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He managed to hide his amusement at her choice of words.
Mandy jumped down beside her and immediately grabbed Zoe’s hand, pulling her up the porch steps and into their house.
The floor plan was open, bright, and cheerful by design. He’d built in several cabinets and renovated the space extensively over the years.
His elderly uncle had tried to talk him into the property for months and he finally agreed to take a look. Nate fell in love with the place from the moment he saw it. The house sat on almost a thousand acres and languished on the market for more than a decade before Nate bought it.
As soon as he signed the contracts, he made a list of projects in order of priority. Neglected and abandoned for so long, there was a lot to be done. It excited him to do it.
The house and surrounding acreage looked vastly different than it had that first day. He’d seen the good bones despite the dilapidation and brought it back to what he knew it could be.
Zoe tried to look everywhere at once. “This is a very old home, isn’t it?” He nodded. “You’ve updated it without losing the original history and charm. It’s truly beautiful.”
Pride infused him and Mandy murmured secretly, “Shelovesthe house, Dad. Check.” Smiling at a woman who wasn’t much taller than her, his daughter said, “We have to take you on a tour first!”
Starting on the second floor, Mandy showed Zoe every inch of the home they both loved. He was surprised and pleased at her questions about the bannister he’d recreated, window seats he’d refinished, and storage he’d built in.
The tour slowed down in Mandy’s room and he leaned in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.
Eventually, they made it downstairs and Mandy took her straight into the master bedroom. “Dad put in a whole new bathroom! He busted out the wall of what used to be the front parlor to give him more space to work with. Isn’t it pretty?”
Zoe maintained a steady blush as she took in his bedroom. “It’s lovely. There are so many windows.”
Pulling her out of the room, Mandy explained, “We have great views so Dad wanted to make sure we could see them. This is his home office. It’s straight out of a classic novel!”
Smiling at the heavy oak furniture and deep earth tones, Zoe nodded. “Very masculine.” She glanced up. “This space fits you.”
“I saved the best part for last. You won’t believe it.” Practically running past the living room and formal dining room, Mandy said over her shoulder, “You know what all these are. Not so interesting.”
Passing through the kitchen he’d completely gutted, Zoe’s jaw dropped as she took in the bright cabinets with glass fronts and restaurant appliances.
“Kitchen. Laundry room. Another bathroom. Boring.” His daughter pushed open the door to what used to be a guest room. “Look, Zoe!”
The lovely brunette stood in the threshold and stared at the room Nate created for Mandy at his mom’s insistence when his daughter was four.
She’d told him, “Amanda is so bright, son. Already reading at barely three. I know you’re not as interested in books but she’s going to be. The more you give her, the more she’ll love them. Foster her love of reading and you’ll show her how fascinating the world can be, Nate.”
Here they were, almost a decade later, and Mandy’s love of books had connected her to a woman whose life centered around them.
Zoe didn’t move for almost a minute. Swallowing, she signed, “You built her a library.” She turned to look at him. “You created a library for your daughter.”
Mandy moved in front of her. “My grandmother loves books like we do, Zoe. She told Dad it would be good for me and he listened. I still have lots of empty space but I have one whole shelf dedicated to the books you’ve introduced me to. See?”
From shelf to shelf, they explored and discussed various literature everyone who knew Mandy had been gifting her since she was a toddler. Zoe’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears.
“Dad made me a place to do my homework. I only use it for big projects so I don’t leave my materials all over the place. I’ll show you. He’s really good at finding the right use for every room.”
“I agree.”
Holding Zoe’s hand, she led her through the French doors at one end of the room. Zoe’s eyes widened at the obvious pre-teen décor of pale pink walls and posters that was off-set by what appeared to be a functioning lab on the other side.
“This is your office, Mandy?” She nodded happily. Looking up at Nate, Zoe signed, “You gave her a dedicated space to study.”
He shrugged. “I did fine in school but I wasn’t driven the way Mandy is. I wanted her to have quiet and privacy where she wasn’t distracted by television or me being annoying.”
“That’s incredible.” Taking a deep breath, she signed, “Everything is beautiful, Nate. I love your home.”
If the two of them were lucky, one day this home would be Zoe’s, too.
