A Change of Pace Read Free

put up with retro music until then.
    Grabbing his leather laptop bag, he headed for the stairs. The inn was a sprawling wood and masonry structure, and his engineer’s eye noted the rough-edged limestone cladding at the first floor and the cedar shake siding on the upper level. The building looked to be about fifty to sixty years old, and the long-ago architect had certainly done a great job matching both the style of the building and the rustic stone and cedar with the feel of the forested land around it.
    Drew walked inside the elegant lobby, his eyes on the extensive woodwork. He’d renovated his vintage condo back in Chicago and had spent a great deal of time on the woodwork in the unit, bringing it painstakingly back to life. Despite the profound irritation he was feeling at his current life circumstances, Drew could still appreciate the amount of work that had gone into the rooms around him.
    Looking past the lobby into a dining room, then in the other direction, he spotted a sunroom that opened off the reception area, the polished woodwork gleaming. Everywhere he looked, he found more evidence of an expert’s tender touch.
    Suddenly, Elsa’s head came up with a snap, and she looked toward the rear of the house. Drew’s eyes followed hers, widening when he spotted a shepherd every bit as large as Elsa coming toward them. The dog’s ears were up and the long tail was wagging, Drew was glad to see. The male walked up to Elsa, and the two dogs sniffed and whined and barked at each other, moving around and generally tangling Elsa’s leash.
    He had his hand down to introduce himself to the new dog when he heard steps coming toward them. He raised his head to see a young woman hurrying forward, an apologetic look on her pretty face. She was flushed, her blonde hair in a ponytail and her cotton, short-sleeved shirt and jeans dusted with flour.
    “Oh, I’m so sorry about Henry. He has the run of the house.” She grabbed Henry’s collar, trying to pull him away from Elsa.
    Drew smiled slightly, still watching the two dogs to make sure they weren’t going to have a rodeo. “So far, so good.” Squatting down next to Henry, he rubbed the large head. “He’s gorgeous. How old is he?” Drew looked up as he spoke.
    With a huffed breath, the young woman gave up trying to pull the huge dog when he obviously had no intention of moving. “I think he’s about two?” She lifted a shoulder uncertainly. “He belongs to my brother. I’m glad to see that he and your dog are getting along,” she said with relief, holding out her hand. “I’m Rae Huntington. Are you Mr. Cunningham?”
    At Drew’s nod, she moved behind the carved wood counter and clicked the computer mouse to activate her monitor. “Welcome to Huntington Place.” She smiled at him as she clicked away. “We normally don’t allow other dogs, but since you’re a guest of Mr. Lopez, we’re happy to accommodate you. You won’t have to worry about any other dogs here.” She paused to look up. “Do you mind giving me your driver’s license and your cell phone number for our records?”
    Drew noticed Rae discreetly eying him as she entered his data into the computer. He’d had many a woman give him that kind of glance, especially while he’d worked as chief of staff to his father. Drew met Rae’s eyes, lips tilting, then leaned an elbow on the wood counter as he gazed out the window at the North Carolina afternoon.
    Not my cup of tea, honey.
    He heard a slight sigh from the innkeeper. “Okay, let’s get you settled.” Moving out from behind the counter, Rae grabbed a key from the rack and headed for the stairs. “Will you follow me, please?”

Chapter 2
    An erection is like the theory of relativity. The more you think about it, the harder it gets.
    Drew Cunningham
    Early the following morning, Drew headed downstairs with Elsa close behind him. He’d showered and dressed in jeans, a black T-shirt, and scuffed leather Roper boots.
    Yesterday when