Blueprint for Romance

by Shannon M Harris

  “How did you come about this house?” She decided to keep today calm and informative.

  “The man that used to live here had a stroke and he moved in with his son. Briley’s friend helped me get it at a good price. I’ve been working on renovating it since I moved in. I love it.”

  “It’s a beautiful house.”

  “It’s nice,” Emma added. “Mom said you like Legos.”

  “Yes.” Kat turned the corn then focused on Emma. “I love putting them together. Your mom tells me you like the Elf ones.”

  Emma nodded. “Yup. I have the completed ones on a shelf, and I put the Lego figures in my dollhouses.”

  “That’s so cool. Lego Han, hanging out with Lego cop, hanging out with Lego Wonder Woman. Who wouldn’t want to live in a house like that?”

  Emma giggled. “They love it.”

  “I would too. How many dollhouses do you have?”

  “I have three. Santa got me one. Papa got me the other one and Mom let me get one at a yard sale.”

  “I got some really cool superhero figures at a yard sale last month. It was great. They were a little worn, but still awesome. I have them on a shelf in my office.”

  “Can I see them?”

  “Sure. After we eat, I’ll show them to you.”

  Emma bounced in her seat. “I like the D.C. hero dolls. I have bunches.”

  “I have bunches of figures too. I can picture them hanging out with Stripes after I go to sleep at night.”

  Emma giggled, and Dylan wasn’t sure what she was so worried about. Kat was a natural.

  “Mine party together,” Emma said.

  “Mine do too. They party hard. Probably swing from the ceiling fan.” Emma and Kat both started laughing.

  They continued talking about their figures as Dylan watched. It was nice seeing Emma so carefree. Kat wasn’t just talking to her; she was having a silly conversation and it warmed her heart. She wouldn’t be the one to end this. Unless something catastrophic happened. Not that she could see that happening. She didn’t want anything more right now, just friendship. But seeing how well her daughter and Kat got along, she would have a hard time saying no to something more. For now, she would ride the tide of where they were headed and enjoy the journey. They both deserved that much.

  The next couple of months passed in a blur for Kat as her life settled into a pleasant routine. Monday mornings were reserved for breakfast with Briley. Thursday mornings were her standing date with Griffin and yoga. Still occurring was her one-on-one time with Leah and Evan. She also made it a point to have lunch with Dylan a few times a week.

  Work ran smoothly but started to take up most of her time. Time she could have spent with her new favorite girl. The last two Saturdays she had planned to spend with Dylan, but canceled due to two work deadlines. Kat loved seeing the joy in her customers’ eyes the first time they saw their tiny house.

  Still, it sucked that time with Dylan was sacrificed. She was considering hiring another employee, but now it wasn’t feasible. She knew Dylan was still holding back and that was okay. They didn’t need to know every detail of their life stories yet.

  Texting with Dylan had become a daily occurrence, and their nightly talks were a must, but it still didn’t seem like enough. She missed her. Missed spending time with her and Emma. Making new memories. They were supposed to have dinner together the following weekend. It would be the first time she’d had dinner with Dylan and Emma. But, not today, today was for work.

  Today, she and Kyle were on their way out of the city to check out an old dilapidated barn that the owners wanted to sell. They hoped for salvageable wood boards to use for flooring in their tiny homes. What an awesome find that would be. Kat loved the look of repurposed wood and so did her clients. The asking price seemed low. Hopefully that wasn’t a tactic to get them down there and then jack up the price.

  “From what we saw in the pictures, the wood looked good; hopefully that’s the case,” Kyle said, drumming his fingers on the dash. “I would love to make some cabinets with that wood.”

  “They would look fantastic. I hope it’s worth our time.” They’d driven for an hour, and still had forty-five minutes to go. Hitched to the truck was a trailer for any wood ready to take back with them. If they bought the barn, their plan was to return another day to tear it down and haul the salvageable wood back to the company yard.

  Kyle opened his water bottle and took a sip. “It would be cool to find some treasures inside.”

  The lady on the phone had promised that if they wanted the barn, they could have everything inside. Her husband had died five years ago, and it was too much for her to maintain the upkeep. The space, she said, where the barn stood would make a fantastic garden.

  “I can’t believe it’s almost Fall,” Kat said. The time had sped by and Halloween would be here before she knew it. Already, Leah had almost finished her family’s costumes, and they were keeping mum.

  After eating dinner one night with Dylan, Kat asked if they wanted to be part of her costume idea this year and Dylan had reluctantly agreed for Emma’s sake. Kat had promised to keep it simple. After racking her mind, Kat decided to go with an oldie but goodie. Baseball players. Stylish, but still nothing too extravagant for Dylan. Her idea had gone over swimmingly.

  “So,” Kyle said. “How’s it going with your girl?”

  After a night out, she confided in Kyle and Reeva about Dylan and Emma. They both seemed happy for her, then she and Kyle had to listen to Reeva’s dating woes for the next hour. She’d corrected him many times about them only being friends, but he’d waved her off, telling her he wasn’t blind. “Good. We have dinner plans with Briley and company tonight.”

  “Is it the first time with you all together?”

  “It is with Evan and Emma.”

  “Your family’s good people. You don’t have anything to worry about. Are you worried?”

  Kat sighed, slowed the truck, and took the next exit. “Not worried, but it is the first time in almost two months that we’ve all spent any time together. It’s nerve wracking.” She pulled into the nearest gas station and parked. “I need a coffee. You coming in?”

  “A coffee sounds good.”

  Ten minutes later, they were back on the road with their coffees, Kat’s chocolate donuts, and Kyle’s beef jerky and peanut M&M’s.

  “Too bad your sister didn’t send a basket of treats for us,” Kyle remarked.

  “I tried to catch her in time, but she’d already divided them up and my house wasn’t one of her stops.” Briley would bake weekly then make baskets to give her neighbors and the employees at the Garriety nursing home.

  “Bummer.”

  “What about you? Are you still seeing that woman from the grocery store?”

  “No.” He popped a few M&M’s into his mouth. “She got back with the ex.”

  “Bummer,” Kat repeated.

  The rest of the ride was in silence. They both perked up when Kat pulled down a long, dusty, gravel road and the house and the barn came into view. The pictures didn’t do it justice. The barn was huge. Part of the roof had caved in and an entire wall covered the ground. The grass was overgrown, and a few vultures were perched atop of what was left of the roof. It was an eerie yet beautiful sight.

  Once they were parked, Kat hopped out, pulled out her camera from the backseat, and took several pictures of the barn both in color and black and white. She zoomed in and took several pictures of the vultures. It was in incredible sight and she couldn’t even imagine how many memories were made in the barn and surrounding land.

  Kat lowered the camera when Kyle patted her on the shoulder and motioned with his head to the house. They made their way across the lawn toward an older woman who waited for them. Kat held out her hand. “I’m Kat and this is Kyle.”

  “Good to finally put faces to the names. I’m Brenda.” She took a step back and sat on one of the rocking chairs on the porch. “You both can head on over. I’m going to wait here.�
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  “Thank you, ma’am,” Kyle said.

  Kat slipped the camera strap over her neck, allowing the camera to settle by her side. She made her way across the field while Kyle grabbed the weed eater. Fifteen minutes later, he had a small area around the downed barn wall clear. Most of the boards were in fantastic shape.

  “We can use these,” Kyle said.

  “This is awesome,” Kat said. “Clear an area around the door, then we’ll explore inside.” Kyle did that, then they carefully made their way inside. “Crap.” There was an old tractor and dozens of large pieces of farm equipment crammed into the center of the barn. Long counters ran along three walls with shelves filled to the brim.

  “This is more than I expected.” He tugged at his beard. “I mean, I know a guy who could take the tractor and some of this other stuff off our hands. He refurbishes farm equipment like this and donates it to organizations that can’t afford them.”

  “That’s really cool. We won’t have any use for them. Will he be able to come and get them or would we have to arrange for them to be delivered?”

  “He’d come get them.”

  “The beams also look like they’re in good condition.”

  Kyle knocked on a wood pillar. “Some wood is rotted, but the majority is in good condition. I think this would be a good buy.”

  Kat took another look around. “As long as the price stays the same. Let’s take a walk around the outside, then go and talk with Brenda.”

  “Sounds good, boss. I’ll grab the weed eater.”

  As soon as they turned a corner of the barn and got a look at the backside, Kat stopped in her tracks. Situated against the side of the barn and covered in tall weeds was a camper. A small, seen better days camper, but still a camper.

  “Clear a path to the door of the camper.” Once it was clear, Kat grabbed a hold of the door and opened it. The roof was caved in at parts and there was water damage, not to mention the smell, but the bones of the camper looked to be in good condition. “This is perfect. I wonder if she’ll include it in the sale of the barn?”

  Kyle looked skeptical. “You want this? We build tiny houses.”

  “It’s for Dylan and Emma. They have been thinking about buying one and I mentioned I would help them redo it, but Dylan said she didn’t have the money to buy one.”

  He patted her on the shoulder. “It’d be for your girls. Nice.”

  She didn’t bother to correct him as they made their way back to the house. Brenda was waiting for them with a pitcher of lemonade and three glasses. Kat accepted hers and leaned back against the porch railing. “You said on the phone that everything inside was included with the sale. Does that also include everything outside?”

  “The downed wall is included.”

  Kat took a sip of her drink. “What about the camper?”

  Brenda kicked her rocker into motion. “I forgot about that. My Fred bought that years ago. He had a plan to renovate it and we’d explore with it, but he became sick not long after that. What would you want it for? Redo it and sell it?”

  “No. I have a friend who wants to find a camper and redo it so she and her daughter can go camping. She doesn’t have the money to buy one, but if we can work it into the sell, then I’d give it to her.”

  “It’s not in good shape,” Brenda said.

  “I know.” Kat placed her empty glass back on the tray. “I told her we could make it a group project. Me, her, and her daughter.”

  Brenda tilted her head and a smile blossomed across her face. “You can have the camper.” She held up her hand to stop Kat from objecting. “Now, let’s talk about the sale of the barn.” Thirty minutes later, Kat had handed over a check for the barn, then carried the tray into the kitchen per Brenda’s request.

  “Kat,” Brenda said, once they were in the kitchen. “You should bring your family and that camper around when you get it finished. It would do my heart good.”

  Kat rubbed the back of her neck. “They’re not my family. At least not like that.”

  “I may be an old woman, but I’m not blind, dear.”

  “No, I guess you’re not.” Kat held her hand out, but Brenda drew her into a hug. “I’ll bring them by.”

  “Good. Now go, you have a few good hours to load some things into your truck before it starts getting dark.”

  “All right.”

  Both worked in unison to load all the loose wood into the trailer and piled boxes and loose tools into the bed of the truck. Not much of a dent was made, but once the bigger pieces were moved, they would finish faster. They’d planned to sell the smaller pieces of farm equipment and the tools they didn’t want at the Garriety trade sale in a few weeks’ time. Hopefully, they’d make back a bit of the money spent on the barn. If they had time after they’d cleared the barn, they’d both decided to help Brenda get the ground ready for her garden.

  She grabbed the rag out of her back pocket and wiped her face. “Did you give your buddy a call?”

  Kyle nodded. “He’s going to join us here tomorrow morning. He’s also going to help us load the camper. Hopefully, all will go well, and we’ll be done in a few days. Since we’re giving him all the bigger machine pieces, he’s agreed to bring a couple guys to help us tear down the barn. All he requested was drinks and snacks on hand.”

  “Now that,” Kat said with a grin, “I can do.” She downed her water. “Let’s get out of here. By the time we get home it shouldn’t be too late, and we can get this stuff unloaded. I should have the time for a shower before dinner.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  She leaned back in her seat as Kyle drove. She wasn’t as anal as Briley about who drove her truck. The barn was a good buy, and she hoped Dylan could see as much potential in the camper as she did. The barn would take up all her time this week, so tonight would be the only time she had to spend with Dylan and Emma until Saturday. That’s when she would show them the camper and get their ideas about how to refinish it. She didn’t want to think too much on the family project idea, but it sure felt good to think of them like that. Slow and steady, Kat. Slow and steady.

  Dylan stood in her bedroom in front of the mirror and lifted her hair, debating whether to wear it up or down. Dinner with Kat’s family the previous Friday had turned out good. She liked Leah, and Briley was always good fun. Evan acted respectful, and Griffin was a ball of sunshine. Today Kat had promised them a surprise. Kat seemed excited enough for all three of them. Even Briley couldn’t get the surprise out of her and she’d tried, countless times.

  Emma kept badgering her to spend more time with Kat, but first Dylan had to be sure Kat was going to stick around and so far, she hadn’t shown any signs of running. Dylan felt it was the right time for Kat and Emma to spend more time together.

  “Mom, can you help with my pants?” Emma called out from her bedroom.

  “Coming.” From all the times Kat and Emma had talked over the phone, they got along thick as thieves. Dylan knew if she and Kat continued down the path they were on, that it would lead to more, but Emma’s well-being was always in the back of her mind. It would devastate Emma if Kat suddenly left their lives. If Dylan was being honest, it would devastate her too.

  Their nightly talks were one of the things Dylan looked forward to the most. Kat was a creature of habit and every night at nine thirty, Dylan’s phone would ring. Every time they hung up, it left her wanting more, but she was afraid to take the next step. She had to be sure, and right now she wasn’t a hundred percent sure.

  Dylan winked at her image in the mirror, then walked into Emma’s room and helped her put her pink shorts on over her prosthetic.

  “What do you think the surprise is?” Emma asked.

  “I don’t know. Let’s grab our picnic stuff, then meet Kat at her business.” Emma was vibrating as much now as Kat was last night. Whatever it was, she hoped Emma wasn’t disappointed.

  Dylan gratefully accepted the picnic basket her mom handed her.

  “Go. Have
fun,” Iris said.

  “Bye, Grams.”

  “Bye, Mom.”

  “Bye, my darlings.”

  The ride to Kat’s business was quick and easy, even though she’d never been there before. For the few lunch dates they’d been on, Kat always insisted on joining her at Brew and Bake. After their first few meetings, Dylan had explained to Kat her financial situation because she didn’t want Kat to pay for everything, but she wouldn’t be able to eat out every time they got together for lunch. Kat was more than accommodating, insisting that she could make lunch and bring it to her. In the end, both agreed that if they continued seeing each other at lunch, they would alternate who paid or brought the food. It had worked out well. The light teasing she’d received from her co-workers when Kat would come by during the week was a fair price to pay to spend thirty minutes in Kat’s company.

  The one thing that had stood out was that Kat didn’t show her one ounce of pity; instead, her eyes had conveyed a level of compassion she rarely saw. It was another note to add to the list of Kat being too good to be true.

  In front of one of the buildings, Kat talked to a man around their age. It looked to be Kyle from the picture Kat had showed her. Kat had mentioned she wanted Dylan and Emma to feel safe at her business and showed her pictures of Kyla and Reeva, so they knew who to look for if Kat wasn’t around.

  She parked in front of the building. By the time she and Emma had exited the car, Kat was waiting for them.

  “Emma.” Kat drew Emma into a tight hug, then did the same with Dylan. “You both are right on time.” Quickly, she looked them over. “And look fantastic.”

  Emma grabbed Kat’s arm. “Don’t keep us waiting.”

  “Follow me then.” Kat held the door open for them and allowed them both to walk through. One of the things Dylan had learned about spending time with Kat was that she was well-mannered.

  Dylan slipped her arm through Kat’s. They’d been touching more recently, and Dylan couldn’t say she was upset about that. It was nice.