My doorbell rang and I swore. “She’s early, dammit.”
I rushed around to make sure nothing would burn and cursed because I hadn’t gotten to wash up yet. My online search down the puppy-problems-and-feeding rabbit hole had officially eaten way too much of my time.
I washed my hands, dried them, and tucked my towel into my belt on my way to the door. I swung it open and smiled, swallowing down my nerves. “Hey.”
“This is your place? It’s incredible. I thought I was going to drive forever to get up your driveway.” She didn’t wait for me to move out of the way, simply marched in with the scent of vanilla and sugar in her wake.
“You’re early.”
“Oh, right. Sorry about that. I’m perpetually early. Better than being late though, right?”
Latte perked up at the sound of her voice and tried to climb off me to get to her. “Okay, okay. Hang on a second, bud. You’re going to hurt yourself.”
She turned back to me with her eyes shining again just as they did a few hours ago. “Oh, he missed me.” She rushed over and laid a hand gently on my chest as she went onto her toes, then plucked the puppy out of my hands. “I’ll take him.”
That was a totally unnecessary touch and now I was even more confused. She was just here for database help, right?
Though she had volunteered to stop by tonight. Was she sending signals I was just too thick to get?
“Aren’t you just the cutest little boy in all the world?” she crooned to him as she wandered into my living room. “My goodness, Murphy. This is quite the house. When you said you had a cabin by the lake, I was expecting something a lot more rustic.”
I looked around at my space, taking in the vaulted A-line ceiling and nearly floor to ceiling windows that looked out on the lake. “It is a cabin.”
“This is a luxury cabin at best. It’s incredible. And you built it your— Oh my God, that kitchen.” She cradled the dog against her che
st and twirled around my large farmhouse kitchen. She set the dog down and swiped her hand along the floor. “Cork,” she said reverently.
Right then, I was very glad I’d hit it with a mop after I vacuumed.
The dog trotted after her with adoration hearts popping out of his eyeballs. Considering I knew that look, I didn’t blame him. I probably wore the same expression on my face most of the time. She quickly moved to the big sink and washed her hands then trailed her fingertips along the granite counters and over my small appliances.
“You have everything.”
I shrugged and crossed my arms before leaning my hip on the kitchen island. “I like to cook.”
“And it smells amazing.” She turned to the pressure cooker, which was now on its slow cooker setting. The steam rose up and floated around her. She closed her eyes and drew in the aromas. “Wow. May I?” She lifted the spoon on the rest.
“Sure.”
She dipped it in and took a taste before twirling around to me again, cupping her hand under the spoon as she held it up for me. “You gotta taste this.”
“I cooked it.” But I grinned down at her.
“That’s true. But I bet it tastes even better now.” She blew on the spoon. “Come on.”
I leaned down and sampled it, watching her face the entire time. I dribbled a bit and she laughed.
She didn’t even hesitate, just swiped her thumb over my chin and brought the bit of gravy to her lips. “So good.” A little wrinkle formed between her eyes. “So you build stuff, and you can make a database? And you cook?”
I rolled my lower lip behind my teeth. I shrugged.
Be cool.
Don’t start to sweat.
“I’m trying to get into smart houses. Takes a little bit of everything to do that.”
“Oh.” Her forehead smoothed. “Well, that’s a little bit more than the average handyman.” She looked up at the vaulted ceilings of my cabin. “I guess you’d have to be to afford all this.”