Meanwhile, he kept an eye on their surroundings for any signs of other people. He also kept his eye on the lithe body in front of him, mostly because it was impossible not to look.
She was a beautiful woman, inside and out.
The surrounding land was beautiful too. Tansy’s route took them through thickly packed trees where the snow sat thickly on the ground. In the sparser areas, the snow had melted and sunlight started filtering through the canopy.
“Are we still on your property?”
“We are. I haven’t been all over it yet because the snow’s been too thick, but soon. There are a few streams leaving the lake, and I’m hoping one is suitable for another waterwheel.”
That made him grin. She was always on the lookout for ways to increase natural energy production without abusing the land. He’d seen the first waterwheel attached to the sawmill, but there hadn’t been a stream, so it was useless.
Neither Joe nor Tansy had told him exactly how much land they’d inherited, but it had to be at least a dozen acres. He’d get Tansy to map it out for him.
The place was a perfect area for a training ground. And creating a training facility for bodyguards and private security personnel was something that had been tickling the back of Sam’s brain for a while.
Instead of chasing after the assholes who took kids, he could focus on ways to keep them safer in the first place.
Not just the rich people who needed bodyguards, but regular people who wanted to improve their personal awareness and skills.
If Hayley Armstrong’s mom had been trained, she might have been able to fend off her ex when he’d beaten the crap out of her and then taken his daughter. Only to drop her out of a third-floor apartment.
“Watch the logs here, they’re hidden under the snow.”
Tansy’s words brought his focus fully back on the ground in front of him. He leapt the logs and caught up to tug on Tansy’s ponytail.
“Don’t forget you promised to show me the fort.”
“Almost there.”
That had him searching their surroundings. No obvious trails. He knew the lake wasn’t far off to the left. He’d caught glimpses of it through the thinning trees. She’d probably have a view of it from her cabin.
Within a few strides, he spotted a roof not far ahead. He sped up to move in front of her, but she wasn’t having any of that.
They ended up racing the last hundred yards and burst into the clearing together.
He took in the area while he walked and stretched.
The log cabin wasn’t large, but bigger than he’d expected. Looked to be a little older than the lodge, maybe as old as the sawmill, which had probably been around for more than a century. And closed for half of that.
“You think this was an original cabin? Before the lodge?”
She looked pleased at his statement. “I think so. I don’t know enough to date it properly, but my best guess is it was built around 1910.”
Tansy’s best guess was better than most experts’ assurances, so he assumed she was close.
“Any insulation?”
She shook her head. “The original owners knew what they were doing with the building. Some of their original chinking is still in place. I’ve got Aisling coming up in another month. She’s going to help me fix up all the buildings. I’d like to replicate the original chinking if I can. If it’s worked for a century, it’s good enough for me.”
He was pleased when he saw the new locks on the door, including a good deadbolt. Of course, she took more care with her experiments than with her own safety.
“You’ve got the keys, Sam.”
Right. “Is there a place in town to make copies? You don’t mind if I have my own set, do you?”
That brought a genuine smile. “Of course I don’t mind. You’re always welcome.”
The warmth in her smile and her words eased some of the ache in his heart. It was nice to know he would always have a place.