Page 27 of Shallow Remains

But as she methodically moved through her task list, she remained acutely conscious of her current living situation.

She’d become the dreaded third wheel. Blaine would never say so, and Xanthe never made her feel unwelcome or out of place here.

They were a couple now. They deserved their own space and the privacy that came with it.

It was time for Maddy to reclaim her independence and restart her life. She needed her own place.

Mind made up, she paused the ballad in the middle of the chorus and called Willow.

THIRTEEN

Willow let Maddy in through the front door of the charming little house her grandmother had left her. It smelled clean, was fresh and bright inside. Overall, it was much better than Maddy had hoped.

“It’s bigger than I thought it would be.”

“Yeah, it looks smaller from the outside,” Willow said, slipping her shoes off on the mat inside the front door. She dropped the end of Rufus’s leash, and he immediately trotted off down the hall. “Just ignore him. He’s going straight for the patio doors off the kitchen. Come on through. I’ll show you the rest of the place.”

There were two decent-sized bedrooms, one slightly bigger than the other with an ensuite. The guest bath was off the hallway, plus the living room and kitchen. Sure enough, Rufus was parked next to the sliding glass doors, staring out into the backyard. He looked back at Willow expectantly, chocolate-brown ears perked.

She sighed. “If I let him out there he’s going to bolt to the back fence and probably bark his head off like a lunatic at every squirrel in the woods. This was his territory before we moved in with Tripp, so he still feels protective of it.”

“I don’t mind.”

“All right, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Willow shooed him aside enough to squeeze in beside him and unlock the latch on the door handle. “Can you at least try to be calm?” she asked him.

Rufus stood there, tail wagging, gaze fixed on the realm that lay just on the other side of the glass.

“Okay.” Willow slid the heavy door open.

As soon as there was enough room for him to squeeze through, Rufus shot through the opening and tore across the deck before racing headlong down the length of the grass to the back fence. He jumped up and planted his front paws on the wood panels, zeroed in on something Maddy couldn’t see in the trees, and started barking.

“Yep, there he goes,” Willow said with a sigh, stepping out onto the deck. “Rufus! Quiet.”

The dog paid no attention to her at all, barking hysterically for another five seconds before his target suddenly moved. He chased it along the fence line, stare locked on his prey.

“Anyway, so this is the back deck,” Willow added in a dry tone as she gestured around.

“It’s beautiful and private here.”

Willow flashed her a smile. “And normally quiet and peaceful, too. This was my favorite spot while I lived here. I painted out back because the light is so good.”

Maddy noticed the Adirondack chairs placed facing the yard. “Did you do these?” One had an orca in the design, and the other a humpback. They were both magical, whimsical night-time scenes that looked like they’d come right out of a storybook. Just beautiful.

“Yes, but Mae and Bronwyn helped too.”

“Did someone say my name?”

They turned to find Mae coming through the kitchen. Her jeans had mud on the knees and her heavy fleece pullover was streaked with it.

“I was just showing Maddy the place.” Willow hugged her. “You’re so nosy, but I love you anyway.”

“I know.” Mae grinned and nodded at Maddy. “You thinking of renting the place?”

“Yes. Already decided to.”

Willow blinked. “Really? That’s great. I don’t like leaving it sitting empty, and I’d be thrilled to have you move in.”

“Hi, Rufus,” Mae called.