by Jill Sanders
“My aunt’s latest.” He set it down.
“Can I see?”
“Go ahead,” he told her as he hung his jacket. She gasped when she pulled back the paper.
“It’s beautiful and perfect for your office.”
“I thought so too.” He picked up the painting. “Shall we go see?”
“You’re going to be happily surprised. Everything was delivered today.” She started towards the office, and he noticed that she had hung a few other paintings in the long hallway. They were large framed photographs of the beach, four of them, one for each season of the year.
They stopped at the dining room and she opened the French doors to show him the new table and chairs, along with the matching hutch.
“I’ll hang all the curtains and blinds last,” she said, motioning to the empty windows. “I haven’t found the right art for in here yet.” She frowned.
“I’m sure you will. It looks amazing,” he added.
“I still need to find a few pieces for the living room, too.” She walked through to the larger room and he followed her.
There was now a chair that matched his sofa. “How did you…” He shook his head. “It’s a perfect match.” He walked around the chair, then sat in it. “How did you find this? I looked once and couldn’t find anything that matched it.”
She smiled. “I have my ways.”
His eyes narrowed at her. “You’re good.” He stood up and noticed the other furniture around the room.
“If I was really good, I would have found a loveseat as well.”
He chuckled and walked over to wrap his arms around her. “I’m happy with the chair.” He leaned down and kissed her. “Show me everything.”
As she walked him around the house, he realized that the main floor was already feeling like a home.
Then they stepped into his office and, in awe, he dropped her hand.
“Is that my grandfather’s desk?” he asked, running his hand over the smooth wood that had once sat in the home office of Uncle Iian’s house.
“It is. Riley arranged for it. She cleaned it up some, fixed a stray drawer that she claims you broke when you were ten.”
He chuckled, remembering when he’d tried to hide in the large drawer during a game of hide and seek.
He sat in the high back leather chair behind it and laid both of his hands on the wood. His eyes met hers and he felt the burn behind them. “Thank you.”
She moved over behind the desk and leaned down to kiss him. “I guess I earned that double salary,” she joked.
Before she could move away, he pulled her into his lap and took her lips.
Over the next few days, they fell into a comfortable pattern. Each day when he came home, he found more of the house had been turned magically into a home. Area rugs made the hardwood floors softer and added hints of color; pictures or paintings were hung on the freshly painted walls.
When Friday rolled around, he drove her over to his parents’ place and had the customary family dinner. Even though his parents had already technically met Blake before, she had still been nervous.
So, he’d calmed those nerves by taking a very long shower with her prior to getting dressed for the evening. She’d been so relaxed when they had walked in the front door, his father had given him a look that told him he knew what they’d been up to.
His mother had taken Blake aside and asked her if, once she was done with Matt’s house, she’d think about remodeling their guest room, which had at one point been his bedroom.
Blake had pulled out her phone and scheduled the week after New Year’s for the job. He made a mental note to talk to her about their future together. Now that he had her in his bed, he wanted to keep her there for as long as he could.
They’d spent the rest of that weekend in the master bedroom, peeling off the old wallpaper, prepping the walls, which were textured underneath, and painting them Amazing Gray.
His bedroom furniture had been delivered the following day so that by the middle of the week, they were all living in the finished room comfortably, Butters having settled in quickly.
Parker and his men had built the bay window seat and Blake had made the cushions herself, then added large pillows.
He convinced Blake to take some time out and join him at the official Pride Christmas tree lighting. They walked around, hand in hand, for the entire town to see. He introduced her to everyone they bumped into, people that he’d known all his life. She had been surprised that most everyone had heard of her already.
“Riley and Lilly.” He smiled and nodded to his cousins’ storefront. “I think they went into business so they could talk to everyone in town.” He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her.
They each had a tall hot chocolate, which had been handed out by the local fire department, as they waited for the main tree to be lit.
There was a s’mores station there as well. Three fire pits had been set up and the volunteer firemen helped the kids melt their marshmallows over the open flames.
They had arrived before sunset and had enjoyed dinner from his uncle’s restaurant. They had set up a booth and were grilling burgers and hot dogs.
As the crowd gathered around the tree in the center of the square, he pulled her close as snow started to fall. Everyone sighed and then cheered when the tree was finally lit.
“Is it always like this?” Blake asked him as she wrapped her arms round his waist.
“What?” He glanced down at her and watched a snowflake land on her cheek. Reaching up, he brushed it away.
“Magical.” She smiled.
He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her. “I’ve traveled all over the world, and I’ve never wanted to live anywhere else but here.”
She sighed and glanced around. He was surprised to see a tear slide down her cheek next. Again, using his finger, he wiped it away.
“What’s this for?” he asked, pulling her closer.
“Home.” Her eyes met his. “I’ve never really had one. Until now.” She reached up on her toes and kissed him.
The festivities didn’t end there. As the snow continued to fall and blanket the ground, they enjoyed a variety of songs sung by the school choir, which was made up of kids ranging in age from preschool to high school.
“Did you ever sing?” She nodded to the stage.
He smiled. “The Jordans have musical talent.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “My uncle and aunt and my father are by far the best. However, my youngest sister, Suzie, has a knock-out voice.” He sighed and glanced around, missing her. “She’s in Portland attending school. She’ll be home for Christmas, though, so you’ll get to meet her.” He saw her smile falter and knew she was thinking of her parents. “Have you talked to them yet?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I have, but not about this.” She sighed. “I suppose I’ll need to, so they can plan their trip.”
“I had my mother block out two cabins during the week, just in case.”
“You did?” She glanced up at him.
He nodded. “The largest one for your mother.” He smiled. “It’s closest to the water’s edge. Hopefully the view will make up for it not being in Aspen.”
When she continued to bite her bottom lip, he pulled her in and kissed her until they heard cheering around them, then he pulled back, laughing.
“What were we talking about?” she joked and hugged him.
“Come on, let’s go home,” he said next to her ear.
“I like the sound of that.” She followed him through the crowd and headed towards the Jeep.
Chapter 12
Over the next two weeks, Blake began work in the upstairs rooms. She still had the downstairs jungle bathroom to do, but since the men were using it as a work room, she had to put off doing it until the end.
Parker and his men had started revamping the bathrooms upstairs while she worked on the bedrooms. They had pulled out the old colored tubs, toilets, and sinks, and were replacing the cabinets. The old linoleu
m flooring was being replaced with tile.
She started in the room she had slept in that first week and figured she’d go from one side of the house to the next, ending in the nursery.
For each room upstairs, she’d picked soft beach colors. This first room was a sand color called Sea Salt. It was soft and neutral enough that she planned on added soft teal accents throughout the room.
It took her an entire day to finish the room, since she had to repaint all the trim and there was a lot of it on the two built-in bookshelves along the wall that overlooked the water.
She’d gotten used to working with Matt in the evenings in the kitchen, cooking dinner. The two of them almost danced around the new space. She had been impressed with his cooking skills. Then he’d baked a soufflé and her mind had officially been blown.
Lilly had called her and arranged to meet her the following day at Iian and Allison’s house to go through some of the old furniture that was stored in the barn there.
So, the following day, she donned her work clothes and climbed into Matt’s truck, since the roads were still covered with ice and snow from the day before. It was the first time she’d had to drive the beast. Not that her truck wasn’t a beast, but it wasn’t a dually.
Why did Matt need such a big truck anyway?
Then she edged her way down his slippery driveway and knew the answer. The truck held the muddy road like it was made for it.
By the time she parked behind Lilly’s car in the driveway by Iian’s massive house, she was almost convinced that it would be a smart business move to upgrade her truck.
Blake climbed out of the truck in the falling snow, and Lilly met her in the front doorway of the house.
“Morning,” she called out.
“Morning.” Lilly waved. “How about a cup of coffee before we head out to the barn?”
“I’d love one.” She walked up to the front door, taking in the house as she went. “Are all Jordan homes this impressive?”
Lilly chuckled. “My parents’ home is a little more modest. This was the house my great-grandfather built for his wife.”
“The artist?” she asked.
Lilly nodded. They stepped through the front door, and Blake itched to see more of the place. She didn’t want to sound like she was begging, so she took in everything she could as they made their way to the kitchen in the rear of the home. “I think my great-grandmother would be happy to know another artist lives here.”
They stepped into the kitchen, and Blake was surprised to see Allison sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee.
“Morning.” She looked up from her mug and smiled at her.
It still got to Blake, being in the same room as Allison Jordan. The woman was a legend.
“Morning. You have a beautiful home,” she said as Lilly handed her a cup of coffee.
“Thank you. I’m sure you’d be better at decorating than I’ve been.” She smiled. “I’m an artist, not an interior designer.” She chuckled. “Please, sit. Lilly was telling me you’re going to go through the stuff in the barn.”
“Yes, she told me it was okay to grab what I wanted for Matt’s home.”
“Yes, please.” Allison sighed. “Take what you want, take it all.” She chuckled. “It’s just sitting and growing moss and mold.”
“Not really,” Lilly corrected as she rolled her eyes.
“Do you know, I’ve feared the whole thing would catch fire someday and go up like that.” She snapped her fingers. “My husband’s prized horses are in the attached barn.”
“I’m sure we’ll take a few things off your hands,” Lilly said. “Ready?” She stood up and set her empty mug in the sink.
“Yes. Thank you, again,” she said to Allison before following Lilly outside.
They walked across a yard and turned the corner. There, next to a fenced paddock, stood a massive barn. Several horses were out grazing.
“Wow,” she said under her breath.
“Yeah.” Lilly chuckled. “The horses are in this side.” She motioned to the closest area. “Both my father and my uncle have horses here. There are four of them here now.” They stopped and gave attention to a caramel colored horse who rubbed its head against Lilly like a giant cat would. “We all grew up riding. This is Cracker, he’s my dad’s.” She turned and continued to talk as they walked around to the back of the barn, where there was a large sliding door.
Lilly slid it open. “What about Matt?” she asked.
“He has a horse in here too—Chuck.” Lilly smiled.
“He has a horse named Chuck?”
Lilly nodded and reached for a light switch. When the light flickered on, Blake gasped.
“I told you there’s a lot of good stuff in here,” Lilly said, standing back as Blake walked into the room.
“Wow.” She walked around and instantly saw several items that she could use for the house. “How do we do this?” She turned to Lilly. “I’ve got about half a dozen items I want already.”
Lilly laughed. “My instructions were to give you whatever you wanted for Matt’s place. If it needs my help for repair, I’m to charge you the same rate as before. Outside of that, if you want a piece for another client…”
“I want it all.” She sighed. “But for now, I’m focusing on Matt’s place.” She walked over and saw a small hutch. “This would go great in Matt’s parents’ place, sitting just inside the front door on the left. Painted a light cream.” She tilted her head seeing it clearly in her mind.
“Yes, it would,” Lilly said, standing beside her. “I’ll have my uncle Todd pull it out and prep it. Can you text me the color you were thinking of?”
Blake nodded as she walked over to a large barn door that was propped up on the wall.
“I want this.” She nodded. “Painted a bright teal.” She smiled. “I was looking to replace the bathroom door in the bedroom upstairs. I could put this on a sliding bar so that it sat open against the wall.”
“I’ve seen those on Pinterest,” Lilly remarked. “I haven’t seen one in person, but they always look amazing.” Lilly put a bright pink sticky on the door. “That’s so my dad and brothers know what to get and take to my shop.”
They walked around, and Blake picked out a few more items—some end tables, two dressers for the rooms upstairs.
There was a large desk that, with Lilly’s talents, she wanted to turn into a makeshift bar for the upstairs room, which she was planning on turning into a recreation room of sorts.
There was a beautiful old kitchen table with wood planks for the top, which needed sanding and restaining.
“Do you want me to repaint the bottom white?” Lilly asked.
“No, leave it, just clean it. I like the worn look.” she answered.
“Doesn’t Matt already have a kitchen table?” Lilly asked.
“Yes, I’m going to put it up in one of the rooms as a desk.” She thought about it. “It’s smaller in size and should be perfect under the large picture window in the earth room.”
“Earth room?” Lilly asked.
Blake laughed. “Sorry, there are four rooms upstairs.” She counted off on her fingers. “Sand, water, earth, sky.”
“Basic elements.” Lilly nodded. “I get it. Great idea.”
Blake walked over to two windows. “These two I can envision as a coffee table.”
Lilly stood beside her and tilted her head. “These two as the glass top?” Blake nodded in agreement. “I’d need to put some stronger glass in here, maybe even thick plastic sheets. They’re white washed, we’ll keep them like that. Build the box with…” Lilly looked around and walked over to pick up a plank of wood the same color. “With these. There should be enough to build the outside box, then…” She glanced around again. “Where are they, I saw them in here last time…” Lilly moved around, pulling back doors and windows, until she finally found it. “Aha, here they are. These cedar planks are perfect for underneath the glass. Contrast.”
She smiled and set a l
onger plank by the white-washed window. Blake instantly liked the contrast of the two woods, bright cedar against worn white-washed wood.
“We could go into business making furniture,” Lilly joked.
“Not a bad idea.” Blake smiled. “With your talent for putting thing together.”
“Don’t discount your talent for seeing possibilities.” She smiled.
More than an hour later, Blake walked out of the barn with a few smaller items. In one hand, she had an iron lamp base. Lilly was going to add a clear blue glass jar as the base and a new white shade. In the other hand she had a box of small picture frames that needed some work.
Lilly dragged out an old iron headboard.
“I’ll come back for that,” she turned and told her.
“I’ll get the footboard. We will both need to carry the headboard together,” Lilly answered.
“This is going to go perfectly in one of the rooms,” Blake told her. “I just need to order the base of the bed now.”
“This used to be my mother’s bed.” Lilly smiled.
“It must be nice, living so close to your family, being so close.”
Lilly smiled. “It can be. It’s kind of hard when you want to keep to yourself.”
“Matt told me you’re going to have a house built by your parents’ place?”
Lilly laughed. “Near, not by. We all got sections of Jordan land. Mine is attached to my parents’ land, but still there’s almost five acres between us.”
“How nice. Do you have an architect?” she asked.
“Yes, my family friend’s daughter, Rose. She’s working on it as we speak. We met with her, gave her an idea of what we wanted. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with.” She put the lamp into Lilly’s car then turned to help her with the heavy footboard.
“If you need help designing the inside—” She stopped when Lilly laughed.
“You’re hired. I can’t wait to see what you’re doing to Matt’s place. We’re all excited to come over for Christmas. Matt mentioned that your parents will be there?” Lilly asked as they put the footboard of the bed into the back of Matt’s truck.
Blake felt her stomach roll at the thought of asking them.
