Kaleidoscope (Colorado Mountain #6)(31)

And that wasn’t even getting into the flagstone patio and awesome patio furniture.

It was amazing.

Jacob might not have been paid much before for whatever mysterious dealings he dealt, but he clearly moved up the food chain.

High up.

Buford’s wet nose touched my hand and I looked into his adorable black and tan droopy-eared, droopy-skinned face with its lolling pink tongue.

Then I told him, “You didn’t know her but, trust me, Elsbeth was really, really stupid.”

Buford’s tail wagged.

I gave him a head scratch for doggie-agreeing with me.

My phone in my purse rang.

I dug it out and saw the display said “Jacob calling.”

I took the call by proclaiming, “You live in a showplace.”

“What?” he asked.

“Your house is huge and beautiful.”

“Babe—”

“And you have an unhindered view of the mountains.”

“So do you.”

I ignored that and carried on.

“And you have a heated pool.”

“Em—”

“With a wheel of pretty lights.”

“Baby—”

“You failed to tell me I should bring a bathing suit.”

“You’re sleepin’ in my bed the first time without me. You do not get in that pool for the first time without me.”

And another full-body spasm.

“Jacob—”

“I take it you’re in and you’re settled,” he remarked, explaining the call.

“Buford has a droopy face and it’s cute,” I said as confirmation, looking down at his dog who again wagged his tail.

“You’re in and settled,” he muttered, then, louder, “I gotta go.”

“Okay, honey.”

“Eat what you want. Got lots of DVDs. Whatever. Yeah?”

“Okay.”

“Sleep good.”

“Okay, be safe.”

“Right. Later, Emme.”

“Later, Jacob.”

We disconnected.

I looked down at Buford.

“Let’s check out Jacob’s bedroom,” I suggested.

He got up from sitting like he knew what I was saying.

We checked out Jacob’s bedroom.

It. Was. Awesome.

I stood in the middle of its awesomeness, bent slightly, scratching Buford’s head, staring at the (unmade but still fantastic) huge bed with its cream comforter cover with black piping, black sheets and cream shams (with black piping). This color scheme was used throughout the room, giving it not a small amount of seriously classy masculine appeal.

My eyes fell on the kaleidoscope on his nightstand.

He did keep it by the bed.

I felt my lips tip up.

Then I commented to Buford, “I think you’re good. No way you could hog all those covers.”

Buford had no reply.

Five hours later, I’d find out I was wrong.

* * *

Nineteen hours later…

“You okay?”

I burst out laughing.

“Babe,” Jacob called through my laughter.

I got control of it and when I did, I saw the piles of rolled insulation that now filled two of my upstairs rooms, one of which I was standing in the door of.

“Just calling to confirm delivery,” I told him.

“Good. Now go back to my house,” he ordered.

“Jacob—”

“No bathing suit.”

“Ja—”

“Gotta go.”

I stopped trying to get out his name seeing as it seemed he was in the middle of something important and said, “Okay, honey. See you tomorrow.”

“Text me when you get to my house,” he replied, then, “And yeah, babe. Tomorrow. But, way things are going, good chance I’ll be home tonight.”

Tonight?

But I’d be at his house tonight.

With him there!

Before I could begin a discussion about this, Jacob said, “Later, Emme.”

I knew he was in the middle of something important (or guessed), so all I could do was say, “ ’Bye.”

I disconnected and wandered to the stairs, looking forward to spending more time with Buford and lounging around Jacob’s big house where you could search for hours and find nothing that needed working on.

I was also freaking out because Jacob would be in that house with me (maybe) and we’d be together for the first time as a different kind of us (except for his hurried fly-by at my office to give me his keys, which included him kissing my forehead again—which was very nice—but that was all it included) and I didn’t know if I was ready for that.

I was. I was looking forward to it. Anxiously. Excitedly.

I just also wasn’t. Mostly because I was thinking on it, panicked.

I was walking down the stairs, thinking these thoughts, when I saw the police cruiser through my own not-so-panoramic but nonetheless fabulous etched windows that luckily had never been broken that flanked my huge front door.

So I would not be going over to Jacob’s house imminently.

No.

But I had no idea that things were going to change dramatically in ways no one would expect.

Even when they were watching a police cruiser pulling up their drive.