Page 8 of Chasing the Sun

“Positive. Go on in and have a look around.”

“I’ll show her, Daddy!”

With that, Molly grabbed Chloe’s hand and pulled her forward. The little girl led her down a hall with doors to a bathroom and laundry room and then into the main part of the house. First stop—the kitchen.

“Wow,” Chloe said as she took it all in. The kitchen was large, sunny, and gleaming. There wasn’t a crumb to be seen, and unlike at her place, nothing was lying around on the counters. The appliances were stainless steel and looked intimidating. They weren’t your run-of-the-mill Maytags, that was for sure. A curved island sat in the middle of the space, with three barstools around it.

Chloe wasn’t much of a cook, and she’d told Bryce that. He’d assured her that she didn’t have to be. “Do you know how to boil water?” he’d asked during the interview.

She’d laughed and replied, “Of course.”

“That’s all you need to know,” he’d said and had given her a reluctant smile.

Glancing at the stove with its complicated looking dials, she wondered if even boiling water might be difficult.

“C’mon, Miss Chloe. Follow me.”

She smiled, glad to see that Molly was just as sweet and polite as she’d thought, even without her dad nearby.

From the kitchen, they stepped down into the living room, which boasted a full wall of windows that overlooked the lanai and the golf course beyond. Plush furniture was accented with throw pillows in a variety of pretty colors and patterns. A large vase of fresh flowers sat in the center of a glass-topped table, and their aroma filled the air.

Bryce had mentioned that a cleaning lady came in twice a week. Looking around at the expansive home, Chloe was relieved that housecleaning wasn’t part of her job description. Still, she’d make sure to clean up after herself and Molly.

She expected Molly to take her upstairs next, but instead, she went down a short hall on the other side of the living room to show her “Daddy’s room.”

“Are you sure it’s okay?” Chloe asked.

But Molly had already gone inside and then jumped up on the massive bed in the center of the room. It was so high off the ground Chloe was surprised little Molly had been able to reach.

“Daddy lets me sleep in here sometimes, especially if I have a bad dream.”

“But not very often,” came his deep voice from behind her.

Panicking, Chloe jerked her head around. “You startled me,” she said, placing a hand over her rapidly beating heart.

“Sorry. By the way, I don’t mind you coming in here. You might need to sometimes since I store medicine and first aid supplies in my bathroom.”

Chloe nodded, but she still felt uncomfortable. Maybe it was because she hadn’t been in a man’s bedroom in a long time. Or was it because he was standing so close and the room suddenly felt much smaller than it was?

“You can also access the lanai from here,” he was saying.

“I see that,” she said, glancing at the French doors that led outside.

“Feel free to use the pool and hot tub anytime. Molly has had swim lessons, but she still needs to wear a life vest whenever she goes swimming.”

“Daaaad.”

It was the first time she’d heard Molly complain, and it wasn’t even that bad as far as whining goes.

“Molly, we’ve talked about this. You know the rules.”

Molly sighed with resignation.

“Chloe, let me show you the medicine cabinet,” Bryce said, already moving toward the bathroom.

“I’m going to find Lucy,” Molly proclaimed. She slid off the bed and raced out the door, leaving Chloe and Bryce alone for the first time in his bedroom.

Chloe followed him into the bathroom, feeling a bead of sweat roll down her back. She would have liked to blame it on the heat, but the air conditioner was running.