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“Get to it,princesa. I’ve got a beer at home with my name on it.”
He walked back out to his truck and got his tool kit, and grabbed the crib packaging out of the closet on his way back in. He couldn’t figure it out. Even after all of the crap she’d dumped on him, spending an evening working late with her was more appealing than relaxing at home alone. He shook his head at his own stupidity. But he went back in anyway and tore into the plastic wrapping. She already had her headphones back on and was swaying her hips as she meticulously added brush strokes to the wall.
She had a point about the design. Even though he’d cursed her while using the tile cutter, he could see that the floors looked nice. But they would have looked just as nice the normal way. He wished that she could respect his time and his work more than she did. Just because something looked better didn’t mean it was always worth the extra effort to be fussy.
He laid out the pieces of the crib and let his brain empty as he assembled. Slot A, Tab B. A couple of quick screws. If only a relationship with her was that easy.
Hours floated past as he completed first the crib, then the bookcase/window seat, and finally the changing table. He moved on to the master bedroom and built the headboard and bed frame, and the bedside tables. Buying everything in pieces was certainly cheaper, which he was positive was a motivating factor, but God, was it a pain in the ass. His eyes were crossing with exhaustion by the time he peeked back into the nursery to see how close she was to done.
Sofia sat on the drop cloth beneath her finished mural, head resting against the wall, fast asleep.
She had talent. He’d give her that. The image from the photograph had come alive on the wall through her paintbrush. Any little girl would feel inspired to read beneath it. He checked his watch and winced. He didn’t know if it was worth working until one in the morning for, but he was sure she thought it was. Slipping an arm beneath her legs and around her shoulders, he lifted her and carried her outside. About halfway to his truck, she roused enough to realize what was happening.
“Put me down.”
“It’s okay. I’ve got you. I’m going to drive you home.”
“I’m too heavy. Put me down. And I can drive myself home, thank you very much.”
“If you were too heavy I wouldn’t be carrying you. Stop saying that.”
She couldn’t argue with that logic, but that wasn’t going to slow her down.
“I’m still not getting in your truck. I can get myself home. Plus, I need to be back here early tomorrow.”
“You’re exhausted.”
“I’m fine.”
“Quit being stubborn.”
“Quit being an asshole.”
That stopped him in his tracks. Here he’d been trying to do something nice for her, and she was going to call him an asshole? He set her down on her feet and stepped back.
“You want to drive yourself home? Be my guest. I forgot. You don’t need or want to lean on anyone. You won’t have to worry about me forgetting again.”
Chapter 18
This was it.Her day of reckoning.
“Okay, is everyone ready?”
Sofia knew that her ideas were good, that their work was solid, but would Farha and Gautam agree? Would they love the house as much as she did?
Saturday had been a marathon of work, and yesterday had flown by in a blur of furniture and accessories for staging. She hadn’t had a chance to talk to Adrian at all. When she’d woken up in his arms, being carried effortlessly, she’d wanted to swoon. That kind of weakness was not allowed. She didn’t like the way she’d left things with him, but she couldn’t tell him that. So she’d spent another late evening arranging the Shahs’ keeper pieces and the new furniture in each room, while shoring up her defenses. She wanted everything to look perfect for the cameras, and she needed to feel a bit stronger before she talked to him again. He’d knocked off with his guys once the crew was done with the last-minute grouting and clean-up. She’d missed her opportunity, and now was not the time to regret it.
No fewer than four cameras were aimed at her and the Shahs, ready to catch the next thirty seconds from every angle. Not the best time for her to be angsting.
Jake gave her the thumbs up, and she turned to the couple holding hands and covering their eyes.
“Farha and Gautam, let me be the first to say, ‘Welcome home!’ Open your eyes!”
The simultaneous looks of shock and delight confirmed what she’d always known. This moment was what she worked for, and it was worth every hour of stress and trouble. The wide eyes and open mouths pleased her immensely. She began talking about the changes to give the lovely couple a chance to find their words.
“You can see that Enzo has removed the old scraggly shrubbery from in front of the house, so you can see the porch now. You’ve got some nice drought-resistant native plants that are hardy enough to survive our dry years and still bloom beautifully with a little care and attention. We also painted the exterior a light taupe for a brighter, fresher look.”
“It’s beautiful! Is that the same house?” Farha turned to look at the mailbox. “The numbers are right. This is our house!”
