“Not for long.”
I groaned into the phone.
“I can tell you love it.”
“Maybe,” I told him, glancing at my signs. “But I’d better get some sleep so I can be on it tomorrow. My dad said something about Mary tonight.”
“He did?”
I nodded into the camera.
“What did he say?”
“Don’t let him be a Mary.”
Anthony furrowed his brows and shook his head, his hair falling along his forehead.
“We were talking about you, and I told him you were leaving for LA.” I laughed nervously. “Apparently, he doesn’t want me to let you get away.”
“So what are you going to do about it?” Anthony asked, his brow arching.
“I haven’t decided yet. Maybe cancel your plane tickets, but that doesn’t seem very mature.”
He laughed. “Or you could come spend some time in California.”
“How do you figure?”
“Have paint, will travel?” His grin deepened. I’ve got a pretty big place overlooking the water.”
“I thought you lived in the heart of LA.”
“I have a place in Malibu. Does that change your mind about the visit?”
“I’m not that superficial.” I chuckled. “But maybe.”
Watching him smile and laugh lit me up like a fireworks show. I didn’t want this call to end, but I knew it eventually had to. It was funny how finding Anthony made me feel like I was experiencing my first crush all over again. But I knew this wasn’t a crush, and I wasn’t looking forward to losing him before I even had him.
“Off to bed for a very important day tomorrow. I’ll be there at nine. I don’t expect the delivery until ten.”
“Have a good night’s sleep.” His voice turned tender. “With plenty of big dreams.”
“You too.” I kissed the phone before turning it off.
My heart was still pounding from the news of the magazine spread, and I knew it was going to be hard to fall asleep. He was right. There were always people more than willing to tear something apart, but very few had ever built something of substance. At least I was putting myself out there. Now, hopefully, I ordered enough furniture.
I shook out my blankets on the couch and tossed my pillows on top. Crawling under the blankets never felt so good. Today was an amazing day filled with plenty to think about, but I needed to sleep, not think. I grabbed a pair of ear buds and turned on my phone, skimming the titles for Crimson String’s latest album. I hit Play and let Anthony’s beautiful voice drift over me and carry me into a sleep filled with endless dreams.
I pulled up to Anthony’s and a flutter of excitement zipped through me. Today was the day. I’d gone by my apartment and picked up a couple of special items like a gilded mirror and a claw-foot accent table I’d found at our local antique store, and Nick would be showing up with some of his pieces. I was so excited when Nick agreed to let me borrow one of his beautiful beds for the master bedroom and a dining room table with eight chairs, and now I could hardly wait to tell him the good news about the magazine. I was sure it would blow his mind like it did mine.
It was like Anthony’s one act of kindness had started a chain reaction on Fireweed, and there was no telling when or if it would end.
Anthony opened the front door and waved. His hair was still wet from a shower as he buttoned up his shirt and welcomed me in.
“You ready?” I asked.
“I can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with.”
“Would you mind grabbing the mirror and accent table out of the backseat of my car?”
“Absolutely not.” He swiped a kiss on my cheek, and it took everything I had not to drape my arms around his shoulders and go for a bigger one. But today wasn’t that kind of day.
I walked into the foyer and looked around the beautiful space. Whoever got this house would be a very lucky person. Today was one of our rare sunny November days, and the filtered light looked magical streaming through the windows.
I walked into the kitchen and glanced around, noticing a pot of coffee, and headed into the living room. I wanted to start in this room. It was so inviting and beautiful on its own. Just about anything I did in here would look great and would give me the boost of confidence I needed to move forward on the rest of the house.
“Where do you want me to put this?” Anthony asked, carrying in the accent table.
“Over there,” I said, pointing to the far corner. The round accent table would set the corner off nicely, tucked in between the wall of built-in bookshelves and the adjacent bare wall.
He placed the table where I asked, and on his way out to get the mirror, he stopped to give me another kiss—only this one wasn’t as innocent. He turned me around, his hands cupping my chin as he touched his lips to mine. I felt the heat run between us, and my mind drifted to the other night and how wonderful it would be to be back in his arms.
And then the doorbell rang.
“Guess it’s about to start.” A shot of adrenaline pulsed through me as I glanced around the empty room. Anthony had moved the loveseat to the garage, and I was excited to see how the sectional would look in here. It sat low to the ground, which would allow the space to feel as large as it was, and the soft white would show off the sea-blue pillows. “The mirror will hang on the wall leading up the stairs.”
“Great.” Anthony slid his hands to the base of my neck and gently nudged me as I nearly bounced to the front door. I swung it open and Nick stood on the front porch, grinning.
“I’ve never seen a doorbell that hard to find,” Nick said, shaking his head. “That’s certainly one way to keep away visitors.”
“That’s exactly what I thought,” I said, glancing over his shoulder to see a large truck. “I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am.”
“I can tell,” Nick said, glancing at Anthony. “So do you want to show me where you want these pieces?”
“Absolutely. But I’ve got some huge news.”
Nick’s gaze darted between Anthony’s and mine. “He’s not moving after all?”
“Not that great of news.” I laughed. “But close.”
“Okay, I give up.”
“His home is going to be featured in Coastal Living.”
“This house?” Nick’s brows shot up in surprise.
“Yep. The February issue, so it looks like your furniture will be appearing in the pages of one of my favorite magazines.”
“Wow.” Nick looked truly stunned, but he managed to stick out his hand to Anthony for a handshake. “Thanks, man. I’m actually . . .”
“Shocked?” I supplied.
“Yeah.”
“It was my brother’s doing,” Anthony said, smiling and shaking Nick’s hand. “But no problem. Do you need a hand with the furniture?”
“Sure. I’ve got the furniture in pieces so I can put it together in the rooms. You could start by grabbing the chairs.”
“Sounds good.”
And before I had a chance to say anything else, both men were already down the stairs, unloading as a large delivery truck entered the property.
“This is really happening,” I muttered to myself.
The moment I met with the delivery guys, the rush was on and the morning turned to early afternoon, leaving me with only a blur of the memories. One moment, I’d be pointing at the foyer, where a stack of the vintage trunks acted like a foyer table, to standing in the guestroom, showing them where I needed the bed positioned, to watching them hang the curtains in the living room.
Anthony and Nick gave me my space as I dashed from one room to the next, pointing at fixtures, showing where to hang paintings, and tweaking furniture locations.
It wasn’t until the truck’s engine roared to life and I watched it drive away that I realized it was all over. Anthony’s home was almost finished, and it looked incredible. Anthony and Nick were drinking coffee in the kitchen as I wandered in.
“It looks amazing
,” Nick said, smiling.
“It’s worthy of a spot in a national magazine.” Anthony beamed. “In fact, they’re lucky to have your design work grace their pages.”
“You think?” I asked, my gaze shooting between the two of them.
“Absolutely,” Nick said, glancing at Anthony. “I should probably take off. Thanks again for this opportunity.”
“Pleasure’s all mine. Thanks for loaning your furniture to Sophie.”
“Yeah. Thank you, Nick. That was so sweet of you.”
“Anytime.” He gave me a quick hug and walked out of the room, letting himself out.
I leaned against the counters and smiled. “So you like?”
“I love. In fact, it makes me think my home in California needs some freshening up.”
I laughed and shook my head. “You’ll try anything to get me down there, won’t you?”
“Do you blame me?” he asked, his voice lowering.
“Something occurred to me while I was helping to set up the dining room.”
“What’s that?”
“You’ll be in California for Thanksgiving.”
He nodded and took a sip of coffee.
“Wouldn’t you like to be with family?”
“Traveling on Thanksgiving weekend is nightmarish.”
“Well, you’re leaving the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Why not change your flight for after the holiday?”
He sucked on his lip and let out a sigh. “We have studio space reserved to work on our album.”
This was news to me. “So you have enough songs to make an album all of a sudden?”
“Thanks to you.”
“Ha. I doubt that.”
He looped his thumbs into the waist of my jeans and tugged me forward. “I write in bursts, and you’ve provided plenty of bursts.”
“Not inspiration?”
“That too.” His eyes darkened, and I felt the familiar wave of desire run between us. I wanted nothing more than to wander into bed with him for the afternoon, but I couldn’t.
“I have to get over to Loxxy.”
Anthony nodded. “Have you given anymore thought to what you’re going to do?”
“Still the same plan.”
“Sophie, things are changing for you, and there’s going to come a point when you’ll literally kill yourself trying to do every single job you have.”
“I know. I’m just not quite ready to believe my life is changing like it is.” I placed a soft kiss on his lips and felt him open up to me, his lips parting and welcoming me. The gentle sweep of his tongue as I pressed my body against his created another pull that was nearly impossible to resist, but he sensed my anxiety about the afternoon and slowly tore his mouth from mine. “And I’m afraid that I’m going to wake up one day and this was all a fantasy.”
He gently touched my cheek and smiled. “That’s how I felt when my goals finally started to come into view. Even after this many years, I wonder if the bubble will burst.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear the feeling goes away.”
He laughed. “Just telling it to you straight.”
“And for that, I appreciate you even more.”
“What I’m really trying to tell you is there’s no perfect time to make the leap toward your dreams.”
“My orders are stacking up,” I confessed.
“You’ll know when the time is right.”
I nodded and placed another kiss on his lips. “Off to Loxxy.”
He looped his fingers through mine, and we walked slowly to the front door. It was still hard to believe how incredible the place looked, and I was the one who did it. Even though I was the one who picked out the furniture and pointed to where it needed to be, I still had to remind myself I had something to do with it.
I opened the door, and Anthony stopped me.
“I’m really proud of you,” he whispered, and for some reason, hearing those words from him made me soar all the way to Loxxy.
I wasn’t completely sure how I got from Anthony’s to Loxxy, but here I was, sitting in my car in the parking lot, about to talk to the owners about something that they might feel was none of my business. This had the potential to go very badly.
But for some reason, I didn’t care.
I grabbed my purse, pushed myself out of the car, and walked straight into the lobby. I ran into Marcy, and she flashed a timid smile at me.
“What’s up?”
“The rumors are flying,” she whispered. “Is it true you’re here to meet with Rhonda and Gary?”
“Yes.” I patted her arm and saw genuine fear flash through her eyes. I knew that feeling so well I could almost taste it, that moment where your entire existence and wellbeing depended on someone else. It made me furious. Brad had obviously liked toying with the employees by leaking the information himself, and that wasn’t acceptable.
“I’ll fill you in later, okay?”
She nodded and wandered over to the bank of elevators, and I turned toward the owners’ office. The door was closed, so I lifted my fist to knock lightly, but what came out was a fierce rap on the door, and I liked it.
“Come in,” Rhonda said.
I opened the door to see Rhonda, Gary, and Brad all sitting in the office. I recognized Nick’s designs immediately. He’d built the desks, bookshelves, and coffee table. Nick’s designs made the room inviting, and I knew the choices for Anthony’s home were perfect.
My eyes darted to Brad, who was crossing his arms and smiling smugly. I turned my attention back to Rhonda, her grey hair in a sleek bob and her brown eyes taking in the trade of glances between Brad and myself. Gary cleared his throat and stood behind his wife. He was dressed in an orange polo and khakis and looked like he was ready to hit the golf course as soon as this meeting was over.
“I’d like to speak with you and Gary privately.”
“Absolutely,” Gary agreed. “We always have an open door policy.”
Brad’s eyes flashed with anger, but he stood up and nearly stomped out of the room. He didn’t bother to close the door behind him, so I did.
“How are you doing, Sophie? How’s your father?” Rhonda asked, genuinely concerned.
“He’s doing really well. The last month or so, his improvements have even puzzled the doctors.”
“That’s wonderful to hear. I was just telling Brad that we offered up a weekend getaway for the fundraiser next weekend.” The kindness in her eyes made me even more resolute in my decision.
“Oh, my gosh. That’s so kind of you both. I can’t even begin to thank—”
“No need to thank us.” Gary folded his arms. “If we’d known, we’d have helped much sooner.”
“Absolutely, dear.” Rhonda nodded. “If one of our own is hurting, we’re all hurting.”
Great. And I was about to tear into them about Brad’s proposed changes.
“My dad is beyond grateful, and so am I.”
“Anything you need, dear.”
I took in a deep breath and felt all my courage quickly build itself into action. I couldn’t let their kindness in this moment sway why I came here.
“Brad came to me a couple of days ago and wanted me to name who in housekeeping should be let go. He also told me he was looking at changing the check-in and check-out times.”
“That’s right,” Gary agreed.
My stomach tightened.
“I didn’t realize that the Loxxy was facing financial difficulties.”
“We’re not. In fact, we’re doing better than ever, but Brad is always on the lookout for ways to minimize our overhead and streamline processes.”
I nodded and pressed my lips together.
“With all due respect, your son-in-law doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Whatever research he’s told you he’s done is bogus. He hasn’t once followed a day in the life of any of my team members, and he certainly hasn’t taken into account what happens when someone’s out sick, or God forbid, schedules a vacation day.”
&nbs
p; Gary walked around his wife’s desk and leaned on the corner of it.
“I’ve always prided myself on being an island girl. I know how lucky I am to live somewhere where neighbors care about one another. I’ve always spoken of Loxxy with the highest regard.” I shook my head. “But the request from Brad literally shocked me, and then to hear that Loxxy is doing better than ever only solidifies my decision. He asked me for a name of an employee to move on, but I’ve done better. I’ve come up with a plan for the housekeeping department that not only adds two new positions, but it allows for input from employees on shifts and more opportunity for advancement.”
I reached into my purse and pulled out the piece of paper outlining my plans and handed it to Gary.
“I won’t be a part of destroying a wonderful place to work so your son-in-law can pad his pockets or get the accolades he’s hoping for. His request will change lives and make the Loxxy experience less than satisfying for our guests. No guest hops on a ferry to spend a weekend where they’re getting booted out of the hotel room at ten o’clock in the morning.”
A hint of a smile surfaced on Rhonda’s face, and she looked at her husband. “Well?”
Gary was reading the page I handed him. I’d listed all the pros and cons of Brad’s proposed ideas.
“And effective immediately, I recommend Marcy replace me as Assistant Manager of Hospitality, and I’d like to cut my hours.”
“Cut your hours?” Rhonda asked.
I nodded. “My side business has taken a sudden uptick, and I can’t keep up with the orders working here as much as I am, and financially speaking, it makes more sense to work on developing my business while the momentum is rolling.”
“I had no idea you had started a business.” Gary smiled and glanced at his wife.
“It’s an Etsy Store.” I reached in my wallet and handed them a business card, and without warning, a wave of courage rolled through me. “Actually, I think that what I offer could really add a nice touch to our guest rooms—give them a little personality.”
“I’ll have to look at the website.”
I nodded. “Most items have a three-week fulfillment date.”
Rhonda leaned back in her chair and looked over the page her husband handed her. “This wasn’t how I expected today’s meeting to go.”
Tangled Love on Pelican Point (Island County Series Book 3) Page 19