Smitten (7 page)

“I thought it might be.” She pushed the notebook in her hands across the desk to him. “I thought you might enjoy looking at these pictures of luxury cabins.”

He flipped through the pages. The first few showed the interior of various cabins. The pine was lighter than his, which had been stained dark. What did he do about that?

She stared at him. “You’re frowning. You don’t like them?”

“They’re okay,” he said. “But they don’t look anything like the interior of my cabins.”

“Yours don’t have to look exactly like those. The pictures are just some ideas the girls and I have collected. Would you mind if I took a look at your cabins?”

Why not? He could use all the ideas he could get. “Be my guest.” Tucking the notebook under his arm, he led her to the door and out into the yard, patchy with bald spots.

The blue of Timber Lake glimmered through the pines. The expanse of water beckoned to their right, with thick trees crowding the banks. A beautiful sight.

Natalie stared. “I never get tired of this view,” she said. “You should maximize it so visitors never forget their first glimpse.”

He took in the blue of the lake with the trees crowding the shore. Ducks paddled in the shallows, and the air was filled with the crisp scent of pine and water. Pretty as a painting, but he’d seen it so often he took it for granted.

She pointed at the sign at his drive. “The sign should be discreet, an engraved wood one, maybe. Landscaped with flowers and shrubbery that tell customers this is a special place.”

“The sign is looking ratty,” he admitted. He hadn’t even looked at it in years. The thing was peeling, and the
e
in “Smitten Fishing Cabins” was nearly worn off. There had once been a picture of a largemouth bass on it, but now only bits of the green paint remained.

Natalie glanced at him. “Have you given any thought to a new name? You can hardly call it anything to do with fishing. How about Smitten Cove? It has a romantic sound.”

He liked it, but he wasn’t about to capitulate yet. “I’ll think about it,” he said. At least his drive was paved. If it had been gravel, she would have wanted changes there too.

He watched her stare around the place and tried to see it with her eyes. The cabins were in good repair—he’d made sure of that. New windows two years ago, the chinks between the logs were tight and even, and the roofs had all been done just last summer.

“You need some landscaping, but the exteriors look nice,” she said. “Some redwood stain and they would be perfect.” She advanced to the first building. “How many cabins do you have?”

“Twelve.”

“Is there a building you can use for a convenience store?”

He pointed to the larger building to his right that they’d just exited. The neon sign declaring it an office was only half lit. “I have a bait shop in there too.”

“It should have a cutesy name that lets customers know they can get supplies there like cold meds, hand lotion, snacks, that kind of thing.” She stepped to the nearest cabin. “You have a key?”

He brushed past her and pushed open the door. “I don’t keep them locked unless they’re occupied.” The stale air rushed past his face as if to let her know there was seldom someone inside.

She followed him. “Nice big space,” she said. “And there’s a fireplace. Bedrooms?”

“Some have one bedroom and some have two,” he said. “Separate bedrooms plus a living space and kitchenette.”

“The walls all need lightening up,” she said. “The easiest thing to do would be to whitewash them. Then you could put in light pine furnishings.”

He hadn’t thought about whitewashing. At least he wouldn’t have to sand all the wood. “What about the kitchen?”

She wrinkled her nose. “The wooden counters were a nice touch once upon a time, but they’re stained and warped now. I’d take out the kitchens. Cheaper than replacing, and you’d have room for the tub where they once were. Besides, honeymooners aren’t going to want to cook. The plumbing is already in place, and the tub would have a good view of the fireplace.”

She was good. He was beginning to catch her vision for the space. “The bedroom is through that door,” he said, pointing to their left. She stepped into the next room, and he heard her gasp. “It’s a little rough,” he said.

The room held four cots, all with older bedding. The legs on the cots were metal, and some were rusting. The pillows were misshapen and the bedspreads were faded. The space felt dark too.

“All of this has to go,” she said. “Whitewashing in here too. The floors need to be sanded everywhere and refinished a natural color.” She pointed. “Bathroom through here?”

“Yep.” He followed her to the small space and glanced around. The china sink was a little stained. The shower was a plain twenty-four-inch enclosure.

“This all needs to be gutted,” she said. “You need bigger showers, preferably tiled or with marble or granite.”

“This is all going to be expensive.”

“You need top-quality materials in here, but it will pay off.”

“What if it doesn’t? I’ll have to pour a fortune into this many cabins. If your idea fails, we’ll all lose our shirts.”

She turned toward him, and she was close enough that he could see the gold flecks in her brown eyes. “Catch the vision, Carson. Close your eyes and see it.”

Her voice was so persuasive that he nearly shut his lids. He forced himself to glance around. For just an instant, he could see firelight gleaming on polished wood floors, the luxurious fabrics on the furniture and windows. “Okay, I’m on board,” he said.

C
HAPTER
S
IX

N
atalie finished her notes at the counter of the larger two-bedroom cabin while Carson watched. She put her pen back into her bag and held out a paper to him. “Here’s the list of things that I suggest.”

“You’re good at this, Natalie. I can see why you’ve made a success of your business.”

Before she could respond, her cell phone rang. She dug it out and saw it was Lisa calling.
Not now
. She was tempted not to answer it, but it might be important. “Hi, Lisa,” she said into the phone. She turned away from Carson’s shuttered expression.

“Nat, you have to help me.” Lisa’s voice was strident.

Uh
-
oh
. Natalie hated to deal with her sister when she was agitated. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m in jail.”

“Jail?
”

“In Chicago,” Lisa said. “The idiot cop said I was loitering. I was just sleeping on the park bench. That’s not a crime. I need some money for bail.”

The only time Lisa called was when she needed money. “Aren’t you even interested in how Mia is doing?”

“I’m sure she’s fine. She has you, after all. I’m going to need two thousand dollars.”

“Two thousand! I don’t have that kind of money.” There was something suspicious here. Loitering wouldn’t demand that much of a fine. “Were you selling drugs, Lisa?”

“Of course not.”

But there was a defensive note in her sister’s voice that made Natalie’s heart sink.
Tough love
. Her pastor had told her she had to quit bailing Lisa out. Every time Natalie had resolved to do just that, she’d weakened when her sister begged for help. This time Natalie couldn’t do it, though.

“Natalie, are you there?”

“I’m here. I can’t help you, Lisa.”

“You have to send me the money. I’ll take Mia away from you if you don’t!”

Natalie’s lungs contracted. Losing Mia was her biggest fear. She should have gotten legal help ages ago, but she’d been busy with life and her shop and hadn’t done it. One year had slipped into the next. Even though she’d made the decision to pursue adoption, she hadn’t called an attorney yet.

“I don’t have the money,” she said softly.

“Well, you’d better find it!”

The phone slammed down in Natalie’s ear. Her thoughts racing, she put her phone away.

Carson’s brow was furrowed as he stared at her. “Lisa is in jail?”

“For loitering, so she says, but I think it has to be more than that. She wants two thousand dollars, and I don’t have it.”

“You’re white as a sheet,” he said. “What else did she say?”

His observation surprised her. Why would he care? “She threatened to take Mia if I didn’t help her.”

He nodded. “Ah. I’d hate to see that happen. Mia is a darling.”

She glanced at him intently. Was he admitting he cared about his daughter?

His frown darkened. “And no, she’s not my daughter, Natalie. I’d just hate for any child to be dragged from pillar to post with Lisa. She’s unstable.”

“I know,” she admitted.

“You know she’s unstable, yet you believe her accusation of me.”

Natalie couldn’t hold his gaze. “Mia looks like you,” she said.

“Oh, good grief,” he said. “She has dark hair and eyes, but so do you.”

“What about a paternity test?” she asked.

“What’s the point? I know the truth.” He put his hands on his hips. “This bothers me for more reasons than you know. I’m not that kind of man, Natalie. This goes against everything I believe about relationships and marriage. I wouldn’t do what she’s accusing me of doing.”

Her cheeks burned at the hurt in his eyes. Was it put on?

“Anyone who really knows me wouldn’t believe it. If Mia were mine, I would do my duty by her. But
she’s not mine, Natalie
.”

She wished she could trust the conviction in his voice, but Lisa had given too many details for Natalie to get the words out of her head. “Forget it,” she said. “Let’s wrap up here so I can get back to my shop. This is my problem, not yours.”

He pocketed his hands. “What are you going to do about Lisa?”

“I don’t know yet. I’m not going to give her money, though.”

“Talk to Brian,” he urged. “You shouldn’t have any trouble getting legal custody. Lisa has abandoned Mia and is in jail.”

“I’ll call him. I want to adopt her, make her my real daughter. I want to tell her on my birthday.”

“When is that?”

“May tenth.”

“She’s a lucky little girl,” he said softly.

She glanced around the cabin. “We’ll need you to have these ready by Sawyer’s wedding on Valentine’s Day. You think you can make it?”

“Less than a year, but I’ll do my best.”

“Listen, I’d like to help,” she said, wanting to make up for how abrupt she’d been. “I’m pretty handy with a paintbrush.”

“I hate painting,” he admitted. “That whole whitewashing thing sounds tricky.”

“It’s not,” she said. “I did my sunroom last winter. If you want to come by this weekend and see how it looks, come ahead.”

“How about Saturday? What time?” he asked.

Mia would be at her friend’s house for lunch but home by dinner. “How about six?”

“I’ll stop by,” he said. “Can I bring a pizza?”

“I can’t eat gluten,” she said. “I’ll fix us a pizza that I can eat if you’re game.”

He grinned. “Will it kill me?”

She smiled back at him. “You won’t even be able to tell the difference.”

Carson had seen whitewashed wood before, but Natalie’s offer was irresistible. This week’s meeting had opened his eyes about her. He liked her presence, her enthusiasm. And he was man enough to admit to himself that he was attracted to her.

Her home was a gray two-story with white trim and a wide front porch. He noticed a lavender wreath on the red front door when he rang the bell.
Mia’s handiwork again?
The door opened, and Natalie’s smiling face welcomed him. The scent of pizza hung in the air.

“Nice place you have here,” he said, following her into the foyer.

The oak floors appeared to be newly refinished. Gray-green walls were decorated with pictures of Mia at various ages from babyhood to the present.

“I love decorating projects,” she said, leading him into a large living room that opened into the dining room and kitchen.

He glanced around the room in the same color scheme. A comfortable-looking sofa in gray-green tweed faced a matching love seat. Yellow pillows brightened the neutral color. He started toward the sofa, then changed his mind and headed for a leather chair. “You did all this yourself?”