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“Yes, apparently. And then there’s the rosebushes. I told her those were impossible.”
I nodded. “I could plant some but they wouldn’t be blooming. If you want them, though, I’m happy to do it for you.” I’d never actually planted roses, but I’m sure I could do it. I’d worry about that later. For now, I wanted to see the outside, do some measurements, and put a quote together.
She gestured toward the door. “Let’s do it.”
I’d like to.
Putting aside my filthy thoughts, I followed her out of her office, doing my best to keep my gaze from drifting to her shapely hips in those clingy slacks. This might prove to be a long job for more reasons than a simple gazebo. Keeping my thoughts from straying toward Jamie would not be easy.
6
JAMIE
We spent a good thirty minutes assessing the garden and doing measurements. I wasn’t sure exactly where the gazebo had been before I remodeled the original mansion and gardens. I’d chosen not to put anything out here. I preferred a tidy and sparse garden with manicured shrubs and a few benches. A gazebo had seemed outdated and trite for a modern inn. I wished now I’d had one built after the fire.
Goodness, would I ever stop construction on this piece of property? This had not been what I’d imagined when I dreamed of running my own inn.
Regardless, Darby and I did our best to figure out where everything had been. He was cute, all serious as he jotted down notes in a little pad he’d pulled out of his khakis. The button-up blue shirt paired with the tan pants suited him. He wore his glasses today, and the black frames gave him just a tinge of nerd, which also looked good on him. I’d always loved the way his mouth dimpled at the sides when he smiled. The earnestness in those dark eyes of his had made my stomach do another floppy dive. Darn it all. Why did he have to be so good-looking?
I also remembered the hard muscles hidden under his clothes. I’d felt every inch of them with my fingers that night. Stifling a shiver, I focused on what he was saying. Something to do with digging up the grass and pouring a cement foundation. Whatever. It didn’t matter. He knew what he was doing. “As long as you think you can do all this in three weeks, then do it however you need to.”
“What about your guests? Will it disturb them?” Darby asked, pushing his glasses farther up his nose. “I won’t be able to come until after school each day.” He stuck his thumbs through the belt loops of his pants, then seemed to realize what he’d done and took them out. His hands dangled awkwardly by his sides. Did I make him nervous? A fissure of pleasure ran through me at the idea. Maybe he liked me just a little and remembered our night together with the same yearning as me?No, no, I warned myself.Don’t even go there. I must stay focused on my inn.Getting distracted by a man was the very last thing I needed.
“To be honest, I don’t have many bookings this week.” I sighed, and the weariness made me feel heavy and discouraged. God only knew what I must look like. I hadn’t slept well for months and the smudges under my eyes proved it. “If I get any, I’ll have to give the guests a discount, I suppose, because of the noise.”
“You said the client’s paying for everything, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Build it into the costs then. I can include it on the proposal.”
“What a good idea.” I let out another sigh and my shoulders lifted to my ears. “This place is nothing but a money pit.”
“You’ve done an amazing job, though. The inside is stunning.”
“That was all my brother. Thank God for Trey. But I’m terrified I’m not going to make this work. We’re off to such a slow start, and I have so many bills.” Why I was confessing all this was beyond me. Really, I needed to learn to keep my mouth shut.
“I get it. Trust me. Maybe if we pull this off, your rich client will tell all her rich friends to come here?”
I smiled at the idea. “Let’s hope so.” For some reason, I didn’t want him to leave just yet. His presence was comforting and made me feel less alone. “You want something to drink or eat before you go?” Some voice in my head screamed,don’t go yet. “I have some wine opened.”
He smiled and shifted his gaze toward the windows of the great room where the grand piano gleamed in the late-afternoon sun. “That sounds really nice, but no, I have papers to grade and a proposal to put together tonight. I’ll email that over to you later so you’re not worried about it. After you and the client approve, we’ll get started as soon as possible.” He placed his fingers lightly on my shoulder. “Try not to worry, okay? We’ll make it work. And I promise not to gouge this rich client of yours.” He grinned and a hint of his playful side emerged. What was it like to have the weight of the world on you all the time, I wondered? Oh yes, that’s right. I knew exactly. We were two people trying to prove ourselves at every turn. We had that in common, among other things. Two English majors making their way in the world.
“You’re a lifesaver,” I said, meaning it. “Thank you.”
“I’m glad for the work. I keep trying to figure out a way to buy my own house, but expenses pile up one after the other.”
“I know the feeling,” I said.
Our gazes locked for a moment. An unwelcome flutter in my stomach followed. Not good. I had to keep my head. Apparently, my mouth wasn’t listening, because the next thing I knew, I was inviting him to dinner at my apartment. “I mean, if you want to pop by later and show me the proposal. Maisy’s taking the evening shift tonight so I can have an evening off.” I paused as a thought occurred to me. “Since my girls all fell in love, it’s lonely at the apartment. We used to have so much fun, didn’t we? And now everyone’s paired off and I’m…feeling left behind, I guess.”
“I’ve felt the same way since Breck and Huck moved on. We had some good parties and poker nights, and now I’m heating up that frozen pizza all alone watching reruns ofCastle.”
I laughed. “I loveCastle.”
“The weird thing is—I’ve seen them all but I can never recall who the murderer was, so they’re new every time.”
“I’m the same way.” I stared into his eyes, or rather fell into them, unable to look away. “But to your point, yeah, I hate eating alone now that Tiff moved out of the apartment building and Stormi is busy with Huck. We had a blast these last few years, but I guess that’s all over.” Why had I added that last part? God, I sounded pathetic.
