Ha. I knew what that was like.
“And if you leave?” I asked.
He laughed. “Why would I ever leave?”
I gave him a small smile.
He pulled out a knife and a cutting board. “After Wilbur died, my great-great-grandmother Ruth Grant took over. She set up an illegal Prohibition bootlegging operation out of the basement of the house. The most prosperous years in Wakan history. They named a gin after her. We use it to stitch people up with fishhooks.”
I laughed.
I eyed a few novelty woodworking pieces in the corner of the garage. There were three of them. One was a wall hanging of a horse, its mane flowing behind it, twisted into the knotted wood. There was a mirror with an intricate floral appliqué frame, hand-wrought. And a custom rocking chair. He’d etched an elaborate whimsical design into the headboard. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Works of art.
“Did you do these?” I asked, pointing at the small collection in the corner.
He glanced up from chopping carrots. “Yeah.”
“Who are they for?”
“Just practice pieces.”
“These are your practice pieces?” My God.
Daniel was an artist. It was like he brought the wood to life in his hands.
I traced the curve of a rose carved into the mirror frame. “How much do you sell these for?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. The materials aren’t very expensive. That horse? The beam came from an old barn we were tearing down. Got it for free. It’s mostly my time.”
“Well, how much time did it take to do this one?” I pointed at the mirror.
He looked at it. “Couple of weeks? I don’t know. I’d probably ask two hundred for it.”
I scoffed. “You’re undercharging.”
He laughed like I’d told a joke.
“See the wood I used for the horse?” he said. “I liked it because of the color. The barn was a hundred, hundred and twenty years old. The ammonia from the cow’s urine stains it over time. Darkens it.” He nodded at it. “You see the ghosts? Those lighter patches on the horse’s neck? That’s where the metal brackets used to be. The ammonia didn’t get to that part of the wood, so it’s lighter.” He pushed his chopped carrots into a pan. “I like working with things that have history. It gives it character. There’ll never be another one exactly like it.”
My face went soft. He was an artist.
I glanced over at him. He looked really handsome standing there in his black Grant House T-shirt, all bearded with his dimples flashing, a wall of tools hanging behind him. There was something infinitely sexy about a man who could build things. And cook things. When he started to sauté the onions and garlic, I think I fell a little bit in love.
I came back over to the kitchenette and sat on the weight bench to watch him. Hunter put his face in my lap.
“Why don’t you do the carpentry full-time?” I asked, petting the dog. “You’re so good at it.”
He shrugged over his frying pan. “Couldn’t make a living out of it. The village is too small.”
I smiled. “You could go bigger. Ship your pieces. I know people who would pay thousands of dollars for this stuff to furnish their cabins.”
I could see by his smile that he took the compliment. I watched him add a jar of home-canned tomatoes to the pan.
“Do you cook the breakfasts?” I asked.
“I do. I’ve been trying to get you to stay for one. Looks like I’m finally getting what I want.” He gave me a triumphant grin.
Both of us were smiling. We’d been smiling since the minute we were alone and allowed to do it.
“This was the best surprise,” I said, almost to myself.
He beamed down at his pan. “You know, you can come whenever you want,” he said. “I want you to.”
“Whenever I want?” I teased. “I don’t want to show up and you’re not alone.”
“I’ll always be alone when you show up. I’m not seeing anyone else.”
I didn’t respond to this. It wasn’t my business if he was seeing other people—even though the thought of it did bother me a little bit.
Was it weird that it bothered me? It should have been, right? I shook it off.
“Are you going to sneak into my room tonight?” I asked.
“I think it’s better if you sneak into mine,” he said, talking to his frying pan. “Your friend is sharing that bathroom. Plus, we can make more noise over here.” He grinned.