“You like that?” Poppy could hear the smile in his voice.
“Does everyone in Alaska have one of these in their homes?” She turned to watch him set her bags down.
“It’s standard, but only if they’re moose antlers,” Blake said through a chuckle. “Come on, I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”
Poppy followed him down a short hallway and into the first room on the right. There were two other doors in the hallway, which she presumed were his bedroom and the bathroom.
A light clicked on, and she saw a full-sized bed in the center of the room, a couple bedside tables, and a dresser. Blake set her suitcases on the floor beside the bed and took several steps back.
“The bathroom is just down the hall. Here, let me take your coat.” She peeled it off and handed it to him. “I’ll just hang it by the door.” A moment of silence passed before he said anything else. “Well, I’ll let you get settled in while I make some dinner.” He strode toward the door.
“Blake?”
He stopped and looked at her over his shoulder.
“Thanks for letting me stay with you. I know you didn’t have to do this for me, but thank you again.” Poppy offered him a small smile.
“I’m just sorry it took Jon passing away for you to visit.” He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
He shut the door behind him, and she suddenly felt very alone in the large and empty room. Aside from a few pictures of lakes and trees, the decorations were scarce in the room. A set of French doors stood to her left, and she moved toward them. The handles were cold as she curled her fingers around the brass. A gust of frigid air whipped by her when she pulled the doors open.
Stepping onto the deck, she walked until the rail dug into her belly. The cold seeped through the long-sleeved shirt she wore, but she didn’t care. The discomfort made her feel alive, made her think of something other than the past.
The light from her room spilled into the darkness. The sky looked a hazy mix of greys, blues, and pinks. The promise of snow in the very near future lingered in the air. Her lungs burned as she inhaled. Resting her forearms on the banister, she stared at the thick tangle of trees right in front of her.
When Blake had offered her a place to stay over a year ago, she hadn’t thought much of it. Thinking he offered because he felt some kind of obligation toward her had crossed her mind more than once. Maybe he still felt like that, but either way, she was so very thankful for the reprieve. It wasn’t like this had to be permanent. Poppy knew she always had a home back in Ohio with a family who loved her.
Hanging her head, she let her eyes close and wished for once nothing filled her mind. More than one of her friends told her she was making a huge mistake. Dropping everything to move to the middle of nowhere did sound ludicrous, but what did they know? Had they ever lost someone who meant the world to them? She had money saved up, and it wasn’t like she was jobless. Thanks to Blake, she had a new job, one where she filed things away at his office. Yeah, that was her, Poppy Ellis, the Great File Clerk. She didn’t doubt the work would be monotonous, but it would keep her busy. Besides, she had views like the one right in front of her at every turn. How could this be a bad idea?
Deciding she was frozen enough for one night, Poppy went back inside and shut the doors behind her. Leaning against them, she looked at the two suitcases at the foot of her bed. Anything worth keeping was shoved into that luggage. The memory of the night she packed those bags slammed into her mind like an unwelcome guest.
“What do you mean you’ve decided to go to Alaska?” Her mother walked into Poppy’s room, her look incredulous.
“Calm down. I never said living there would be permanent.” She shoved more clothes into the bag and turned to grab more.
“Why in the world would you want to leave? And to Alaska of all places? You don’t even know anyone outside of Ohio. Where would you stay? What about your job?”
Poppy took a deep breath, knowing this was bound to be her mother’s reaction. She had no doubt this would be a lot of people’s reaction, especially when they found out who she planned on staying with.
When she spoke with Blake last week and finally made the decision to take him up on his offer to stay with him for an undetermined amount of time, she dreaded this very moment. Grabbing several hangers out of her closet, she walked back to her bed. Might as well get it over with.