Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Zach

Even though I didn't come to Maple Falls looking for love, the more time I spend with Ellie, the more I wonder if there could be something between us. I know it would be prudent to keep my distance, but I can't help myself. I want to be with her.

My mind drifts toward Yolanda as I put on a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. She didn't make too much of a public scene today, which was surprising. Although she did make it clear the only reason she's in Washington is to make my life miserable.

Walking out of the bedroom, I ask Ellie, "Did you talk to Yolanda today?"

She looks me up and down, seemingly relieved that I'm no longer in my birthday suit—yet I choose to believe she enjoyed the view. "I talked to her this morning. We're having breakfast at the lodge tomorrow."

"Good. Make sure to ask for the money up front."

Ellie nods her head. "How did things go between you and her today?"

I sit down on the couch next to Ellie before answering, "Not great. I'm guessing it's going to get worse because once again I wouldn't hear her out."

"You really need to listen to her terms, Zach. You don't have to do anything about it if you don't want to."

"I don't want to give her the pleasure," I tell her. "If I listen to what she has to say, she's going to think she has the upper hand."

"Have you ever heard that old saying about not cutting off your nose to spite your face?"

"I've heard it," I tell her. "But there's another saying about not suffering fools lightly."

She laughs. "You're pig-headed, do you know that?"

Standing up, I tell her, "I just want to live my life by my rules."

"I think that's the definition of stubborn. My mom always says that if you don't learn to bend, then for sure you're going to break."

I walk into the kitchen, and I open a drawer before pulling out an apron and putting it on. "Let's see what you find out tomorrow," I tell her. "Maybe you'll be the answer to all my prayers, and I'll never have to bend." I try to sound lighthearted, but the truth is, Ellie's right. I'm stubborn and I like to get my way.

I take the steaks out of the refrigerator and put them on a dish before pouring Worcestershire sauce on them. Then I chop up a couple of garlic cloves and mix them with a little dijon mustard before rubbing the mixture onto the steaks.

"I have a bottle of wine up at the house if you're interested," Ellie offers.

I open the cupboard and pull out my favorite Cabernet. "I have one right here." Popping the cork, I pour her a glass and carry it over to her.

"It's not even five," she says, yet she still takes the glass.

Looking at my watch, I tell her, "It's seven fifty-eight in New York." Then I sit down next to her.

Exhaling loudly, she announces, "It's been a heck of a day." Then she takes a sip of her wine before declaring, "So good! "

I raise my glass in a toast. "Some days require a little help." I take a sip before asking, "Did your mom's bed arrive?"

"Oh, my gosh, Zach, it's so comfortable! I lay down on it and fell right to sleep."

"I hope you had sweet dreams," I croon. I shouldn't be flirting with Ellie, but I can't seem to help myself. She's so sweet and totally different from the women I usually date.

Is it me or does she blush while answering, "I had very nice dreams, thank you."

"You want to tell me about them?"

She shakes her head. "I don't think so."

The air in the room is suddenly so thick with tension that if I don't get some fresh air, I'm going to pull Ellie into my arms and kiss her the way I've been thinking about since we first met. "I'm going to grease the potatoes and then put them in the oven. Should we go for a walk while they cook?"

She looks so relieved by my suggestion, I wonder if she's been having similar thoughts about me. "That sounds like a great idea!"

Four minutes later, I put on a sweater and lead the way onto the front porch. "Have you always rented this place out?"

She shakes her head. "My dad built it for his mom. She lived here for ten years before she died."

My fingers twitch with the desire to reach over and take her hand in mine, but I don't. "You must have nice memories of that time."

"I really do," she says. "My mom's parents both died when I was little, so Nana Butler was all I had in the way of grandparents. She was a cool lady."

I walk toward the woods, thinking a brisk hike might be exactly what I need to push away the romantic thoughts I'm having about my landlady.

Ellie has other ideas. As soon as we near the hammock, she runs over and jumps onto it like a pro. "I like to come down here and stare up into the treetops like they hold all the answers to my problems."

She scoots over to make room for me, so I hesitantly sit down. "What are your problems?" Ellie doesn't answer, so I guess, "You're worried about your mom."

"All the time," she confesses. "Her arthritis has progressed so quickly, I'm afraid I'm going to have to put her into a facility. And that would kill her."

It would also cost a fortune, which I'm guessing is another of her concerns. "Try your mom on the turmeric when she gets home. It's amazing how many natural anti-inflammatories there are and how well they work."

"You'd think her doctors would have mentioned them."

Gravity is pulling both of us toward the center of the hammock and before you know it, Ellie is nearly on my lap. Valiantly trying to keep my mind off wrapping my arms around her, I announce, "Western medicine isn't known for being very open-minded about natural cures."

Ellie's body relaxes against mine. "My grandmother used to soak golden raisins in gin. She ate eight of them a day to help reduce the pain in her hands."

"Interesting." Her head is so close to mine that I can smell the floral scent of her shampoo. "Does your mom do that?"

"I'm not sure she even knew about it. But now that I've remembered, I'll pick up some raisins and gin so she can try it." She squirms like she's trying to get more comfortably situated, but with both of us on the hammock the only way to do that would be to lie down. And I'm not going to suggest that.

"If we're going to keep sitting on this thing," I tell her, "I'm going to need to put my arm around you." She tips her chin up to look me in the eye, which causes me to add, "Or I could just go sit on the ground."

Her response is so quiet I barely hear it. "You can put your arm around me." She leans forward which easily allows me to do so. Neither one of us says anything for the longest time. We just sit there, snuggled up together.

I can't remember the last time I felt so comfortable with a woman. Neither Ellie nor I seem to require conversation. We're just enjoying the peace, both lost in our thoughts.

Several minutes later, Ellie breaks the silence. "Tell me about your life in Los Angeles."

"It's very different from Maple Falls," I tell her. "It's go, go, go, all the time."

"That sounds awful," she says. "Do you have any place where you can just get away from it all?"

"I split my time between my condo in Beverly Hills and my beach house in Malibu. I'm most relaxed when I'm at the beach, but I still have a lot of neighbors."

"I love spending time at the coast," she says. "But I'd rather camp in the middle of nowhere than have other people right on top of me."

I want to tell Ellie she should come stay at my beach house sometime, but I don't want to scare her off. I don't want her to think I'm proposing something untoward. "How about if I lend you my house sometime when I'm not there? Maybe you and your mom could have a nice vacation together."

"Why when you're not there?" Is it me or does she sound hurt?

"I could be there, too," I say quickly.

"My mom doesn't like to travel anymore," Ellie announces, which effectively pops the balloon of excitement that had started to build at the thought of having her in my home. "It's too hard on her."

"Maybe she'll change her mind once she gets used to her wheelchair."

"Do you have wheelchair ramps?" she wants to know.

"Not yet, but I could get some."

"Zach." Ellie leans away from me so that she can turn her head and look at me. "You do not need to get wheelchair ramps for my mom."

"I don't need to do anything, Ellie. But I like to do things for my friends."

She smiles sadly before saying, "I could never reciprocate."

"You made me a caramel apple," I remind her.

She scoffs. "Yeah, but that was easy."

"And if you decided you want to visit my house in Malibu, it would be easy for me to have ramps installed."

Ellie's eyes narrow slightly before she says, "It's like we don't even live on the same planet."

While I know she's feeling a huge disparity in our lives, I feel the need to tell her, "It's a good thing that we have the capability to travel to other planets then."

"Maybe you and Elon Musk," she jokes.

"I think the kind of world-hopping I'm talking about can be done by anyone. Even you."

"I've never had a friend wealthy enough to have a beach house," she says.

"You do now," I tell her. Even if Ellie wants nothing more than friendship from me, I'll consider myself lucky. Although, I truly hope she wants more.