by Aurora Rey
Nora stared up at the ceiling. It was fine. It didn’t matter. It wasn’t like Will, or anyone else, knew what passed through her mind. And it had been ages since she’d felt compelled to take care of herself in that way. If anything, she should make a point of doing it more often. That way, it wouldn’t feel so significant.
Feeling like she’d settled things, she climbed out of bed. She needed to strip the bed, but that could wait until she’d had a cup of coffee. She caught a glimpse of her naked self in the mirror. And put on some clothes.
After coffee and breakfast, she got to work. She spent a couple of hours getting the suite and a second room ready for the guests she had coming in that afternoon, another hour at her desk paying bills and planning upcoming menus. By then, it was time to get ready for happy hour. With only four people staying, she opted for some goat cheese tarts that were a bit fussier than her usual fare. She put a bottle of Chardonnay on ice and set out a bottle of Syrah for anyone who wanted red.
Despite the self-imposed business, her mind had continued to wander to Will and to Will’s inexplicable hold on her imagination. The first couple arrived around four and the second shortly after. She got them situated with keys and information, then sent them to get settled and freshen up. She got a fire going in the sitting room and arranged the snacks and drinks on the table under the window. It didn’t take long for the room to fill with laughter and conversation. The two couples—both pairs of middle-aged lesbians—hit it off right away. Nora was happy to not be needed to keep the conversation going.
She almost accepted an invite to join the women for a walk down Commercial Street and dinner. But that was one boundary she liked to keep between herself and her guests. Holding on to it seemed important all of a sudden.
With the house momentarily empty, Nora made herself a light dinner and returned to her desk. Before turning to her computer, she picked up her phone and found a text message from Graham.
Miss you already. I might have to come for spring break. Have you talked to Will?
Nora drummed her fingers on the desk. Part of her wanted to wash her hands of Will altogether. But doing so felt like defeat. In addition to having Graham harangue her, she’d have to figure out how to do her remaining winter projects without help. On top of that, she had a nagging feeling that, when it came to Will, out of sight would not equal out of mind. She copied the number Graham had sent her into a new message. Graham tells me you might be interested in some additional work over the next couple of months.
She returned to her conversation with Graham, assuring her she had reached out to Will and would keep her posted. Before she hit send on that message, she had a reply from Will.
Absolutely. I have a few other projects, but my schedule is flexible. Let me know what works best for you.
Nora shook her head. Responsive and professional. That mattered far more than the way work pants hung on her hips or the way she always left Nora wondering whether or not they were flirting.
She arranged to meet Will late Monday morning. The inn would be empty for three days and they could decide what could be accomplished in the time they had. The exchange left her feeling almost giddy. In response, Nora pulled out a notebook to make a wish list of projects—shampooing the rugs, refinishing the stairs, and maybe even installing shelves in the linen closet. That, she told herself firmly, was something to be giddy about.
Chapter Eleven
Will was wide awake by five a.m. It seemed, even with nowhere to be until ten, her internal alarm clock remained consistent. It didn’t help that her mind was running six ways from Sunday with thoughts of Nora. Will was equal parts excited and nervous to see her. The fact that Graham would no longer be part of their interactions made her wonder. Would things between them be flirty? Or would they be awkward?
She needed to make a good enough impression that Nora would take her on. The coolness of their first few meetings had faded, but Will still didn’t know how to read what felt a lot like sexual chemistry between them. Not to mention the fact she remained unconvinced that Nora fully liked her. Yet.
Thinking about how to take their interactions to the next level occupied Will while she took a shower and considered her closet. She didn’t want to look like she was trying, but she did want to impress. She settled on gray pants and a maroon sweater with a plaid oxford underneath, then spent a little more time than usual on her hair. Not that it would survive the twenty-minute walk under a knit hat, but still.
When she emerged from her room, she found Kaylee standing in the kitchen with a cup of coffee. She was already dressed in scrubs for work. “Don’t you look fancy,” she said.
Will frowned. “Really? I was hoping for casually polished.”
Kaylee grinned. “That, too. Fancy is a relative term. I usually see you in jeans and flannel.”
“Okay.” That made her feel slightly better. “I think.”
“What’s the occasion?”
“I have a job interview. Well, sort of. You know that B&B Graham’s aunt owns?”
“Yeah. You did some work there before Christmas.”
“Graham went back to school last week, but her aunt asked if I might be interested in some other projects. I’m meeting her this morning to talk about it.”
“Cool.”
“So this isn’t too much?” Will moved her hand up and down to signal her outfit.
“Definitely not.”
Will didn’t mention her desire to look nice for Nora. “Thanks. So, you’re early shift today?”
Kaylee nodded. “All week, in fact. It’s so civilized.”
Will walked over to the coffeepot to pour herself a cup. “Nice.”
“I’ll make dinner tonight if you’ll be home.”
Will inhaled the aroma of the coffee before taking a sip. “If you’re making dinner, I’ll make a point of being home.”
“Requests?”
“Chef’s choice.” Will was a decent cook, but Kaylee had far more talent. Unfortunately, her schedule often prevented her from doing much with it.
Kaylee set her cup in the sink, then went to the rack by the door to pull on all her winter gear. “I’ll stop at the store after work.”
“And I will do the dishes and love you forever.”
“Good luck with the pseudo interview.” Kaylee opened the door. A gust of frigid air whipped in, along with a little bit of snow. “God, I hate winter. See you tonight.”
“Bye.” Will didn’t relish going out in that either, but at least she had a good reason. She refilled her coffee, then grabbed the last packet of Pop-Tarts from the cabinet. Kaylee had convinced her to give them up as a New Year’s resolution. Whether or not she kept it remained to be seen, but Will made a point of savoring them in case they were in fact her last.
With time to kill before she needed to be at Nora’s, Will opened her laptop. She had no idea what kind of work Nora would have in mind, but it never hurt to go in with some ideas. Since Darcy had introduced her to Pinterest, it was now her go-to for random ideas. Even if Emerson made fun of her for it. She pinned a bar of hooks made out of old keys and another made from door knobs. She also searched for shelves and storage cubbies for closets and other small spaces. For some reason, she thought Nora would appreciate anything that made her life tidier.
That was one of the things about Nora she found most attractive. She loved how in control Nora seemed—of all aspects of her life. Will liked the order and wanted to be part of it. But she also wanted to muss her up a little, tempt Nora into being carefree. She wondered for the millionth time whether Nora could, in fact, be tempted.
When it was time to go, Will bundled into her heaviest coat. She added a hat and scarf, then pulled on her winter boots and a pair of gloves. She opened the door and blinked against the biting wind. Her thoughts echoed Kaylee’s comment. She hated winter.
* * *
Nora heard stomping on the porch and figured it must be Will. She headed to the front of the house and, sure enough, Wil
l was stepping over the threshold into the foyer. She took off her hat and shook her hair. “Good morning.”
“Good morning. I didn’t realize it was so bad out.”
“More wind than snow.” Will stuffed her hat and gloves into her coat pockets and bent over to untie her boots. “You don’t mind me in socks, do you?”
Nora appreciated that Will would take off her boots. “Of course not. Let me take your coat.”
“Thanks. And thanks for reaching out.”
Nora hung the coat. “I made fresh coffee and I’ve got some pastries leftover from earlier. Can I interest you in either?”
“Yes, but only if you promise not to judge me for eating two breakfasts.” Will flashed a smile that was more playful than concerned.
“Never.” Nora led the way to the dining room, ignoring that flush of warmth that had filled her cheeks. She poured two cups and gestured to the platter on the buffet. “Help yourself.”
Will put a Danish on a saucer and joined Nora at the table. “If I had this in the house every day, I’d weigh a thousand pounds.”
Nora smiled. “I indulge, but in moderation.”
Will quirked a brow. “Why do I get the feeling you’re talking about more than pastries?”
Okay, this definitely felt like flirtation. And heaven help her, she liked it. Nora swallowed. “A good rule to live by, I’d say.”
“Agreed.” Will’s eyes remained playful.
They needed to get down to business before she embarrassed herself. “So, there is one more room I’d love to get painted.”
Will pulled a tiny composition book from her pocket, along with a pen. She opened it to a blank page and jotted a few words. “Okay, that’s doable.”
“I’ve also been planning to refinish the stairs.”
Will nodded. “I’ll be honest, I haven’t done that before. I do know my way around a sander, though, and I’ve worked with both oil and water-based stains.”
“That’s good enough for me. I was around when the floors were last done. I didn’t do the work, but I asked a lot of questions for future reference.”
“Great. Anything else?”
“Do you build? I want to put some shelving in the laundry room and maybe a closet.”
Will’s eyes lit up. “It’s funny you should say that. I was looking at some storage solutions online this morning.”
“Storage solutions?”
Will shrugged sheepishly. “I worked at a big box store. I may have soaked up the lingo.”
“Right. Well, I’ve eyed some of those systems, but I never could justify the cost.”
“There are some really cool things you can put together yourself that are much less expensive.” Will took out her phone and, after a few taps, flashed the screen at Nora. “Things like this.”
The photo was of a linen closet, beautifully organized with shelves, dividers, and bins. “You can do that?”
“It’s a lot easier than it looks, especially if you install it directly into the closet.”
Nora imagined her hopelessly full linen closet upstairs. Part of the problem was that she kept too much in it, but the other was that she’d haphazardly crammed a small bookshelf into it to act as shelves, which resulted in a lot of wasted space. “I love it.”
“I hoped you would.”
Will had spent time thinking about her—her inn, at least—ahead of time. Nora turned that over in her mind, unsure of what to make of it. “It sounds like we’ve got more than enough work to get you started, then. Let’s talk payment.”
Will sat up a little straighter. “I’m happy to do it by the project or by the hour. Whatever you’re more comfortable with.”
She’d seen Will work enough to know that she didn’t dawdle. “Let’s say the hour, then. I’d rather things be done well than quickly.”
Will nodded. “Sounds good.”
“I still have guests most weekends, so weekdays are best for me. And we’ll have to plan so that most messes can be cleaned up or hidden by Friday afternoons. Does that work for you?”
“I’m doing a few things at The Flour Pot on Mondays when they’re closed, but that’s my only scheduled thing. I’ve also got some projects at Emerson’s place, but the timing there is flexible.”
For someone without steady employment for the off-season, Will came across as organized and hard-working. Again, Nora was struck with the notion she’d been too quick to judge her. “I’ll prioritize what I want done and we can tackle one thing at a time. When are you available to start?”
Will smiled. “How’s tomorrow?”
Again, Nora got the distinct feeling Will was flirting with her. And again, Nora had to admit, she rather liked it. Even if she didn’t really play along, it didn’t mean she had to shut Will down at every turn. There wasn’t any harm in that, was there? “Perfect.”
“I’m an early bird. What time is too early for you?”
Was that a challenge? “I’m up by five most days.”
“Same. How’s seven?” Will asked.
That was much earlier than she’d come when Graham was around. Interesting. “Fine by me. I’ll provide coffee, but I only have pastries when there are guests.”
“That’s probably for the best. My roommate is a nurse and has decided I need to start drinking smoothies.”
Nora laughed at that. She’d never joined the smoothie craze, but she understood it. “She probably has a point.”
“We’ll see. She said I could start without adding greens. I’m not even sure what she means by that.”
“I have a feeling you’ll find out.” Did Will always have this sense of humor? Nora found herself wondering again about Will’s age, among other things.
Will sighed dramatically, but gave Nora a look that said they were in on the joke together. “Anyway. While I’m here, do you want to show me the closet in question? I didn’t bring a tape measure, but if I see how big it is, I can give you an idea of what’s possible.”
“Only if you promise not to laugh at what I have rigged up in there now.”
“Your secrets are safe with me.”
Will managed to make the statement seem suggestive. Instead of fighting the flutter, Nora enjoyed it. “I have a measuring tape if you’d like.”
Will shook her head. “Let’s take a look at it for now. Since I’m painting first, I’ll have plenty of time to get exact measurements.”
Nora led the way upstairs to the tiny hall closet. She opened the door and stepped back so Will could see. “You can be honest. I can take it.”
“Oh, this isn’t bad at all. I was expecting chaos.”
Nora laughed, both relieved and charmed by Will’s comment. “It’s chaotic by my standards.”
“From what I can tell, you’ve got some exceedingly high standards.” Will looked at her in a way that made Nora think she wanted to kiss her.
Nora swallowed and took another step back. Surely, she was imagining things. She had to be. “So I’ve been told.”
Will continued to look at her. Nora would swear Will was staring directly at her mouth. “I admire a woman who isn’t afraid to know what she wants.”
Nora licked her lips. Her throat was suddenly parched. She needed to break this weird tension suddenly between them. Even if she was the only one who felt it, she was afraid something was about to happen. Something that would put a crack in the invisible boundary she needed to maintain. “I’m glad you don’t think I’m too fussy.” Nora turned and walked down the hall and down the stairs. She figured Will would follow, but she didn’t trust herself to look back. The uneven creaking behind her confirmed it.
“Not at all. I think we’re good to go for now. I won’t take any more of your time today.”
Nora wondered if Will was in a hurry to leave or if she sensed the weird chemistry suddenly in the air. She walked Will to the door. “Thanks again for coming out in such bad weather.”
“If I stayed home when it snowed, I wouldn’t venture out until April. Or so peop
le keep telling me.”
“You have a point. Nonetheless, I appreciate it.” There. That was nice, normal conversation.
Will finished lacing her boots and stood. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I’ll look forward to it.” It was the kind of thing she’d say anyway, but she meant it. Really meant it. She barely resisted shaking her head.
“Same here.”
Will left and Nora remained standing in the front hall. What exactly had she just gotten herself into? She squared her shoulders. Nothing, or at least nothing more than she’d agreed to. It would be nice to have some projects done that didn’t involve a whole crew or a massive drain on her savings. Her attraction to Will didn’t have to change anything. Especially since Will would never know.
Nora considered going upstairs to prep the room about to be painted. Will could do it, but the less prep she had, the sooner she would finish and be able to start on other things. Since Nora was especially excited about the other things, she headed upstairs to get to work.
Chapter Twelve
Will stepped off the ladder and surveyed her progress. She’d finished installing the braces for the inset shelves in the linen closet, but had decided to put a coat of white paint on everything before installing the actual shelves. Not a necessary step, but combined with the LED light she’d put above the door, the closet would feel bright and clean in addition to organized.
When she heard Nora on the stairs, she glanced at her watch and smiled. 12:30 on the dot. Time for lunch.
She didn’t want to assume Nora would offer her lunch every day, but she was getting to the point of wondering why she bothered to stuff protein bars and apples in her bag each morning. She also didn’t want to assume those lunches signified anything, but she had a hard time not reading meaning into their increasing number of shared meals. At the very least, they were getting to know one another better. Will hoped it might be more than that.
Although Nora didn’t seem inclined to share many details of her personal life, she had opened up more than in the beginning. By the same token, the more she learned about Will, the less intent she seemed on maintaining a cool facade. That mattered. Will hated the idea of people disliking her. She went out of her way to be nice. But Will also had bigger plans. Well, if not plans, hopes. Despite assuring Emerson she wouldn’t get in over her head, Will held onto a hope that she and Nora might have something more. Nora might not see it yet, but if she was growing to like Will, that certainly improved Will’s chances.