The Way Home

by Eliana West

  “I’m going to restore it back to its original state.”

  “And then what? What are you going to do with it after that?”

  Taylor hesitated. He wasn’t about to admit to Josephine or anyone else that he hadn’t figured that out yet.

  Jo squared her shoulders. “I thought so.”

  “You still haven’t said what you’re going to do with it.”

  “Live in it.”

  “And exactly what are you going to do to pay for its upkeep? Whatever job you have in Chicago I guarantee you’re probably not going to be able to make the same salary down here.”

  Jo took a sip of her tea, smiling at him over the rim of her cup. “I’m sorry but you’re not going to be able to use finances to get me to sell my share of the house. I hate to disappoint you, but my dad is an investment banker. He helped me buy my first stock when I turned eighteen. I work as a systems architect. Do you know how much systems architects make? I can work as an independent contractor from anywhere in the world, but Dax Ellis offered me a job at Ellis Technologies. I moved to Colton just over a week ago and I started my new job last week. I may not make the millions that you do, but I have enough to do what needs to be done.”

  Taylor felt his eyebrow twitch. Jo had planned ahead. She was thoughtful, deliberate and had already won over Tillie.

  “It’s not just about money. I’m the one who has the knowledge and experience to do the work that Halcyon needs. I’m sure you’ve seen my show so you know that I have the resources needed to make sure everything is historically accurate.”

  Jo shook her head. “Mr. Colton, you’ve made a lot of assumptions about me. The biggest ones are that I’ve seen your show and I’m a fan. But—” she held up her hand when he started to interrupt “—I would be happy to work with you on the restoration.”

  “Have you really never seen my show?”

  “No, I’ve never seen your show.”

  He shoved a piece of pie in his mouth but the buttery concoction offered him no comfort. Taylor didn’t think of himself as having a fragile ego but he found himself oddly disappointed that the woman sitting across from him, whose dark eyes flashed with derision, wasn’t familiar with his work. Most women wanted him to like them. Okay, so maybe his ego had gotten a bit overgrown from all of the attention over the last few years, he admitted to himself watching Jo frown at him from the other side of the table. He was good at winning people over, he just needed to act more agreeable and she’d see reason.

  “You’re right, I apologize. I shouldn’t make assumptions. The thing is I was hoping to film the next season of my show at Halcyon. If you were willing to allow that to happen I can guarantee that contributions from our sponsors will help offset some of the expenses.”

  Jo tilted her head. “I’m not interested in being on camera.”

  “You wouldn’t have to be.” Taylor tried to keep the eagerness out of his voice.

  She hadn’t refused outright. He took it as a good sign.

  “There’s a lot to be done before either of us can move in and I am the best person to make sure it gets done properly.”

  “How will you do that from LA?”

  His eye twitched again.

  “Everything all right here?” Tillie appeared at their table, coffee in hand.

  “Everything is fine.” Taylor glared at Jo.

  “Well, y’all are puttin’ on quite a show.”

  Taylor looked around and realized just about everyone in the café was leaning toward their table watching the two of them.

  “Thank you, Tillie.” Jo reached into her bag and pulled out her wallet. “Mr. Colton, perhaps we should continue this discussion outside.”

  “I’ll pay,” Taylor offered.

  “Yes, you will, for your share,” Jo said handing Tillie a five-dollar bill.

  “You know this is too much for a cup of tea.”

  Jo patted Tillie’s arm. “Put it on my tab for breakfast tomorrow.”

  Taylor put his money on the table and gave Tillie a quick peck on the cheek. “It’s good to be home,” he said following Jo out the door.

  As soon as they set foot onto the sidewalk Jo turned toward the Barton Building. The tallest building in town, the three-story former cotton trading office featured large arched windows on its brick façade. Instead of being papered over like they’d been the last time he was home, the windows sparkled in the afternoon sunlight reflecting the deep green and gold of the leaves in the trees across the street. Taylor admired the restoration work that had been done on the outside. It was good to see signs of progress no matter how few and far between.

  “After you left, Judge Beaumont let me know that we can pick up the keys from Grace in the mayor’s office. We might as well do a walk-through and see what needs to be done,” Jo said.

  Jo paused in front of the Barton Building. “I’m just going to run in and change. Do you want to meet me at Halcyon?”

  Dax Ellis waved to the two of them from the front window and then got up and poked his head out the door. “Hey, Taylor.” He looked between the two of them. “I heard what happened with Judge Beaumont today.”

  Taylor sighed. News traveled faster than lightning around here.

  “If you give me a minute, I’ll be right back.”

  “You seem to be handling this well,” Dax said after Jo left.

  “I’m still in shock.” Taylor ran his hand through his hair. “I assumed I’d be able to come back, start working on Halcyon and film the show. Now I’ve got to convince Jo that she has no business trying to take on restoring a mansion and convince her she should sell me her half.”

  “Just because she doesn’t have your experience doesn’t mean she’s not capable.”

  “That’s not the problem,” he said.

  “Okay, so what is your problem?”

  “Halcyon was always supposed to be mine.”

  Dax narrowed his eyes. “So, the problem is, you don’t want to share.”

  “You make me sound like I’m being childish. I know that house inside and out. She has no idea what it’s going to take to restore it.”

  “How do you know? You’re making an awful lot of assumptions don’t you think?”

  He rolled his shoulders, trying to shake off the tension that was growing every minute. It felt like a coordinated attack with Dax repeating almost the exact same thing Jo had said.

  “Nothing is going how I planned, I think I have the right to be a little frustrated right now,” he said.

  Jo came down the stairs before Dax could answer. She had changed into jeans cuffed above a pair of work boots and a long-sleeve T-shirt, in a shade of yellow that matched the leaves outside. Taylor watched her ponytail sway across her back, admiring the view as she bounced down the stairs toward them.

  He realized he’d been staring when Dax cleared his throat. Finding Jo attractive was just one more thing that wasn’t planned and a distraction he couldn’t afford. He’d waited a long time to prove to his parents and his brother wrong about Halcyon. His dad was a highly regarded surgeon and his mom a genetic scientist, and they didn’t believe being a TV host was a career that had any value. They often voiced their opinion that if Taylor worked for a prestigious architecture firm they would be happier with his career choice. Restoring the home that had been passed down for generations from top to bottom would be the biggest project he’d ever taken on and if he did it right his family would finally understand that what he did mattered.

  Jo shoved her hands in her back pockets. “You ready to go?”

  Taylor realized he wasn’t ready. He wasn’t as prepared as he thought he was for the months of work ahead. Most of all, he wasn’t ready for a woman like Jo. But years on TV had taught him a few tricks, including how to look like he was happy when he wasn’t.

  “Sure,” he said with a smile.

  Chapter Four

  After a quick stop back at town hall to pick up the keys at the mayor’s office. Jo followed Taylor to Halcyon.
>
  She took a shaky breath as they pulled into the long driveway. The judge’s decision rattled her as much as it did Taylor. But she would rather take half of Halcyon than lose it altogether. She shouldn’t have enjoyed ruffling Taylor’s feathers as much as she did but when he walked into the conference room so smug and self-assured she couldn’t help herself. It felt good to see the confident look fall from his face when the judge gave his ruling. She had lied at the café—she had seen his show. She may not be a big fan but just like the other women who were avid watchers of History Reborn she wasn’t immune to Taylor’s sparkling blue eyes and winning smile. She gripped the steering wheel tighter. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. The next man she trusted would have to bring much more than a handsome face and pretty words to the table. Maybe she didn’t know exactly what she was doing with a rundown plantation house but she knew what she was doing with her heart.

  She pulled in behind Taylor and got out of the car. He was pulling off his jacket and tie, unbuttoning his shirt and rolling up his sleeves. When he caught her staring his lips quirked. She jerked her gaze away from Taylor’s muscled forearms and started toward the house.

  “Careful on the veranda—some of these floorboards are rotten straight through,” Taylor warned.

  “I know,” Jo said.

  Taylor did a double take and then sighed. “I guess you’ve been here quite a few times.”

  “I have.”

  She’d been coming out to the house every day since she took the plunge and moved to Colton. After her first visit where she met Mae and her parents, Jo returned to Chicago and couldn’t stop thinking about the little town and the grand house that represented her past and her future. Her brother and sister looked at her like she had sprouted two heads when she made the announcement that she was moving at their family dinner. Her parents were concerned but supportive. Her mom connected her with Linda—one of her sorority sisters from college who specialized in estate law. She’d spent hours poring over finances with her dad and working on a budget. She might not be able to do the work as quickly as Taylor could with his connections and money but she could get the job done with the savings she had.

  He put the key in the lock and turned to her. “Are you ready?”

  Her whole body tingled down to her fingertips. Something told her once she set foot across the threshold her life would be forever changed.

  She inhaled a steadying breath and nodded.

  The large front door creaked slightly when Taylor pushed it open. Jo followed him in, peering through the dust mites and the light streaming through the window into the dimly lit entryway. A large staircase ran along one side of the hallway and there were two large arched openings on either side.

  “The dining room and kitchen are on this side,” Taylor said pointing to the left next to the staircase.

  Jo nodded. “I have a pretty good idea of the downstairs layout from looking through the windows.”

  “Where would you like to start?”

  “How about upstairs, and we can work our way down?”

  Jo followed Taylor, careful to step over some of the more dubious-looking stair treads. When they reached the second floor Taylor gestured toward the end of the hallway.

  “There’s another staircase that leads to the attic.”

  “Wow,” she said when she walked into the massive space that ran the length of the house. A large oval window at one end of the room created more shadows than light. Mountains of furniture covered with sheets were scattered around the room.

  “Careful.” Taylor grabbed her arm when she took a step deeper into the room. “The floorboards are even worse up here.”

  Jo looked down at where his hand held her arm. His grasp was firm and warmth spread from his hand up her arm. She hesitated, giving herself just a second to take in how safe his touch made her feel before pulling away.

  His eyes locked with hers for a heartbeat before he pulled out his phone and turned on the flashlight, sending a beam of light around the room. Taylor’s flashlight bounced off several trunks in one of the corners. They went back downstairs and toured the rooms on the second floor. There were six bedrooms. Each one had a large dressing room. A closet had been turned into the only bathroom on the floor.

  “Six bedrooms and only one bathroom—that’s not going to work,” she said.

  “I planned on turning the dressing rooms into bathrooms so each bedroom would have its own attached bathroom.”

  “Trading one bathroom for six? It makes sense but it’s a big undertaking.”

  “All of the plumbing for the house will have to be replaced anyway.”

  Jo sighed. “True.”

  The plumbing was just the beginning. Every time she visited the house she added another item to the growing list of repairs that were needed.

  “I’m glad you can see just how big this project is. That’s why—”

  Jo put her hand up. “Stop, don’t try to tell me how you’re the better person to have this house.”

  She turned on her heel and started walking out. Jo ignored the creaks and groans on the staircase as she made her way back downstairs.

  “Jo, wait,” Taylor called out.

  He started to follow her down the stairs muttering a curse when his foot went through one of the rotting treads.

  She stopped. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” he said poking his finger through a tear in his pants.

  “What do I have to do to make you understand I’m not selling my half of Halcyon? Like it or not we’re partners.”

  Taylor opened his mouth and then snapped it shut again. “Okay, you’re right.”

  They walked through what was once a large, grand dining room, and then a butler’s pantry on their way to the kitchen.

  Taylor rested his hands on his hips and sighed. “This is in worse condition than I expected.”

  “It didn’t seem like it would be useable when I looked through the window. I’m going to have to figure out some kind of temporary kitchen if I’m going to be living here.”

  “I think you meant to say if we are going to be living here.”

  Taylor smirked when Jo’s jaw dropped.

  “I…I thought you would just be working on the show.”

  Taylor shook his head, his smirk turning into a big smile. “I planned on living in the house during the restoration and filming.”

  Why hadn’t it occurred to her that Taylor might want to live in the house? Her confidence from before evaporated. Living in a rundown mansion by herself was intimidating enough. Living in it with Taylor Colton?

  “No, absolutely not,” she blurted out.

  Taylor folded his arms. “Fifty-fifty, remember?”

  “I haven’t had a roommate since college.”

  “I promise I’ll leave a sock on the doorknob.”

  Jo rolled her eyes. “This is serious—we have a lot to figure out. We don’t even have a kitchen.”

  “We can use the butler’s pantry as a temporary kitchen.”

  Jo followed Taylor back into the long narrow space that was bigger than many kitchens in an average Chicago apartment. Floor-to-ceiling cabinets lined one side, and there was a long counter with an opening to the kitchen on the other. A big porcelain sink that was covered in rust stains sat under a window at the end.

  She looked at the stained sink and the dips and grooves on the counter. “I suppose if we got rid of the sink and replaced the countertops we could make it work.”

  Taylor’s eyes grew wide. “This is Georgia blue granite.” He ran his hand over the thick piece of blue-gray stone. “That sink is Victorian. I can restore them; this is what I do.”

  Dammit, he was right. “I wasn’t thinking. Just because something is old doesn’t mean it can’t be restored.”

  He nodded and they continued their tour to look at the other bedrooms and the bathroom at the back of the house.

  “The housekeeper’s room is the biggest one back here. I thought y
ou might like to have that one,” Taylor offered.

  Jo looked into the bedroom with peeling paint on the ceiling and stained wallpaper. It was bigger than her room back in Chicago and that was the only good thing she could say about it.

  “Okay, thanks.”

  They both stopped in their tracks in the doorway of the bathroom.

  “We can’t move in without a working bathroom,” Jo said, looking around in dismay.

  “The floors are in good condition,” Taylor said crouching down to run his hand over the black and white hexagon penny tile. “The toilet and sink will need to be replaced.”

  “What about the tub?” she asked.

  “Are you kidding me? A claw-foot tub big enough to fit two.” A slow smile spread over his face. “We are definitely keeping this.”

  The way he was looking at her had her picturing the enormous claw-foot tub cleaned and filled with a hot bubble bath flashed in her mind. The next second she pictured Taylor joining her making her stomach flutter with butterflies.

  “A fresh coat of paint and we can make this work.”

  Taylor was talking to himself more than Jo, his eyes wandering around the room analyzing each detail. He stood with his hands on his hips, his tan muscled forearms exposed. He was handsome. She wasn’t going to pretend he wasn’t, but she was here for a fresh start not to ogle her new roommate.

  “It’s going to take at least a couple of weeks to get this work done isn’t it?” she asked.

  “I have a team of trades who are experienced with this kind of work. I’ll make arrangements to get them here as soon as possible.”

  “Wouldn’t it make more sense to use local trades? I want to support the community any way I can and that means using people from around here to do the work. Mae Colton already gave me the name of a plumber and an electrician. It will be easier for me to oversee the work that needs to be done until you get back from LA.”

  She could see that her statement hit home when Taylor’s smile fell.

  “I’m flying back to LA tonight and I’ll be back in a couple of days.”

  “While you’re gone I’ll call the plumber and electrician,” Jo said.