in Diamond Falls. “I know how much your practice means to you.” He reached for her hand, but she evaded his grasp.
“I was mistaken when I said you understood me,” she said. “If you think I care about money, then you don’t know me at all.”
Gil trained his eyes on the road as he went through a series of curves and passed a cluster of weathered businesses. “I know you want to succeed. You want to be accepted.”
“But you