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She felt stung. “I’m plenty romantic! I’ve been married three times, haven’t I?”
“I just meant...” He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “You’re Miss Practicality. You’re the no-nonsense Lady in Charge. The idea of you trying to set up young lovebirds is...” He rolled his eyes. “You know what? Never mind. There’s no way for me to say it without it sounding bad, and I don’t mean it that way. I was teasing.” He turned the truck into Zoey’s driveway. “Jesus—Rob sure had a thing for his so-calledart, didn’t he?”
She looked at the dozen or so metal figures scattered around the deep lawn. Some were recognizable as people, dragons or various animals. Some were just a jumble of wires, springs and pipes.
“Zoey wants to move most of them out of the yard so it doesn’t look so...overwhelming. Some of the neighbors are giving her grief about it being an eyesore.”
“That’s dumb.” Gordy gestured at the yard. “I think it looks cool—like a sculpture park or something.”
Vickie thought about that. Was there a place in town where they couldcreatea sculpture park? Would anyone want one? It might be worth bringing up at the next festival committee meeting. Rendezvous Falls was known as much for its monthly festivals as it was for their Victorian homes. Maybe they could tie a local sculpture park idea into the art show that happened alongside the Summerfest in August.
“Oh, good, we’ve got able-bodied help,” Gordy said.
Mike was standing on the front porch. He didn’t need to hide his presence at Zoey’s place any longer—at least not when Hazel was at her dad’s. Vickie needed to talk to Zoey about that. Secrets were rarely a good idea.
She glanced over at Gordy as he backed the truck up to the front porch. It wasn’t fair to think that about Zoey, since Vickie was keeping her own relationship private. This trip to deliver a bed was the closest they’d been to going anywhere publicly as a couple. He’d invited her out to dinner, but she always came up with an excuse not to go.
Zoey came out the front door as Mike guided Gordy to back the truck up to the steps. This way they could go straight in and up the stairs to Hazel’s room. As the two men got to work untying the ropes and moving the bed, the woman sat on the porch to watch.
“It was nice of Gordy to volunteer his time and truck on Father’s Day,” Zoey said, watching Mike climb up into the bed of the truck.
“I told him I needed a hand with this and he offered.” Gordy slid the headboard toward Mike. “He had brunch with his son’s family earlier today, so he was free. He’ll see the Vermont son on the Fourth of July—he was at some art show in Maine this weekend but they had a video chat this morning.”
Zoey gave her a funny look. “That’s a lot of personal information for you to have on your contractor.”
Vickie bristled, annoyed with herself that she’d let all those details slip out. “He’s at my house constantly. We talk. Don’t make a big deal out of it.” Before Zoey could answer, Vickie nodded toward the guys. “You’d better get the door for them and tell them where to put the bed.”
They all got upstairs with the headboard and footboard intact, but it wasn’t easy. The headboard was over seven feet tall, and even though the old house had high ceilings, the stairway was steep and had a turn at the landing halfway up. Zoey and Gordy had the lower portion, while Mike led the way, holding the top. Vickie followed, offering suggestions at first, but stopping after the third flat look she got from Gordy.Fine. She had no idea how to move furniture. There was no harm in admitting it.
Hazel’s room looked amazing. The dramatic black ceiling sparkled in the light from the small chandelier hanging in the center. The pink walls softened the drama of all that black.
Gordy and Zoey put the bed together. They were the handy ones, and Mike and Vickie were smart enough to stay out of their way. Mike nudged Vickie’s arm, his voice low.
“Gordy’s a good guy. Are you two...?”
“No... I mean...well...” She made a face, dropping to a near whisper. “We’re...friends. How did you put it earlier? With benefits?”
Mike gaped for a moment, then recovered and smiled softly in Zoey’s direction as she swore at a bolt that refused to tighten properly. He looked back to Vickie, and she was surprised at the troubled look in his eyes.
“Be careful about labels, Vickie. They can be traps, especially if one of you decides they want more than just casualbenefits. That they don’t want to sneak around anymore. If you’re in a relationship, own it. Don’t hide it.”
She touched his arm. “You want more from Zoey?”
He hesitated again, then nodded.
“And she doesn’t?” That surprised Vickie. Zoey wasn’t the casual sort when it came to relationships, friendship or otherwise. She was an all-in type.
“I don’t know. I don’t think so. She always brings up Hazel, and that stops the conversation cold.”
“For who? You or Zoey?”
He chewed his lip for a moment. “I thinksheuses it to stop the talking, and I don’t push past it. So...both?”
“Hey, Mike?” Gordy called. “I think we have this thing assembled. Can you help me get the box springs and mattress onto the frame?”
He excused himself from Vickie and went to help finish the bed. Zoey directed them where to place it, and the four of them stood together, admiring the finished product.
Vickie had tacked glittery trim along the edges of the headboard and footboard, and glued big rhinestones over the buttons anchoring the quilted upholstery. It didn’t look like a “little girl”bed. It was more of a sparkly grown-up one.
