“Nothing is ever as it seems.”

“That’s the second time you’ve said that to me.” She rises to her feet. Her eyes take in my home, stopping on the stairs. “I thought this was a one-story cabin.”

“I’ve done renovations.”

“I don’t recall seeing a permit for that.”

“I don’t need one. I’m considered out of city limits,” I remind her. When I bought this place, it only had two bedrooms, but one was more of an office space. The other is the master bedroom. I won’t lie to myself. When I bought this home, it was meant for me and Snow alone.

Then Eve came along, and the need to expand ate away at me until I did it. What else was I going to do with my spare time anyway? I did most of the work myself, but I called in for a few things that required a skill level a bit greater than mine. I used contractors from the town over, not wanting to draw attention to myself from Snow Hills. I put three more bedrooms and a couple bathrooms up there and a small lounge area.

“It’s so modern. Did you decorate it?”

“This is considered decorated?” Now I’m glancing around. The inside is modern. The cabin was brand new when I moved in. I’d updated some things, but the walls are bare, the light gray paint being the only decor.

“I guess not decorated but staged?”

“Staged?” I have no clue what that means.

“Like you plucked it out of a home and garden magazine.” She walks around, her eyes going big when she sees the kitchen, which is open to the living room. The whole main floor is set up that way. I’m not sure why she’d be excited over a kitchen. She doesn’t cook. Not that I’m aware of, at least.

“I suppose it kind of is. Pottery Barn.”

“Pottery Barn?” She laughs.

“It was easy.” I shrug. They had things in sets, and they reminded me a bit of her place. I know she’s ordered from there too.

“I’ve wanted this chair!” She rushes over to the chair in the corner of the room next to the fireplace. It swings. I know it’s sturdy, but I’ve never tried to sit in the thing myself. “This is the kind of chair you read in.” She sways back and forth in it. The chair is no coincidence.

“You didn’t eat much tonight. I’ll make you something.” I head toward the kitchen. She needs to eat, and I need to kill time as the snow grows thicker outside. The longer she stays distracted, the better the chance I have of keeping her here with me for a few days.

“You cook?” She sways in the chair.

“How else would I feed myself?”

“Right. You never come to town to eat. You know the diner is really good.” It must be. She eats most of her meals from there. Eve gets up from the chair as I start to pull items out of the fridge. “Whatcha making?” She eyes what I’ve laid out on the kitchen island.