Miranda approached the grounds with caution. She had no idea where Drew might be, or if he was even here. Or if Susie Billings might be with him. She could've waited for him at the Inn, but if she were going to strike, she wanted it to be on her own terms and at the moment of her choosing. No surprises.
She hesitated as she approached the crest of the hill. She hadn't been up here since they started renovations several months back. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't expect much, but Drew had had people working practically nonstop since the beginning of the project. It wasn't uncommon to see lights on the hill or hear the faint sound of machinery and heavy-duty power tools late into the night, if her bedroom window was left open. Drew never did anything unless it was full speed ahead and larger than life. Even so, she was unprepared for what she saw when she reached the hill's peak.
She sucked in a sharp breath, and silently cursed. The house was beautiful. Amazing. It looked nothing like the vacant shell that had been lying dormant on the hill for decades. She wanted to hate it, but it was impossible to hate something that seemed to have originated from her own dreams.
Slowly, she walked onto the porch, grateful that no one else seemed to be around. It gave her a chance to look, without feeling the need to display her critical face. She ran her hand along the length of a wide column, one of several that stood proudly along each corner, stretching from the gleaming white planks of the porch, to the balcony above. The far corner held an old-fashioned porch swing, a wicker table by its side, just begging for a tray with a couple glasses of lemonade to fill it. Two wooden rocking chairs sat adjacent to the swing, swaying gently in the breeze. Somehow, she resisted the urge to sit, instead poking her head around the corner for a quick peek.
She stifled a cry when she saw that the porch did indeed appear to wrap around the entire house. Exactly like her childhood home. The one she'd shared with her family before moving to Solace Creek. Before her mother had passed away. Did Drew design the outside of the home with this in mind? Could he possibly have remembered? Growing up, she'd always had a picture of the old house, her parents holding hands on an identical swing, hanging on her bedroom wall, but it had been years since Drew would have seen it. She doubted he even remembered the picture, let alone any special memories associated with it. Still, coincidence or not, the sight of it took her breath away.
She forced herself to move inside. Better to move on. Better not to think about what it meant if Drew had remembered the picture. Better still not to think about what it said about his true feelings, if he really had done all of this for her. Better, instead, to—
She walked through the front door and stopped dead in her tracks. If the outside of the house had taken her breath away, then the inside was certain to make her heart stop beating altogether. It was still relatively unfinished, at least compared to the outside of the house. Paint cans, ladders, and power tools littered the floors and window sills, but the bones of the house shone through—and they were brilliant.
A huge double-sided fireplace separated what looked to be the dining and living rooms. The dining room had built-in cabinets that stretched from floor to ceiling and a regal archway that led into the kitchen. Her heart leapt at the prospect of exploring the kitchen, but it was almost filled with construction equipment and other debris, so she thought better of it and moved to the staircase in the foyer.
The stairs were dusty, but no amount of dust could mask the magnificence of the wooden steps that wound their way to the second floor. The glossy sheen of the oak banister felt like cool satin to her fingertips as she climbed the stairs. She could almost imagine walking with Drew, hand in hand, up these very stairs to their bedroom at night. Almost. Except it wasn't her home, and Drew wasn't her man. It would be some other woman sharing Drew's home and his body.
The wraparound porch had probably just been a fluke, too. There was no way Drew would have remembered all that. She was ready to dismiss it all as coincidence. Ready to continue dismissing Drew as fickle and irresponsible, when she entered the master bedroom and knew she had been mistaken.
She'd passed several other rooms in the hall, including what looked to be a bathroom and a couple of other bedrooms, but this was the only room that was finished. And, it was perfect. A small sitting room opened at one end, lined with windows that faced the front of the lot, filling the room with natural sunlight. Two velvet covered wing-backed chairs occupied the corner, with a small coffeepot on the table between. Empty oak bookcases lined each wall, begging for someone to fill them. Someone like her. She had always longed for a library. A quiet place to escape with her favorite books and a mug of steaming coffee.
Reluctantly, she left the sitting area to explore the rest of the bedroom. A door at the opposite end led to a large walk-in closet with plenty of room for even the most fashion conscious of females, or in her case ample storage for old t-shirts, jeans, and aprons for working in the kitchen.
The closet opened to a bathroom that was at least three or four times larger than the bathroom she and Tommy shared at the Inn. She couldn't help but sigh at the thought of relaxing in the large garden tub in the corner and laughed a little when she noted the wine fridge built into the wall nearby. Leave it to Drew to think of everything.
The best feature of the room by far was the bed. No less than three mattresses were piled high on a vintage four poster oak frame. In lieu of a canopy, pale green willowy scarves hung from each post, and it was covered in a dark green spread the color of the forest in June. Green and white throw pillows were scattered about on what had to be the biggest bed Miranda had ever seen—and it was too much for her to resist. Ignoring her brain's insistence on decorum and propriety, she threw herself onto the bed, reveling in the soft comfort and seemingly unlimited space. Luxurious. She honestly thought she’d be happy living in this one room for the rest of her life. Winding down each night with a soak in the tub, a nice glass of wine at her fingertips. Waking up every morning to a good book and a hot cup of coffee in the sitting room. Opening her eyes every single day to—
Drew. She'd become so lost in thought, that she'd forgotten the reason she was here. So caught up in exploring the house that she'd forgotten all about him. And, there he was, standing in the doorway, watching her—a devious smile splayed across his face.
"How long have you been standing there?" She scowled. At least he appeared to be alone—no sign of Susie Billings anywhere.
"Long enough to see you approve of my design."
Miranda tried to think of a witty retort but thought better of it. It was magnificent after all. "It's beautiful, Drew," she said. "You really outdid yourself."
"Thanks."
Miranda's heart skipped a beat as he walked toward her and took a seat on the edge of the bed. She hadn't been this close to him in weeks, and the odd sensation of both pain and exhilaration was like nothing she'd felt before.
"I've missed you. None of this," he said, gesturing around the room, "none of this means anything without you."
She swallowed hard, not trusting herself to speak. Although she had softened since exploring the house, there was still an intense warring of emotions within. This was a moment of hard truth. Did she open her heart to him, or push him away once again?
"I've missed you, too," she finally said. It was okay. She wasn't risking anything by admitting that. She didn't have to tell him how much she loved him, how much she wanted—needed—to be with him. Not yet. She had to be certain he hadn't given up on her first.
"I knew it." His hand moved to cup her cheek, and she couldn't help leaning into it. "I knew you'd come back to me, Mandy. We belong together. I'll never stop loving you."
Her heart melted at his words. She sighed as he slowly leaned in to kiss her. She had never anticipated his kiss as much as she did right now. Drew was right—this is where she belonged, with him, in this room he had built just for them. His breath was warm against her face as his lips brushed against hers. Her body trembled as their lips parted, their kiss deepening into something fierce and true. It was then that she realized how foolish she had been. She did want him. She did need him. And, she wanted to be with him for the rest of her life.
"Drew, wait." It was difficult to pull away, but even more difficult to keep him at bay. He was like a starving man, with food just out of reach. He did his best to pull her to him, but somehow, she was able to resist. This was too important. There would be time for play later. Suddenly, they had the rest of their lives together. "Drew," she laughed. "Just one minute, I promise. I have to tell you something, first. You have to know that—"
Miranda was interrupted by a loud clattering on the stairs, followed by light footsteps in the hall. "Drew," a lilting voice called. "Where are you?"
"Damn it," Drew said. "I told her to go home."
Seconds later, a scantily clad young woman appeared in the doorway. Miranda's heart sank. Susie Billings. She might have known.
"Oh," Susie said. "You didn't tell me we had company, Drew."
Miranda cringed. Susie's voice was sickeningly sweet, dripping with honey and sarcasm. And what did she mean with that talk about not knowing we had company? Had their relationship progressed to the point that she considered this her home? Obviously, once again, she had been wrong about Drew. She wasn't about to sit here and put herself through more humiliation.
"I was just leaving." Miranda jumped to her feet, making her way to the door as quick as she could.
"No, Mandy. Wait." Drew bounded after her.
"By all means, Mandy," Susie said, her smile like a sweet lollipop with barbed wire on its edges. "Please don't go. We'd just love to show you around the house."
"It's Miranda," she said. She waited for Susie to move out of the doorway but was forced to brush against her instead as the girl blatantly stood her ground. Immature. But, what did she expect? If Drew was going to insist on fooling around with twenty-year-old girls, then she was going to have to learn to expect such behavior.
She'd just made it to the front door when she faintly heard Drew ordering Susie to stay put. His footsteps echoed on the stairwell just as she managed to make her way onto the porch. If she hurried, she might be able to escape before he reached her. She would need to sprint to make it over the crest of the hill before he saw her, but she could do it. She had to. She couldn't risk facing him.
Unfortunately, she overestimated her ability to run, or maybe she underestimated his. He caught up to her, grabbing her arm just as she was about to bolt down the front steps.
"Mandy," he said. "Wait!" He paused for a moment, catching his breath. "Please."
She stopped. Not because she couldn't break away—she was so angry and upset, she could probably toss Drew's truck across the field if she had to—but because she was curious. She genuinely wanted to know what he planned to say, what ridiculous explanation he'd managed to fabricate.
"Well?" she said. He'd better get a move on. From the sound of it, Drew had been firm in telling Susie to stay upstairs, but a girl like her wasn't going to stay out of the way for long. Miranda did not plan on being there when Susie and her bare midriff made their long-legged way back downstairs.
"Please," he said again, eyes pleading and wide. Full of fear. "It's not what you think."
"It's not what I think," she repeated. "So, I was imagining a trampy young girl traipsing around your house like she owned the place?"
"Look, she just stopped by. She wanted to see the house, that's all."
"Oh." Miranda smiled. "So, she's just interested in the house. I see."
"At least somebody was interested in it," he said. "You haven't been by at all. Not once."
"Apparently, you don't need me to be interested," she said. "You have Susie Billings."
"I told you there's nothing going on with her. Why don't you believe me?" His eyes pleaded with hers for understanding.
"You're telling me there's nothing going on." She gave him a hard stare, dead in the eyes. "Nothing at all."
He nodded, eyes staring right back into hers.
"So, there's no truth to the rumors that you're taking her to the picnic?"
"Where did you hear that?"
"Does it matter?" she asked. "I just want to know if it's true."
"It's true." Drew's eyes clouded, and he sighed in frustration. "I should have known that wouldn't take very long to get around."
Physically and mentally, Miranda started to pull away. That was all the confirmation she needed.
"C’mon, Mandy." His voice had a surprisingly sad air of desperation to it. "It doesn't mean anything. She doesn't mean anything. You have to believe that."
The funny thing was that she did believe it, but that didn't mean she wasn't pissed off about it. She knew Drew could never really fall for a girl like Susie. He might toy with her a little, but in the end, even Drew required more substance. At least, the man he had become. Still, something in her just wouldn't let her admit it. She'd come close to giving in just moments earlier and look where that had gotten her. The fact remained that Drew hadn't even waited a few months after their break-up before hooking up with someone else. There would always be another Susie Billings.
"You know, I came here today because I wanted to confront you about Susie." She paused for a moment, glancing longingly at the porch swing and rocking chairs. "But I looked around at everything you've done—all the thought, and love, and attention to detail—and I thought that maybe I needed to give you another chance. But then she comes in, and it's obvious she feels quite at home here. That doesn't happen all by itself, Drew. What am I supposed to think?"
"Look, Mandy," he said, shifting uncomfortably on the step, "I'm not sleeping with her, or anything, but what did you expect? You refuse to even look at me, much less speak to me. When she asked me to the party, I said no at first, but when she didn't give up, and you kept avoiding me, I thought 'what the hell'." He stepped back, letting go of her arm. "I love you, but if you're never going to be able to trust me, then there's no point in trying anymore."
It turned out she didn't have to run. She simply turned around and walked off the porch instead. He didn't try to stop her. He didn't even say good-bye. She was midway across the yard when she heard the front door shut behind him. She stole a quick backward glance, not sure what she was hoping to find, but he was gone.
So, that was it. Drew was moving on, and she was left alone. Again.