Page 8 of Written with Love

Chapter Three

Juliette had never seen Pride the way she was looking at it now. About the only thing that could make the evening more magical was if Max kissed her.

Seeing the bandage on his forehead again had her realizing that probably wasn’t going to happen.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been up this high.” She turned towards him.

He was standing close to her, watching her instead of looking at the view outside the window.

“If it was a warmer night, we could go outside. But I think it’s a little too windy right now,” he said.

She could hear the wind outside the glass and the waves crashing far below them. She even smelled the salt water in the cool breeze.

“I’m fine just looking out the windows for now.” She turned after the light passed them. “So this is all automated?” She turned back around before the light hit them again.

“Yup.” He nodded as he glanced out over the Pacific. “Can you imagine having to turn this bad boy on or light it each night with a flame like they had to do in the past?”

“I bet a lot has changed since they stood here.” She sighed.

“The town is probably a lot bigger now.” He motioned to the lights in the distance.

She chuckled. “How did they manage without internet?” She shook her head.

“No television,” he pointed out.

“Right.” She snapped her fingers. “You’d be out of a job.” She turned and tilted her head as she looked at him.

“I’d have to revert to my first job,” he joked.

“Which was?” she asked, curious.

“Busing tables. Half of my paycheck used to go to paying back for all the broken dishes.” He leaned a little bit closer to her. “I’m a bit of a klutz.”

“Noooo.” She dragged the word out. “I wouldn’t have thought.” She smiled and touched his forehead. “What about your writing?” He shrugged and didn’t respond. “How are you doing?” she asked, concerned.

“The stairs caused my heart to pound, which of course is sending blood pumping to my head. It feels sort of like I have a huge melon up here.” He smiled at her and suddenly she knew exactly what he meant. Her own heart was racing, making her head spin, but it wasn’t from the climb. It was from how close Max was and the way his eyes slowly locked with hers.

He turned back around after a slight silence and said. “How about we head down? I’m feeling a little dizzy.”

“Oh, sure.” She took his arm as they started down the spiral staircase, guiding him and taking in the details of the place as they went. “You know, I bet it would be a pretty popular project if you filmed the remodel of this place. You know, make it into a thing,” she suggested.

“I had planned on it,” he admitted. “Then, well, things just got so… big.” He shrugged.

“I could help you, maybe, on my time off?” she offered.

He glanced at her. “You’d do that?”

She chuckled. “Yeah, if it meant I’d get a front-row seat to watching the work around here and seeing what you have planned.”

“Deal,” he said eagerly, leaning on her a little more. She could tell he was really tired now. His eyes were droopy, and he looked a little paler than before.

She’d enjoyed working in the older kitchen earlier and could already see some of his vision for the place. Most of the cupboards were bare and several had already been removed from the walls. The appliances were older and she assumed they’d be replaced. He had the kitchen table and two chairs pushed up against the wall, and the large dining room sat empty.

The living room only had a sofa, which sat in the middle of the floor close to the fireplace, and a television on a low stand in the corner. She wondered if the rest of the home was as empty.

She really wanted that tour but knew that he was tired. Just looking at him, anyone would be able to tell he was hurting.

“Oh,” she said once they reached the last landing, “we forgot your medication.”