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Rose slid the plate in front of me and kissed Ed on the bald spot in the center of his head.

“It saves me from having to put an extra blanket on the bed in the winter.” He blew her a kiss.

If they weren’t cute enough, she served him a slice and stole the fork from his hand.

She fed him a bite, and his eyes closed as he let out a soft moan.

He put on a good show for his wife. I took my bite, readying my equally appreciative reaction. “Good grief,” I blurted out. To keep from saying something stupid, I shoveled in another bite. “You’ve ruined me,” I said while shielding my mouth. “I’m going to need your recipe.”

“Grammy King would haunt me from the grave.”

Rose took a small nibble from Ed’s plate but didn’t stop him from devouring her handiwork in a handful of bites.

Now that we had gotten to know one another and shared a slice of pie, I wondered how long before they handed me the rules for their house before they headed out.

We had entered that weird spot in the renter/host relationship.

“I think it’s about time I call it a night.” Subtle and tactful.

“Poor boy has been on the road all day. We should let you get some sleep,” Edward said. “I can show you to your room.”

Now that I had said it, I might have to skip the bourbon tonight and crawl into bed. Tessa suggested I take a plane to Bangor and drive the rest of the way, but I insisted on driving. Both my back and butt regretted the ambition. By the time my head hit the pillow, I’d be snoring.

“Breakfast is at seven sharp. I don't serve cold eggs and bacon. Otherwise, you'll be stuck with toast and homemade jam,” Rose said as I picked up my duffle bag. “Coffee is hot and ready all day.”

Wait. She delivered breakfast? No, something here didn’t make sense. I suspected we had crossed our wires.

“If you need anything in the middle of the night, we’re on the second floor, second door on the right.”

Biting my lip, I refrained from commenting. I thought I had rented a rustic farmhouse. I swore up and down that their listing mentioned the entire house. While Edward and Rose were lovely people, I hadn’t shared a house with somebody since I left home.

Through the kitchen, we walked onto an enclosed porch with a door leading outside.

“You have a private entrance. Feel free to use the front door. We’re not picky.

” Unlike the rest of the house, this area was relatively sparse.

A narrow table had a couple of small porcelain owls, but otherwise, it remained neutral.

He opened the only other door. “Here’s your room. There’s a private bath in the back. If you wake up and you’re hungry, help yourself to anything in the kitchen… except the pie.” He shot me a wink. “Towels in the bathroom. Extra linens and blankets are in the closet.”

"I appreciate it."

He opened the door and gave a sweeping bow.

"If you're looking for things to do, there's a farmers’ market tomorrow.

Rose makes me go every week. There's the Bistro on Maine or No Big Whoop, depending on what strikes your fancy.

Or if you want to get out in nature, you can walk the property all the way down to the creek. "

Even though reality and my expectations were light-years apart, they proved gracious hosts. I gave him a salute as I said, “Thanks.” As I stepped in, he shut the door behind me.

It was more akin to an in-law suite than a bedroom in their house.

With its proximity to the front door, I could only assume an aging parent had once lived here.

The bed had brown flannel sheets and matching pillows.

The burst of color came from the quilt folded at the foot of the bed, covered in purple lilacs.

In the corner sat a dark blue sitting chair and a television as old as me.

I dropped my bag on the floor and reached for my phone. Pulling up the listing, I read through the quaint amenities and proximity to the mountains. I froze.

“What have I done?”

In-law suite in house. Private entrance.

“I knew the price was too good to be true.”

In my rush to escape, I had jumped to conclusions. Okay, so maybe I didn’t have the whole house to myself. Who said a grown man couldn’t share a house with a couple and it not be weird? Isn’t this how great stories started?

I kicked off my shoes and hit the light switch before climbing into bed. Tessa would laugh hysterically when I told her about my foolishness. I could give it a couple of days and see how things turned out. That’d be a problem for tomorrow.

Lying in bed, I was astonished by the silence. Not city silent, where a steady drone always filled the night. The absolute darkness was something I hadn’t experienced since I was a child.

After the long drive to northern Maine, I’d be out like a light in minutes. It might be the first time I got a solid night of sleep since the critics destroyed my movie. I couldn’t help but smile. It might be off to a rocky start, but I had no doubt this vacation would do me a world of good.

I curled into a ball and closed my eyes.

“Welcome to Firefly,” I whispered.