Connor looked down at the base of the scaffolding to see Ellie wrapped in a heavy coat and scarf. She smiled at him, but behind that smile he could see the unappeased frustration that matched his own. Damn Viola and her phone calls.
“It’s seven thirty in the morning,” he replied, suddenly realizing his grip on the worker was unnecessary because of the safety harness strapped to his upper body. He released the man. “Sorry.”
“No problem, sir. We got the all clear, so we assumed it was,” the worker said in an apologetic tone.
Connor looked past him to Ellie. “You couldn’t have waited another half hour?”
“Seattle city code states workers can begin residential construction at seven in the morning. We’re on a tight timeline, remember?”
She was right. Yet that didn’t make him any less frustrated or tired after spending yet another night at his lab after Ellie had gone to bed. He drew in a breath, hoping it would kick-start his brain.
The day was clear and cold. But at least the rain had stopped. If they were going to finish the renovation on time, they had to work quickly on the exterior of the house. “Why are the workers back here changing out the window frames so early?” he asked, pulling on a shirt.
The corners of Ellie’s mouth tipped up. “The new windows will be here in about an hour. In order to be ready for them, the old, leaky, broken ones have to come out. The frames and all the wood with dry rot must be repaired.”
“Sounds like you’re on top of things,” he conceded. There was no way he’d be able to go back to sleep now even though he’d been up half the night. He might have been at work, but his thoughts had all been on Ellie. “I’ll be down to help in a few minutes.”
“Don’t hurry on my account,” she replied. “I’ve got things under control.”
He quickly dressed, then met her outside, where she stood directing the workmen. He had to admit—she did have everything under control. Two crews of two men each scaled the scaffolding near the back windows, each rigged with safety gear. Two more men sent up supplies or gathered the rotten wood pieces into bundles so they could be hauled away.
“Great work, guys. You’ll be done in no time,” Ellie encouraged before stepping back with a satisfied look.
“Seems like you picked the right contractors for the job,” Connor said.
She startled at the compliment, as though surprised he’d noticed. “Thanks. It only took five years of working with contractors to figure out the best ways of dealing with them.”
“You worked with contractors as a wedding planner?”
“Events coordinator,” she clarified with a sigh. “Of course,” she continued. “When a bride has a vision of her wedding, there’s no changing her mind. If I couldn’t find a venue that fit the bill exactly, then I built it. This is a step beyond the plywood-and-duct-tape method of wedding venues.”
Connor looked around him. The work crews were happy, engaged, and definitely getting the job done. Her style seemed to be more one of motivation and praise than correction. Whatever magic she had was working on him as well. He was no longer tired, but eager to get started for the day. “I can keep an eye on the framing contractors if you want to go talk to the roofers. They arrived as I was coming back here. They’re setting up at the front of the house.”
“Thanks,” she replied. “These guys know what they’re doing, so you’re mostly hanging around watching. Since you’re co-foreman, they’ll know to ask you if they have questions.” With that, she disappeared around the side of the house.
By lunchtime, the windows had been put in and all the roofing materials were perched on various sections of the roof, waiting to be installed. The roofers had said they needed two days to replace the roof. If the weather held, they might be done early.
“Want to go with me on an errand?” Ellie asked Connor later that afternoon when she found him at the front of the house replacing the old, rotting handrails that marched up the stairs. She gripped the left-side railing and shook it. It held firm beneath her grasp. “Good job, Grayson. You can build cars and railings.” She graced him with a smile. “Who knew?”
That smile sent his heart thudding in his chest. “There’s a lot about me you don’t know.”
“Maybe we should rectify that.” The words seemed casual, yet he sensed they weren’t.
“I’d like that,” he replied. “Where are we going?”
“The paint store. We need to pick colors for the interior and exterior.”
“I’ll drive,” he said, heading toward his self-driving car.
“No.”
The word stopped him. He turned back toward her.
She gave him an apologetic look. “We only have an hour before the painters arrive. If you drive, it might take the whole hour to get there.”
He laughed as he changed directions, heading for her gold MINI Cooper parked on the street. “You aren’t the first person to tell me that. Don’t worry. My car can go a lot faster, just not on city streets. The new artificial intelligence we’re working on with Microtech will have us speeding along city streets just like all the other cars.”
“When that happens,” she said, getting into the driver’s seat, “then we’ll take your car. Until then, hop in.”
Connor folded himself into the passenger seat. “Your car is actually smaller than mine.”
“Yeah, but mine costs about a million dollars less.” She started the engine and merged into traffic.
More like sixty million, but he didn’t want to correct her. Continuing his research and development would be impossible without Microtech’s additional $1 billion in support.
Ellie drove through the city and down to the industrial area of Seattle to a commercial paint store located along Fourth Avenue. Once in the store, she headed for a long row of paint chips and started selecting various shades of pink. “The Historical Preservation documents made it clear that in order to honor Grayson House’s history we can’t change the color of the house. We’ll have to stick with the original colors of pink and white.”
“Who knew there were so many restrictions,” Connor said, studying all the pink paint chips in Ellie’s hand.
“When dealing with a city’s history and a dedicated landmark, lots of other people can get involved. We’re lucky we aren’t really changing anything, only fixing things up, or we’d never get the house done on time.” Ellie moved on to the white paint chips.
He frowned. “Why don’t you simply pick a pink one and a white one, and we’ll call it good.”
Horror reflected on her face. “Are you kidding? This is a huge task, picking just the right shade of pink and white. The colors will look different in the sun, or when the sky is gray. We must pick exactly the right ones.”
Connor screwed up his face. “Really? They all look the same to me.”
He realized his mistake too late. She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him over to the paint-mixing counter nearby. She laid each chip down on the beige laminate surface. “This pink has a hint of brown in it. While this pink is more of a salmon color. This is a ballerina pink, while this one is a flamingo pink.”
Next she laid down the white paint chips. “All these whites are different as well. There are blue whites and gray whites and even whites with a hint of pink.”
She drew one of the pinks down in front of the others, then drew a white paint chip beside it. “Here are the paints that match—Chantilly Lace for the white and Light Coral Sunset for the pink.” She turned to him. “What do you think?”
“I think you don’t need my help,” he replied.
Surprise danced across her face. “Sure I do.” She gathered all the unused chips back up and handed them to him. “You get to put these away while I figure out the interior colors. It would be a big help. Please?”
Connor stared down at the chips in his hands. He thought about all the times he’d given similar menial tasks to his staff members in their robotics lab. He never realized how stark the words sounded w
ithout the addition of the “please” at the end. “It would be my pleasure. I might actually learn something about color.”
Twenty-five minutes later, all the paint chips were back in place, and Ellie had selected and ordered several other colors for the various rooms around the house. The delivery team would bring the paint to the house later that afternoon.
Back in her car, Ellie and Connor headed for Grayson House. “I know hanging out in paint stores is not your usual style. Thanks for coming.” She smiled apologetically.
He shrugged. “Paint stores aren’t my usual hangout, but look what I found.” He pulled a paint chip from his pocket.
“The color of the front room? Caliente red?” she asked, turning to look at him.
“I never imagined I’d care what color the next car we build would be, but I’m really excited about this color.”
She laughed. “Good heavens, what have I done?”
Connor grinned. “Created a monster, I suppose.” Impulsively, he reached over and brushed a loose lock of hair behind her ear. It was something a lover might do.
Her eyes flared with desire a heartbeat before she turned back to the road. “You’re not a monster. You’re my temporary husband.”
Her words made him feel a little dizzy. “Ellie,” he said. When she glanced his way, he gave her his most dazzling smile. “There are things in our lives that are temporary, but some things are also very real. I’ll show you just how real tonight.”
“What do you have planned?”
“I’m not going to spoil that surprise. When it’s time, you’ll see.”
While Connor and Ellie were out of the house, George pretended to be a worker and slipped inside. Impersonating someone else was as natural to him as breathing. What wasn’t so familiar was playing the role of matchmaker. What was taking Ellie and Connor so long to get together? Connor had found the sheet music about falling in love he’d left on his previous trip to the house and had acted on it by singing the song to Ellie. Ellie had no doubt found the flowers. What more was an Elvis to do besides serenade them himself?
George released a frustrated sigh. He’d try something else, one more time, before he’d give in to more drastic measures.
Without a doubt, he knew Ellie and Connor were attracted to each other. So what was holding them back from a true and lasting commitment? Silently, George crept up the stairs to Ellie’s bedroom. If flowers and music hadn’t worked, then maybe this next gift would.
Time was running short.
Viola needed a miracle, and by all that was holy, he and the rest of the team would give her one.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The sky grew dark early in the Pacific Northwest in October. By five o’clock, the roofers came down and packed up their trucks. The painters finished sanding and had started sealing the cracks and holes in the exterior wood. Before the first stars came out, both crews had headed home for the night. Ellie had never been more grateful.
Since they’d returned from the paint store, she’d thought of nothing but the evening she’d spend with Connor. They’d each gone to their respective rooms to change and would meet downstairs again at six o’clock.
He’d refused to tell her where he was taking her, which made it difficult to decide what to wear. Ten minutes and five outfits later, she finally settled on black leggings, a gray sweater with black lace trim, black pumps, and a red neck scarf.
Connor was in the foyer when she arrived. He was dressed in khaki pants and a crisp white shirt. Ellie’s eyes snagged on the vee of his shirt. It was open. Invitingly so.
She swallowed hard. Her gaze skidded up to his wet hair. He’d just showered. She could smell the light fragrance of soap mixed with Connor’s own scent. It was a heady combination. Desire flared, making her breathing speed up.
“Ready?” Connor asked as he flicked on a flashlight.
“Where are you taking me?”
He held out his other hand to her. “We’re going stargazing.”
She crinkled her nose. “What?”
“Come, you’ll see.”
Ellie furrowed her brow when she looked past Connor to the grandfather clock. The sheet was gone. The old man looked at her with a question in his eyes as though asking what the heck she was doing.
She had no idea, but she didn’t have to explain that to a clock. Turning her back on the old man, Ellie followed Connor up three flights of stairs to the attic. Once there, he dropped her hand and moved to the window. He set the flashlight so the beam shone back into the room; then he stepped out on the scaffolding.
“Where are you going?” Ellie moved toward the window.
He vanished. A moment later she heard a crinkling sound overhead as the blue tarp that lay across the roof was drawn back. Connor’s head was visible through the three-foot hole. “The roofers aren’t done, and they left us a wonderful spot to gaze at the night sky.”
“What about rain?”
“The forecast calls for clear skies. But it will be cold as a result.” Another moment passed, and he joined her once more in the attic, shutting the window behind him. From the corner of the room he picked up a blanket and handed it to Ellie. “You might need this. The heat is off in this room until the roof is sealed again.”
The crispness of the night wrapped around them. The slivered moon hung high in the night sky, a scythe of gold. Grateful, she accepted the thick fleece blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders while he lit two candles on a side table. Soft, yellow-gold light dispelled the darkness.
“Aren’t there any lights up here?” she asked.
“We don’t want lights. They’ll overpower the view of the stars. These candles will provide all the light we need.” The warmth in Connor’s gaze sent a shiver skittering along her flesh.
She looked up through the hole in the ceiling. The stars overhead glittered like diamonds. “I never realized you could see so many stars here in the city.”
“We’re far enough away from downtown that we get a fairly decent view. Magical, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” she replied, slightly breathless.
“Can you find the Big Dipper, also known as Ursa Major?”
“I remember something about the North Polar Star.”
“The North Star is part of the Little Dipper, or Ursa Minor.” He came behind her and pointed toward the night sky. “It looks like a bowl and a handle. Depending on the season of the year, the Big Dipper can be found in different places in the northern sky. Just remember, spring up and fall down. On spring and summer evenings, the Big Dipper shines highest in the sky. On autumn and winter evenings, it lurks close to the horizon.”
“I see it now,” she said, focusing on the horizon. With satisfaction, she turned to him. “I’ve looked up at the stars all my life without really seeing any of the constellations. Will you teach me more?”
“Anytime.”
He took her hand and led her to a small table he’d obviously brought up for the two of them. On the table was a pizza box, a bottle of wine, and two wineglasses. “Dinner?”
He pulled out a chair for her to sit. Moving to his chair, he reached for the box, opened it, and turned it her way. “Only the finest for you.”
He’d ordered black-olive pizza. Her favorite. A part of her delighted in the fact he’d remembered some small detail from their past. She accepted a slice while he opened the bottle of Chianti and poured them each a glass.
“So you wanted to get to know me better. I promise to answer any question you ask me tonight.” He raised his glass for a toast.
She met his glass, took a sip, then set her wine back down, studying his face. He had soft crinkles in his skin near his eyes as he smiled at her. He smiled a lot. She’d always liked that about him. She liked a lot of things about him, as she’d been reminded over the past few days. “Anything at all?”
“Anything. Even if it’s about the past.”
She drew a breath and forged ahead. “If Viola has so much money, why were you so desperat
e to get a scholarship back in high school?”
He set his glass down and settled back in his chair. “I don’t know much about Viola’s finances, but I don’t think she had access to her money until she turned seventy-two years old. That’s when her annuities forced her to start taking withdrawals.
“When I was in high school, she had enough money to get by in this house, but not much more. She didn’t have the funds to pay for college, and neither did my father. So when Harvard, Purdue, and Berkeley all wanted to talk about scholarships, I couldn’t turn them down.
“I ended up picking Harvard, which offered a full-tuition scholarship for my undergraduate studies.”
“That’s quite an achievement,” Ellie said, suddenly understanding the situation from his perspective. She’d wanted a date. He’d wanted a future. “I was unfair to you about the interviews. I see that now. Harvard was your dream.”
Age and distance have a way of making some things clearer. Thinking about how to proceed, she studied the tiny dust particles that danced in the moonbeams overhead. “I didn’t ever mean to come between you and your dreams. You’re going to change the world with your self- driving car, Connor. Maybe what happened that night was for the best. Otherwise we both wouldn’t be where we are now—you with your car, me with my events business.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Seems only fair,” she replied. “What do you want to know?”
“Is that why you became an event planner? So you’d be in charge and no longer waiting around for people to disappoint you?”
She drew back. “Wow. You don’t pull any punches, do you?”
He shrugged. “It’s just an observation.”
And a little too close to the truth for her liking. Ellie laughed, the sound hard and brittle. “I do what I do to help others’ dreams come true.” She kept her head up despite the heaviness in her chest.
He tightened his fingers around hers. “I know we’ve gone about this whole relationship wrong, but can we be friends, now and after this is over?”
Ellie glanced down at the diamond ring on her finger. “Friends?” Could she be friends with a man she lived with, was married to, and wanted to have sex with? “We can try,” she said past the thick lump in her throat.
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