Seven

Once she shut the gate behind her, Nessa’s irritation subsided into curiosity. The higher she went into the mountains, the more intrigued she became about the bear who lived in such a remote corner of Nova Aurora.

Even more curious was the structure that came into view as she rounded a bend in the road. She wouldn’t call it a house, exactly, though it certainly had potential. She could make out the raw elegance of the architecture of what was likely to become a beautiful mountain cabin whenever it was finished. It was a sprawling, two-story structure that hugged the steep slope of the mountain like a mama dragon protecting her nest. But at the moment, it was no more than a skeleton with a very nice porch. An upper story had been built with a roof, at least, and a big stone chimney jutted out from the peak. The house had no real walls to speak of—just empty space that she could see all the way through to a spectacular waterfall beyond.

She parked the transport next to the other small transport in the gravel driveway and got out.

“Gaius!” she called, not wanting to surprise him if he was busy.

She stood in the driveway, marveling at the sturdy construction of the front porch for a moment before slowly venturing up the wide steps when nobody answered. The steps were flanked by a pair of massive posts that had been intricately carved with patterns she recognized as belonging to one of Nova Aurora’s oldest and most prestigious Northern bear clans, and at the top was the same emblem she’d seen on the gate: the big, stylized bear paw symbol for one of Nova Aurora’s most famous Champions. She ran her hand over the smooth ridges of the design, intrigued. He really must be a huge fan of the sport.

The rest of the house was only intriguing in its overwhelming potential. The interior was an entirely bare, open space with afternoon sunlight streaming through its empty framework, broken only by the massive stone fireplace that took up the very center. One corner was occupied by a single folding chair with a half-empty liquor bottle on the rough wood floor beside it. The chair faced what would likely be a picture window with a gorgeous view someday, if the owner ever decided to finish the thing.

Nessa passed through the empty lower floor to the rear of the house and finally found signs of its missing occupant.

“Gaius!” she called again as she inspected the gorgeous rear deck that was clearly where the man had poured most of his inspiration so far. It butted up against the tree-covered hillside, with benches lining the uphill edge and railings along the side that overlooked the valley below. The corner closest to the house sported a sheltered area that had a quaint, but impressively outfitted outdoor kitchen, with a finished chopping block counter, a sink, a fridge, and a stone oven with a chimney that passed through the overhang above.

Smoke flowed gently from the chimney up into the vivid blue sky. A clothesline was the only thing that obscured the view, strung diagonally from the corner of the kitchen shelter to the far corner of the railing with laundry pinned to it and occasionally fluttering in the hot, barely there breeze.

The other side of the deck sported a big stone fire pit nestled low into the wooden planks. Fresh logs were already piled up inside it, ready to be lit. Another folding chair rested beside it.

Unable to restrain herself, Nessa opened his fridge and peered inside. She chuckled when she found a plate with a pair of perfectly constructed meat patties, and another with sliced vegetables and cheese. On the counter was a bowl covered with a damp towel. As expected, the bowl contained a dark, yeast-scented globe of rising bread dough.

“So you’re definitely a chef in your own right . . . but where the hell are you?” she murmured, looking around and frowning.

The deck extended farther toward the waterfall. Nessa wandered to the edge and peered over, gasping at the steep drop-off that ended in a deliciously deep and refreshing-looking pool fed by the waterfall. Following the railing, she found another set of steps that led down to a wide landing overlooking another section of the pool. Here there was a hammock stretched between two posts, holding what appeared to be rolled-up bedding and a pillow.

Even more curious about the big man, she continued down, following the deck that descended two more landings to a perfect open dock hanging over the water.

There she finally caught a glimpse of him, his big, tattooed torso half-concealed on the far side of the swimming hole, submerged beneath the heavy torrent of water plunging from high above. She cupped her hands around her mouth and called his name again, but the crash of the waterfall drowned out her voice.

She huffed and put her hands on her hips. The water looked so damn nice, the coolness of it already breaking through the summer heat where she stood. No wonder he’d come home and gone for a swim. She’d been about to do the exact same thing before she came up here, intent on nagging him as if he was some ungrateful, wayward child.

Her craving for a taste of that cool water destroyed her desire to complain. So what if it took an extra day before her kitchen was done? That just meant she’d have more time to spend in the old space, reminiscing.

Rather than attempt another futile yell over the noise of the water, she simply stripped, tearing off her shirt and shorts until she was naked. Then she stepped back several feet and made a run for the edge, whooping with joy as she dove off in a graceful arc and plunged beneath the crisp mountain water.