I smiled proudly. “What do you think? Magical, right?”
He looked around. The treehouse was only about two-hundred-and-fifty square feet, but it had all the essentials: a small fridge, cooktop, sink, bathroom with shower, and a bed with one nightstand. The floors were Pergo, but I’d picked it to match the outside of the tree, and the interior was painted a pale yellow.
“It’s pretty incredible,” he said. “People pay for soundtracks like that to fall asleep to at night. I’m not sure what I expected. I guess maybe dirt floors and a cot or something. But this looks like an efficiency in Manhattan.” His brows pulled together. “Wait… How is there electricity and plumbing in here?”
“Ah, it’s hidden. All of it runs down the back of the tree. You don’t see it when you climb up the ladder, and it’s camouflaged with all-weather paint to make it less conspicuous. The pipes run from the base of the tree under the ground to a small generator next to the storage shed behind the bushes in the back. I actually got all the electric done for free. When I was in school, I bartered home health care for an electrician’s sick mom for some electrical work my grandmother needed done. So I called the same electrician when I was building these. I was planning on paying him, but then he asked if I wanted to trade for some counseling sessions for his daughter who has OCD.”
“Damn. And you could only get me cat biscuits for my sperm. I think I’m kind of insulted.”
I snort-laughed and gave him a shrug.
Merrick scanned the room again. “This is a little fancier than the one in your grandmother’s yard. Although I don’t see a rhinestone phone or pink plastic fridge anywhere.”
“I know. But it does have this…” I walked over to the bed, laid down, and patted the spot next to me. “Come. You need to get the full effect.”
Merrick looked amused, but played along. He laid back on the bed, the two of us side by side, and stared up at the skylights. The trees blew in the wind around the edges, but most of what we could see was simply blue sky.
“Close your eyes,” I said.
I heard the smile in his voice. “Okay.”
“Now, imagine it’s nighttime. There’s no light coming from anywhere, except the stars twinkling above you.” I was quiet for a moment as I pictured it. “Now imagine those twinkling stars and listen to the sounds all around us.”
We were quiet for a long time. When I finally opened my eyes, I looked over and was surprised to find him watching me.
“You’re supposed to be looking at the Big Dipper,” I said.
Merrick’s eyes dropped to my lips and lingered before returning to meet mine. My belly did that little flutter it often seemed to do around him.
“You’re pretty amazing, you know that?”
“Does that mean you like my treehouse?”
He chuckled softly. “I do. But I’m referring to the whole package. You’re smart and funny, didn’t think twice about hopping on a plane to help Kitty, and you seem to care deeply for your patients’ well-being. But more than that, you’re probably the most resilient person I know. You grew up around abuse and anger. Most people would have carried that with them like a shield and used it to keep people at a distance. But instead, you built sanctuaries where people can come and escape life—with all of the profits donated to a domestic violence shelter.” He paused and looked away. “Your ex was a goddamned coward who couldn’t handle the woman you are, so he acted like a boy.”
Merrick’s words seeped into me, making my chest feel full. I shook my head. “No one has ever said anything so nice to me. I’m not even sure what to say…”
Merrick smiled almost sadly. “If that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you, then your ex was more than just a coward. He was also a fucking idiot.”