Page 6 of This Memory (Moose Village #3)

“Are you stalling for time or something?”

I laughed. “Something like that. So, tour?”

She huffed, but I could tell she was secretly pleased to show off her house.

I’d heard from Aurora and Harper that Brystol’s home had undergone a ton of remodeling, most of which she’d done herself.

Whether because she drove off contractors or because she was that talented, I wasn’t sure.

I suspected the latter…but if asked, I’d go with her driving people away.

“This is obviously the living room. If you walk through here, it’s the formal dining room.”

I followed her through an archway into the dining room where there was an antique table that seated six and a matching sideboard. In the corner were built-in shelves that matched the ones in the living room.

“The table and sideboard were my grandmother’s. She gave them to me when I bought the house.”

I smiled. “Reminds me of my grandmother’s.”

She smiled. “I think everyone’s grandparents owned furniture like this.”

We walked through another archway and into the kitchen.

Like most of the older homes in Moose Village, it was a typical closed-in kitchen, but this one had been updated with blue cabinets, a white brick-style backsplash and granite countertops.

There was a bar along one wall that faced the outside, complete with barstools.

“Great use of the space here,” I said, motioning to the stools .

“Yeah, they had a kitchen table in here when I first looked at the house, but I didn’t like it. With all these gorgeous windows, I thought a bar would be nicer. I like to sit here in the morning and watch the birds while I eat breakfast.”

I looked at her in question. “Did you design the kitchen then?”

She nodded.

The walls were painted a soft, creamy yellow and looked good against the blue cabinets.

“Down these steps is the half bath. I haven’t touched it because I like the vintage look it has.”

Halfway up the wall, pink subway tiles were trimmed out in black tiles. There was a toilet, a sink, and a small cabinet.

“And through here is the sunroom. It connects the garage and the house. When I bought the house, it was a detached garage, so I had this space closed in.”

“I like it,” I said, as I took in the sunroom, which held just a comfy-looking sofa and an oversized chair.

“I haven’t figured out what to do with the rest of the space yet. I mostly sit in here and read.”

I smiled to myself. She did still like to read. I tucked that bit of information away for the future. “Love the windows.”

She smiled. “Me too. Come on, I’ll show you upstairs.”

At the top of the steps was a pretty decent-sized landing. “This bedroom is mine,” she said, as she walked into a large bedroom. It held a queen bed that was fully made and even had decorative pillows. A large built-in storage cabinet sat directly across from the bed.

“I came up with that when I used the closet to make an en-suite bathroom.” She walked over and opened the sliding doors .

“Oh wow. That doesn’t look like it would hold much, but it does.”

“It really does,” she said. “Though, I do use the closet in the middle bedroom too.” She went through another door and flicked on a light. “In here is the bathroom I added.”

I walked into the bathroom and was surprised by its size. Along one wall was a long cabinet holding two sinks. Across from that was a huge walk-in shower, and a toilet was tucked into a corner.

“And behind this barn door is a storage closet. The contractor found an empty space, so it was perfect for a closet.”

“Nice.”

“Here’s my favorite bedroom, because it has all these windows,” Brystol said, when we walked into the room next to her own. It was again a decent space, with a full-size bed and dresser.

“This is the other bathroom,” she said, opening the next door and motioning for me to enter.

It reminded me of the bathroom downstairs, but the subway tile was mint green with black trim. There was one sink, a toilet, and a clawfoot bathtub.

“Original to the house, I take it?”

“Yep. Just like the half bath downstairs.”

The last bedroom at the end of the hall was Brystol’s office. It held a desk, some storage cabinets, and a chair with an ottoman. The walls were painted a warm gray.

“Your house is beautiful, Brystol.”

A look of pride washed over her face. “Thank you. I’ve put a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and money into this place.

My next project is the basement. I’d like to have a larger living room down there.

The backyard is huge. Harper helped with the flower beds.

If you look out this window…that space over there? The open one.”

Glancing out the window, I couldn’t believe how big her backyard was. It had to be at least an acre. “Yeah, the big open area?” I asked.

“Yes, that space. I want to make that an area where I can invite people over and watch movies. They have those portable screens you can put up.”

“That would be fun.”

She smiled, and a faint blush hit her cheeks. “That’s it for up here.”

We started down the steps and ended up back in the living room.

“Would you like something to drink, or…did you simply want to scope out my house for some reason?”

I grinned. “I’ve always wondered what your place looked like. But I will take something to drink, thanks.”

“I’ve got lemonade, pop, and water. It’s a little early in the day, but I also have beer.”

“Water, please.”

I followed her into the kitchen, leaned against the archway, and watched as she moved about. She opened the refrigerator, took out a bottle of water, and handed it to me.

“Listen, if this is about last week, I’m sorry for how I acted. What happened is in the past, and I should have let it go years ago.”

I raised my brows. “Are you calling a truce on this war we’ve been having all these years, then?”

She shrugged and gave me a weak smile. “I guess I am. I’m tired of fighting with you, and if this thing works, I’ll be pregnant, and I don’t want anything to go wrong. ”

“Do you honestly think I’d do something to risk you or the baby’s health?”

With a shake of her head, she replied, “No, but it can be pretty stressful trying to come up with witty insults directed toward you. It’s hard work, believe it or not.”

I stared at her.

She shrugged. “What?”

Taking a drink of the water, I put the cap back on.

“I didn’t come here because of that. I came because Denny told me you were getting the blood test done, and they were both in a court case today in Boston so they couldn’t be there.

I know they were upset. But I thought maybe you’d like someone to go with you just in case it’s not… well…good news.”

She studied me for a moment before clearing her throat. “That’s nice of you, Gavin. Thank you. A week ago, I would have told you to go screw yourself, but today…I find myself not wanting to get this information alone.” Her eyes met mine. “You’ll have to do.”

I let out a gruff laugh and shook my head. “Well, if it did take, it hasn’t compromised your ability to be a bitch.”

Smiling, she replied, “Isn’t this truce starting off with a bang.”

I winked, and she quickly looked away.

“What time do you need to be there?” I asked.

Checking her watch, she said, “We should probably leave now. Would you like to follow me over? The clinic is in Saranac Lake.”

“If you’re okay driving with me, we could go together. Then maybe grab an early dinner?”

She eyed me as if I had a nefarious plan in the making. “You want to go to dinner with me? ”

“Yeah. We’re calling a truce, remember?”

For a moment, I thought she would say no, but she reached for her purse and a light coat. “If it’s bad news, I may want a drink and say to hell with dinner.”

“I can do that too.”

Brystol glanced at me and smiled slightly. “Thank you, Gavin. I really am glad I’m not going alone.”

“You didn’t want to ask one of the girls to go with you?”

She shook her head. “Harper’s all happy and in love, and Cadie and Kian are dealing with that whole mess with her ex. And Aurora is busy with the bookstore and helping Hope. I didn’t want them all to have something else added to their plates.”

“That’s fair,” I replied, walking to the front door. I opened it and waved her to come. “Come on, then. Let’s see if you’re knocked up.”