Page 21 of Craig

First chance he got, he would hire someone to come and make an estimate. He could always putter around on his own, and he did not mind working with his hands.

He had done it several times before, in the Philippines, where there had been a need for housing. He had pitched in and worked with the rest of them.

Parking the vehicle beneath a solid oak tree, he alighted and picked his way over the cobbled driveway. The porch was warped; the boards needed replacing.

Making a mental note, he fished the key from beneath a flower pot and unlocked the front door. At least the mahogany was solid, he noted.

The musty smell hit him as soon as he stepped inside. Batting at cobwebs, he sneezed as the dust rose up.

He had not bothered with paying anyone to keep an eye on the place. Losing his father had dampened his need to be here.

But now he was thinking he would change his mind.

He could not see Regina in a place like this. A slight smile touched his lips as he found himself wondering why he had thought of her.

It was the story her brother had told him earlier on, about their father. He had been brought up in a loving home, thank God for that.

But she... Shaking his head, he wandered into the living room.

A large fireplace took up an entire section of the wall. The cabin had two stories.

There were three bedrooms upstairs and two baths. On the lower level, there was the large and functional kitchen with the old range for a stove.

There was also a dining room, the living area, and a small powder room.

Strolling along the passageway, he pushed open the back door and stepped onto a solid deck. This was the real beauty of the place.

From where he stood, the view was spectacular. The stream flowed to meet the river where his father had built a dock that had a dinghy and another, bigger boat tied to the solid posts, bobbing on the water.

Memories of the times he had gone fishing with his father had the grief swamping him.

Here they had cut off the rest of the world. Here they had been free to do whatever they wanted, without the oppressive influence of his grandfather.

His mother had often accompanied them. He recalled long walks with his parents holding hands.

They had looked so happy together.

Lowering himself, he sat on the side of the deck, legs swinging, the breeze off the river cooling his skin and ruffling his hair. He felt the peace he always felt whenever he was here and vowed that he would make time to come here even once or twice a month.

Would Regina accompany him if he asked? Somehow he didn't see her in a rural setting.

The staggeringly beautiful woman he was going to marry in a fake ceremony was made for shining lights and five-star dining. Not fishing boats and long walks in the woods.

A pity, he thought with regret. He would have loved to share the place with her

Chapter 4

He studied her critically and she allowed it.

"Will I do?" she asked mildly. He had insisted on swinging by to pick her up and had been surprised by the area she called home.

It was in the downtown area, near shops and trendy restaurants. It was an up-and-coming district that had gone through a lot of renovations over the past year.

A shopping mall was in the first stages of renovations. A burnt-out warehouse was being gutted to make room for a supermarket chain.

And the park was across the street from her apartment.

The apartment itself could use some work. The paint was peeling and the structure looked a little shaky.