Where the Heart Is Read Online Free PDF Page B

tall stone archway over the front door and a dozen paned windows sparkling across the wide expanse of the front of the house, but there was a homeyness to the design that made it very welcoming instead of imposing.
    The driveway led to a turnaround with a water feature in the center. It was built like a natural waterfall and was surrounded by trees and evergreen shrubs. Derek’s directions indicated that she should drive past the waterfall and turn right through a porte cochere into a courtyard. Ahead of her was a huge garage with six bays and a tall, arched door at the far right end. She saw a black SUV parked in front of one of the bays and wondered if it was Derek’s.
    As she pulled her car to a stop in front of the arched door, Derek jumped out of the SUV and came toward her. He rushed to open the door for her, but Chloe just stared at her new, albeit temporary, home. It wasn’t just a boring garage. No, the building that stored cars looked like its own separate house with stonework, windows across the front, and a high, arched roof.
    She finally looked up at Derek—and he had a good six inches on her five-feet-eight. “You didn’t tell me this was a palatial estate. This is amazing.”
    â€œThe Archers don’t do anything by halves,” he said, grinning. “Come on, let me show you upstairs.”
    Chloe grabbed her purse and the small bag filled with toiletries she’d bought yesterday and climbed out of the car. He closed the door behind her and led her to the arched doorway.
    â€œRob said you can park in this garage bay closest to your door. The remote is upstairs.” He opened the door for her to enter, and she preceded him into a narrow entryway. A small, square window on the right at about head level let natural light in.
    Light from recessed cans in the ceiling flooded the staircase in front of them. “After you,” he said.
    Chloe climbed the stairs, studying her new place. It was just a staircase, but they’d painted the walls a warm, comforting caramel color, and she already felt at home. At the top of the stairs was a small landing and another door. This one was open a sliver, so she pushed it wide. A rush of happiness washed over her as she beheld the space. A small kitchen done in granite and dark wood stretched across the left-hand wall, with a slender pantry at the end. A peninsula bar with two stools separated the kitchen from the living area. She moved into the room and immediately wanted to curl up on the overstuffed chocolate-colored couch or one of the cozy, butter-colored chairs. She realized she was thinking of every color as a food and decided she must be hungry. That was her own fault for leaving the Blackbird before partaking in breakfast. But she’d been too excited to hang around.
    A small wood table with two chairs sat in front of the wide window that overlooked the courtyard below. To the left, next to the kitchen, was a bathroom. It was small but elegant, with a tiled shower and a tiled counter. Fluffy pecan—or khaki, not everything had to be food!—towels hung ready on the shower door. With a contented sigh, Chloe turned and walked back into the living room. On the opposite wall was a door to presumably the bedroom. Chloe went to check it out and almost squealed with delight at the wrought-iron king-sized bed covered in a scrumptious green and beige quilt and decorated with a good half-dozen pillows. A closet was carved into just half of the opposite wall, leaving an alcove in the corner, which housed a comfy chair. Chloe caught her breath. Cast artfully over the back was a sage green blanket, the same color as her favorite, which she’d lost in the fire. She smiled, amazed at how right everything seemed.
    â€œWill it do?” Derek asked.
    Chloe turned to see him lounging in the doorway of the bedroom, his arms crossed over his chest. She suddenly felt very hot just looking at him with a bed only a few steps away.