Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“We should get going, don’t you think?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yes. Are you comfortable with me driving?”
“Sure, if you don’t mind driving. You know your way around a lot better than I do!”
“That is true. Come on, let’s go. I’ll call my friend and let him know we’re on our way.”
Kian
I didn’t even want to think about how happy I was that Cadie had agreed to let me take her to do some furniture shopping.
When I pulled up and saw her standing outside of my cabin, I had to fight to keep the silly grin off my face at seeing her. Then, to find out she had rented my cabin made me ridiculously happy. I needed to remember that I really knew nothing about this woman, and it was pretty clear she was going to be tight-lipped about her personal life. She would occasionally slip and give me a bit of information, though.
Peeking over at her, she had turned her head and looked out the window. How in the hell had I gotten caught up in the town gossip regarding Cadie? This wasn’t anything like me, but there was no denying I was attracted to her. The second I walked into Batter Up and saw her, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
From the corner of my eye, I saw her turn and look at me. “It really is so beautiful here.”
“Yes, it is. Wait until you see it in the fall. And even in winter it’s beautiful. I know it’s already snowed a lot since you’ve been here, but there is something about that first snowfall of the season. It’s so beautiful when it’s fresh and undisturbed, especially when the sun hits the snow. I used to tell Sally it looked like millions of diamonds. Something about it just makes you feel so at peace. But fall…man, that’s my favorite time of year. When the leaves are still turning, the brilliant colors against the pure white snow…it’s hard to put it into words.”
“Sally?” she asked.
“Oh, Sally Grant. She works for my parents. She also loves your banana nut bread.”
Smiling, Cadie said, “I’ve had a taste of it in Oregon, fall and snow.”
“Is that home?” I asked.
“It was at one point.”
Okay, it was clear I wasn’t getting more information from her, so I decided to get straight to the point.
“You don’t really like to share your personal life, do you?”
Cadie cleared her throat. “I guess I just like my personal space.”
“I get that.”
Raising her brow, she asked, “Do you? Because I get the feeling you want more information.”
I laughed. “Guilty as charged.”
With a slight shrug, she replied, “Well, I can promise you there is nothing interesting about me or my past. I was born in Oregon, lived on the West Coast, lived in Chicago for a brief time, and decided I wanted to try the East Coast.”
“Fair enough.”
“What about you? Want to spill the beans on your childhood growing up? Your mother and father care more about work than their kids, or at least from our discussion earlier, I’m deducing that. This could lead to me asking you who raised you if Mom and Dad weren’t around. Opal? A nanny? You and your siblings were on your own? What about past girlfriends? What worked and what didn’t for you? Have you been in a serious relationship, or are you the type of guy who likes one-night stands?”
I stopped at a light and turned to look at her. “You’re sure you weren’t a lawyer in your past life?”
She laughed. “That I can answer with a no. My passion has always been baking. As I mentioned the other day, I learned almost everything from my grandmother. From the moment I was five, and she tied an apron around my neck, I knew what I wanted to do for a living. But my past is my past, and I’d like to leave it there. I know the town is curious about the mysterious woman who showed up on Opal’s doorstep and makes a killer banana nut bread. But there isn’t anything special about me.”
I laughed.
“But honestly, I came to Moose Village for a fresh start. Plain and simple.”
“Why Moose Village?” I asked before adding, “If you feel comfortable answering that.”
“I don’t mind answering that. Moose Village wasn’t planned. I just knew I wanted to be in this area, or even New Hampshire. I saw the sign for Moose Village and took it. It sounded like a cute town, and I wasn’t wrong. Plus, I really had to pee.”
I laughed.
“It’s the kind of town you picture when you’re about to sit down and watch a Hallmark movie.”
“I wouldn’t know; I’ve never watched one.”
Cadie gasped. “What? You’ve never even watched a Christmas Hallmark show?”
With a shake of my head, I said, “Nope. When I think of Hallmark, I think of the store and cards.”