Lingering on the porch to take it all in, he found himself strangely buoyed by the sights and sounds of the forest. The barest minimum of trees had been cleared for Phoebe’s home and its mate close by. All around them, a sea of evergreen danced in the brisk wind. Though he could see a single contrail far above them, etched white against the blue, there was little other sign of the twenty-first century.
“Did you have these built when you moved here?” he asked as they walked side by side up the incline to the other cabin.
Phoebe tucked the ends of her fluttering scarf into her coat, lifting her face to the sun. “My grandmother left me this property when she died a dozen years ago. I had just started college. For years I held on to it because of sentimental reasons, and then much later...”
“Later, what?”
She looked at him, her eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. Her shoulders lifted and fell. “I decided to mimic Thoreau and live in the woods.”
Phoebe didn’t expand on her explanation, so he didn’t push. They had plenty of time for sharing confidences. And besides, he was none too eager to divulge all his secrets just yet.
* * *
Up close, and in the unforgiving light of day, the damage to the cabin was more extensive than he had realized. He put a hand on Phoebe’s arm. “Let me go first. There’s no telling what might still be in danger of crumbling.”
They were able to open the front door, but just barely. The tree that had crushed the roof was a massive oak, large enough around that Leo would not have been able to encircle it with his arms. The house had caved in so dramatically that the floor was knee-deep in rubble—insulation, roofing shingles, branches of every size and, beneath it all, Phoebe’s furnishings.
She removed her sunglasses and craned her neck to look up at the nonexistent ceiling as she followed Leo inside. “Not much left, is there?” Her voice wobbled a bit at the end. “I’m so grateful it wasn’t my house.”
“You and me, both,” he muttered. Phoebe or Teddy or both could have been killed or badly injured...with no one nearby to check on them. The isolation was peaceful, but he wasn’t sure he approved of a defenseless woman living here. Perhaps that was a prehistoric gut feeling. Given the state of the structure in which they were standing, however, he did have a case.
He just didn’t have any right to argue it.
Taking Phoebe’s hand to steady her, they stepped on top of and over all the debris and made their way to the back portion of the cabin. The far left corner bedroom had escaped unscathed...and some pieces of furniture in the outer rooms were okay for the moment. But if anything were to be salvaged, it would have to be done immediately. Dampness would lead to mildew, and with animals having free rein, further damage was a certainty.
Phoebe’s face was hard to read. Finally she sighed. “I might do better to bulldoze it and start over,” she said glumly. She bent down to pick up a glass wildflower that had tumbled from a small table, but had miraculously escaped demolition. “My friends cautioned me to furnish the rental cabin with inexpensive, institutional stuff that would not be a big deal to replace in case of theft or carelessness on the part of the tenants. I suppose I should have listened.”
“Do you have decent insurance?” He was running the numbers in his head, and the outcome wasn’t pretty.
She nodded. “I don’t remember all the ins and outs of the policy, but my agent is a friend of my sister’s, so I imagine he made sure I have what I need.”
Phoebe’s discouragement was almost palpable.
“Sometimes things work out for a reason,” he said, wanting to reassure her, but well aware that she had no reason to lean on him. “I need something to do to keep me from going crazy. You have a baby to care for. Let me handle this mess, Phoebe. Let me juggle and schedule the various contractors. Please. You’d be doing me a favor.”
Phoebe was tempted. So tempted. Leo stood facing her, legs planted apart in a stance that said he was there to stay. Wearing an expensive quilted black parka and aviator sunglasses that hid his every emotion, he was an enigma. Why had a virile, handsome, vigorous male found his way to her hidden corner of the world?
What was he after? Healing? Peace? He had the physique of a bouncer and the look of a wealthy playboy. Had he really been sick? Would she be committing a terrible sin to lay this burden on him from the beginning?
“That’s ridiculous,” she said faintly. “I’d be taking advantage of you. But I have to confess that I find your offer incredibly appealing. I definitely underestimated how exhausting it would be to take care of a baby 24/7. I love Teddy, and he’s not really a fussy child at all, but the thought of adding all this...” She flung out her arm. “Well, it’s daunting.”
“Then let me help you,” he said quietly.
“I don’t expect you to actually do the work yourself.”
He pocketed his sunglasses and laughed, making his rugged features even more attractive. “No worries there. I’m aware that men are known for biting off more than they can chew, but your cabin, or what’s left of it, falls into the category of catastrophe. That’s best left to the experts.”
She stepped past him and surveyed the large bed with the burgundy-and-navy duvet. “This was supposed to be your room. I know you would have been comfortable here.” She turned to face him. “I’m sorry, Leo. I feel terrible about shortchanging you.”
He touched her arm. Only for a second. The smile disappeared, but his eyes were warm and teasing. “I’m pretty happy where I ended up. A gorgeous woman. A cozy cabin. Sounds like I won the jackpot.”
“You’re flirting,” she said, hearing the odd and embarrassingly breathless note in her voice.
His gaze was intent, sexy...leaving no question that he was interested. “I’ve been admonished to stop and smell the roses. And here you are.”
Removing her coat that suddenly felt too hot, she leaned against the door frame. The odd sensation of being inside the house but having the sunlight spill down from above was disconcerting. “You may find me more of a thorn. My sister says that living alone up here has made me set in my ways.” It was probably true. Some days she felt like a certified hermit.
Once a social animal comfortable at cocktail parties and business lunches, she now preferred the company of chipmunks and woodpeckers and the occasional fox. Dull, dull, dull...
Leo kicked aside a dangerously sharp portion of what had been the dresser mirror. “I’ll take my chances. I’ve got nowhere to go and nobody to see, as my grandfather used to say. You and Teddy brighten the prospect of my long exile considerably.”
“Are you ever going to tell me why you’re here?” she asked without censoring her curiosity.
He shrugged. “It’s not a very interesting story...but maybe...when it’s time.”
“How will you know?” This odd conversation seemed to have many layers. Her question erased Leo’s charmingly flirtatious smile and replaced it with a scowl.
“You’re a pain in the butt,” he said, the words a low growl.
“I told you I’m no rose.”
He took her arm and steered her toward the front door. “Then pretend,” he muttered. “Can you do that?”
Their muted altercation was interrupted by the arrival of the insurance agent. The next hour was consumed with questions and photographs and introducing Leo to the agent. The two men soon had their heads together as they climbed piles of rubble and inspected every cranny of the doomed