Chapter 20

He’d invited her, but nonetheless he found it a bit disconcerting to have her actually follow him through the unkempt yard. And when they came up to the cabin and he realized he’d gone and done it—he’d invited her in there—he felt all kinds of stupid.

A St. James outhouse was classier than this cabin.

“After you.” He stepped aside, let her go ahead of him. Cringed.

Had he put the frying pan away? The butter? Were there flies on everything? He’d been so concerned about getting Ryker outside, he’d forgotten to close the screen door behind him.

And where the hell were his shorts from last night? Were they still on the floor in a heap, by the bed?

But she lifted those clear blue eyes to him, and suddenly, he was back at the old swimming hole by Crystal Caves, the one he’d swum in every summer as a kid.

Her eyes reminded him of that moment. The one when you were almost completely under the water, submerged except for your nose and eyes, and you caught that blue sky in the mirroring sheen, hovering on the water.

Translucent. See-through, in its utter blueness. Silky, fresh. Buoyant, like you could fly and every molecule of life was on your side and supporting you.

Once you were in that water, you were in a different world.

He felt like he was going to fall for a second, caught himself. Just in time to see her smile at him and say, “There’s nothing quite like it, is there?”

“What?”

“Living in the woods.” She ducked her head to get under the bit of framing that was loose just above the right side of the door. “God, we’re lucky.”

And she was in.