Janie couldn’t get the library out of her mind. It had been huge, with more books than she’d seen in her entire life, outside of a book store and she’d only been to one of those. Her husband of less than hour led her through the entire upstairs, showing her each room and she’d not paid one whit of attention. She couldn’t get all those books out of her thoughts. It wasn’t until he stopped in the hall and looked at her that she wondered what she’d missed.

“I’m sorry, did you ask me something?” It was the only reason she could think of for the odd look he was giving her.

“I asked if you’re ready for the master bedroom, but you seem to be a million miles away. What’s on your mind?”

“Not a million miles, just downstairs. I can’t stop thinking about the library and all those books.” She blushed as she admitted it, knowing it would probably get her in trouble.

Alex shook his head and laughed. “You sound like a woman after my own heart. Come on, let’s finish the tour then you can go check it out.” He pushed the door open revealing a bedroom bigger than any room they’d been in yet.

There was a seating area on one end, with a tv, sofa, chairs, and tables and then a huge bed on the other covered with a beautiful piece work quilt and several pillows. Windows along two walls let her know they were on a corner, but the view was so different she knew neither was the front. Along another wall was three doors. Three? Bathroom, closet, but what else could there be?

“Come check this out.” Alex led her through one door into a bathroom the size of some of the other bedrooms, bigger than the one she’d shared with three sisters growing up. She looked around, awed at the sheer space. “Look here.” He slid open a pocket door revealing the commode. “There’s another door on that wall that leads to the bedroom, so one person can shower or take a bath and the other can use the restroom without disturbing them.”

“Hmm.” It was a neat idea, but one that never would have occurred to her. “What’s that?” She pointed to another door.

“Come look.” He took her through to a closet nearly as large as the bathroom, her suitcase sat in the middle of the room, as if waiting patiently to get unpacked. She frowned wondering if the boy had come through the bedroom to put it in here instead of just leaving it in the bedroom. Then she noticed two more doors, on opposite walls. One she knew had to go to the bedroom, so she went to the other and opened it. She was surprised to find it opened onto a hallway.

Stepping out, she found herself next to the rear stairs. Alex had shown them to her earlier but somehow she hadn’t registered the door. That was clever. Laundry could be carried up the stairs and put away without ever going into the bedroom. What a neat idea. She went back in the closet and through to the bedroom where she found Alex standing in the middle of the room, waiting for her.

“Well, what do you think?”

“This place is huge. It’s going to take me a week to find my way around.”

“It doesn’t take that long.” His smile sent heat pooling into her belly. It was an odd sensation that she’d never felt before and she wondered where it had come from. “Think you can live here?”

“I don’t see why not.” She still wasn’t sure how he managed to live here all alone. It didn’t really matter though. That she was here now and he was her husband, so it wouldn’t change, that was what mattered.