Blueprint for Romance

by Shannon M Harris

  “Okay.” Kat patted Dylan’s arm, then untangled herself, positioned Dylan and Emma in front of her and took a couple of steps back. “Okay.” She ran a hand over the top of her hair, Dylan noticing it looked like it had recently been trimmed.

  “Kat?” Dylan pulled Emma back against her chest.

  “Okay. As you know, we recently tore down a barn.” They both nodded. “Well, there was something else there as well. Dylan, I hope I haven’t overstepped but I thought we could work on it together. It would be yours, of course, I have the title, you can have it, but I had hoped we could redo it together.”

  With each word out of Kat’s mouth, Dylan’s heart rate picked up. There was only one thing they’d talked about working on together. “Kat.”

  “Before you say anything you should know that it was free. It needs a ton of work. It has potential. Please. I wanted to do something nice for you. You both have brought so much joy into my life.”

  Dylan closed her eyes and hugged Emma tighter.

  “What is it, Mom?” Emma asked.

  Kat knew she didn’t have the money to pay for a camper. Kat’s sad eyes and pout had its desired effect on Dylan. “It was free?”

  “Yes.”

  “And it needs work?”

  “I promise.” Kat held her arms out to her sides. “Tons.”

  “And you’re going to help with said work?” There was no way she would be able to do it by herself. She didn’t know the first thing to do and would have to rely on Kat.

  “Absolutely.” Kat grinned.

  Dylan held Emma out at arm’s length. “Remember last year when we talked about maybe getting a camper and traveling around?”

  “Yes.” Emma looked from her mom to Kat. “You got us a camper?”

  “Well, this lady gave it to me. I’m hoping we can work on it together.”

  “Like a family?” Emma brightened.

  “I…” Kat bit her lip.

  “Friends can be family,” Dylan threw out, letting Kat off the hook even though the blush rushing up her cheeks was a nice look.

  “Yes, friends can be family,” Kat said, then rubbed her hands together. “Ready?”

  “Lead the way. This is your show, after all,” Dylan said.

  “Come on.”

  Dylan followed behind them, coming to a complete stop when they walked behind the tiny house that was being worked on. Then her sight focused in the corner of the building where the ugliest camper she had ever seen sat. The camper looked big enough for them both, but Kat wasn’t exaggerating when she said it needed work. Part of the roof was caved in, and the two windows she could see were smashed out. Clunks of grass liberally coated the outside of the camper. This contraption looked like it needed to be in the dump and not remodeled. Watching Kat keep pace with Emma with huge smiles on their faces melted any doubts she had about the camper. With a sigh, Dylan came to terms with her fate.

  Both Kat and Emma excitedly bounded around the camper. Dylan chuckled at their exuberance. Kat wasn’t like anyone she’d ever met before and it was so refreshing.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Kat said, holding her hands up and drawing Dylan out of her thoughts.

  “I’m not sure you do.” Dylan smiled at her, then nodded toward the camper, before slipping her hand in Kat’s. The blinding smile on Kat’s face told her all she needed to know. “Let’s join my daughter and see what we’re up against.”

  “It’s great, Dylan. Truly. You’ll be blown away.”

  Two hours later, Dylan hadn’t been blown away, but they all had ideas about what should be done to the camper. Kat had promised there would be room for two beds, a small kitchenette, and a tiny bathroom. Where Kat said tiny, Dylan knew it would be more like miniscule. Up close, the camper was bigger than she had expected. It would more than do for what she had in mind. Even with all the work needed.

  She drove behind Kat’s truck and looked to the passenger seat where her daughter would normally be. Emma had asked to ride with Kat and Dylan had agreed because she knew Kat was a responsible driver. If she and Kat were going to become more than friends, Kat needed to spend time with Emma.

  After parking, they made their way to an empty spot beside a large oak tree in the park and set up the blanket and picnic basket.

  “I can’t wait to get started,” Emma said when they were all settled.

  “Saturday will come before we know it,” Kat said, after leaning back against the tree and stretching her legs out in front of her.

  “I know.” Emma groaned. “When do you think we’ll be finished?” Emma accepted the plate of food from Dylan filled with a sandwich, chips, a dill pickle, and a little bit of potato salad and settled it on her lap.

  Kat accepted her plate from Dylan with a grateful smile, then answered Emma. “It’s hard to say, but we’ll get her where she needs to be.”

  Dylan made her plate, content to eat and listen to them both talk. Even the dogs barking and children playing in the distance couldn’t dampen her good mood. After the food was finished, and everything was cleaned up, Emma declared a nap was in order and lay at the foot of the blanket, quickly falling asleep.

  “She tires easily,” Dylan said. “When we do work on the camper, please keep that in mind.”

  “Hey,” Kat said, and Dylan turned to her. “You don’t have to worry about that. I’ve noticed how tired she gets during the times I’ve spent with her. You’ll be there and if she gets tired, I have a pull-out couch in my office she can take a nap on. I would never let anything happen to her if it’s within my power.”

  Dylan frowned and shook her head. “You always seem to know the right thing to say.”

  “I say the wrong things all the time. You’re just not around to hear them. Trust me. Briley lets me know. I think she may be keeping a list.”

  Dylan grew quiet. She didn’t want to say something snippy. Kat really was amazing, and it was her own insecurities that were getting the best of her. They sat in silence. Dylan kept still when she felt Kat’s arm circle her shoulders. Kat scooted over until their sides were touching.

  “Is this okay?”

  “It’s fine.” Dylan reached up and took Kat’s hand that was resting on her shoulder, then tangled their fingers together. “I like you, Kat, and I know we’re on the road to more…but I don’t want to rush anything. I like being friends, and if things slowly go into something more, I would be okay with that. For now, I want things to keep going like they are. Us continuing to get to know each other.”

  “Natural progression,” Kat said.

  “Yes. I can’t promise you dates or even a set amount of time. I like what we’ve been doing, and I’d like to continue that way. I can’t promise you a future.”

  Kat slipped her other arm around Dylan’s waist and rested their heads together. “Can you promise me another tomorrow?”

  With eyes closed, Dylan grasped Kat’s arm around her waist. “Yes.”

  “And a tomorrow after that?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s all I need for now. You’re the only woman I want to spend time with.”

  “Ditto.”

  “Good.”

  Dylan sighed when Kat kissed her head. She pulled back slightly to look at Kat’s face. “So, what exactly are we doing?”

  “Friends with the option for more.”

  “I like that. Does this mean we’re exclusive?” Dylan motioned with her hand from herself to Kat.

  “I would like to be, but I understand if you want to keep your options open,” Kat said.

  “Kat, you’re my only option.”

  Kat arched her brow. “Gee, you make it sound so special.”

  She knew Kat was joking but could hear the underlining hurt in her voice. Dylan turned enough to see Kat’s eyes, and her breath hitched at the intensity she saw in them. Without censoring herself, she reached up and cupped Kat’s cheek, caressing her jaw with her thumb. “You’re the best option.”

  Kat held Dylan’s hand i
n place. “I wasn’t looking for a relationship, but I’m glad I met you. You’re my best option too.”

  Dylan started to pull her hand back, but Kat caught it and kissed the palm. “Jesus, when did we turn into saps?” Dylan asked. The feelings swirling in the pit of her stomach felt like nothing she’d ever experienced before.

  “Somewhere between the sandwiches and the potato salad,” Kat deadpanned.

  Dylan tried to hold her laugh in but failed, then leaned forward and drew Kat into a hug.

  “Since we’re on this subject, there was something I was thinking about,” Kat said. Dylan leaned back so she could look in Kat’s eyes. “You don’t know this about me, but I’m an avid Pinterest searcher.”

  Dylan feigned shock. “What?”

  “I know. I know.” Kat sighed. “It’s a burden I’m willing to bear.”

  “Smartass.” Dylan tapped the tip of Kat’s nose.

  “Anyway, I came across something I think would be good for us. If you want.”

  “Us. As in you and me, or me, you, and Emma?”

  “Actually.” Kat tightened her hold around Dylan. “It would be me and you.” She leaned forward and kissed Dylan lightly on the cheek, then pulled back and glanced at Emma. “And me and Emma. I think if this is going to work, then I need to spend one-on-one time with each of you. I understand you’re trying to protect Emma and I get it.”

  “I…” Dylan closed her mouth when Kat shook her head.

  “For the first few months, Emma and I can spend time in your presence. We can play Legos, but I want to expand on that. Emma and I wouldn’t venture outside of your house until you okayed it. I never want to push those boundaries.”

  Dylan relaxed in Kat’s arms, who looked way too serious. At this point, Dylan trusted Kat enough to know that she wouldn’t steer them the wrong way and it was time that she and Emma spent more time together. “What is it you want to do?”

  “Here’s my plan. Over the course of the next year, I will create individual envelopes for each of you. On the first day of each month you both will open your envelope and we’ll find the time during the month to complete said project. A few things will have to be scheduled, but I’ll make sure they’re done on a weekend.”

  Year? Instead of being freaked out that Kat planned to be around for the next year, Dylan was excited. To know Kat was in this long term meant so much, and it was clear the other woman didn’t have any issue promising her and Emma the next year. “Like?”

  “Like. For Emma. A day of horseback riding. The Science Center. Shopping for camper supplies. Pizza and movie night. Baking and decorating cookies, Legos, maybe creating some new things for her dollhouses.”

  “Okay.” Dylan giggled at Kat’s enthusiasm. How did she get so lucky to find a woman like Kat? “What about me?”

  “Dinner and a movie, dancing, indoor picnic, museum.” Kat bit her lip and whispered in Dylan’s ear. “I can’t give all my secrets away. I’ll run everything for Emma by you, but our dates, well, I want some of those to be surprises. We may not be able to spend as much time together as we like, but I think we can manage a date a month.”

  “I think we can do better than that.” Dylan lifted her hand and ran her fingers down Kat’s jawline. “I like surprises. I’ll warn you though, just knowing you as long as I have, you have your work cut out for you. You’ve already set the bar high.”

  “I have, have I?” The smile that lit up Kat’s face set Dylan’s heart racing. “I’m willing,” Kat said.

  “So am I.”

  With a shared smile, they pulled apart and settled back against the tree, Kat’s arm still wrapped around Dylan’s shoulders. Dylan wasn’t sure how it was going to work, but she knew she wanted it to.

  Over the next few days, Kat had run all her ideas for the envelopes by Dylan, who had okayed all but one of them for Emma. Kat had no issue changing it to something else. Scrapbooking wasn’t Kat’s thing, because the end product would never look like the picture she’d seen, but Briley had volunteered herself for the job. Briley had promised to come by at seven for dinner and a crash course in crafting. Sometimes, Briley went overboard, and Kat was surprised Leah hadn’t yet gone insane with everything Briley sprung on her.

  Kat loved her sister but knew Briley would bring over way too much and would insist everything be picture perfect. On some things, Kat would agree, but the envelopes were going to be ripped open anyway. But she wasn’t about to rain on Briley’s parade. Especially considering Briley had taken the last few cancellations of their sister night so well. Dylan, on the other hand, had insisted Kat spend some time with her sister, letting her know she didn’t want to monopolize all of Kat’s free time, even though Kat wanted her to.

  Kat relaxed back into the couch cushion with Stripes on her lap. A smile emerged when she recalled Emma meeting him for the first time. They both took to each other, much to Kat and Dylan’s relief. Stripes sometimes had a rough time with new people, but not Emma. He still hadn’t warmed up to Dylan yet, but things were progressing nicely, and Kat made sure that her thoughts never strayed to the pessimistic side of things. She’d taken that route with plenty of other relationships and refused to with Dylan. No, Dylan wasn’t like anyone she’d ever met before and it was refreshing.

  “Boo!”

  Kat jumped, almost sending a hissing Stripes flying. She glared at Briley, who smirked at her. “Asshole.”

  Briley whistled while setting two boxes on the coffee table. “I bet I can guess who you were thinking about.” She flopped on the couch beside Kat and picked Stripes up, setting him on her lap and stroking his coarse hair.

  “Well.” Kat bumped Briley’s shoulder. “Now you know what I had to look at when you were starting out with Leah.” There was no reason to deny what Briley could see clearly. She was happy and didn’t care who knew.

  “I like seeing you happy.”

  “It’s…” Kat sighed. “It’s not like anything I’ve felt before. I’ve always felt content in my past relationships but kept a bit of myself back. With Dylan, I don’t want to do that. I want to tell her everything and learn everything about her. It’s exciting. So exciting.”

  Briley grinned and propped her legs up on the coffee table. “I understand. Leah isn’t like anyone I’ve ever met before. I wanted to dive head first and did. It was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

  Kat knew, first hand, how much Briley debated about her decision, but was glad she had taken the first step with Leah. “We’ve decided to see where things take us and if it leads to more, we’re both okay with that.”

  “Kat, that’s awesome. Now I know we need to get these envelopes right.”

  Kat leaned forward and buried her head in her hands. “I don’t want to mess this up.”

  “Hey.” Briley rubbed a hand up and down Kat’s back. “You’ve got this. She already likes you.”

  “I know, but she’s always telling me I’m too good to be true…and that’s not the case at all. I can be a total screw up in relationships. I’m terrified.” She was more than terrified; she was petrified. Dylan had swept into her life at a time that wasn’t optimal, but she wouldn’t change it for anything.

  Briley looked thoughtful. “Have you told her that?”

  “No.” Kat straightened up and leaned back against the cushion, accepting Stripes when he climbed up her arm to settle on her shoulder.

  “You should. I bet she’s terrified too.”

  “You think?” The next time they talked, she would try and work up the nerve to bring it up. She didn’t want to keep anything from Dylan, especially the way she was feeling. She prayed that she wouldn’t stumble over her words. She always seemed to be a mess whenever Dylan was around. “So, how about we order dinner, then get started on our project?”

  Briley grinned and stood, waving her hand at the boxes. “This is going to be awesome. I’m a little jealous that I didn’t think of this. Leah would have loved it.”

  “You can do it now.” Kat shrugged.


  “Please.” Briley shook her head. “She’ll know I got the idea from you. I’ve got to up my wooing from here on out. I even downloaded Pinterest to my phone.”

  “You have Pinterest?” It was one app Briley said she would never download, even as crafty as she was. It felt nice to be influencing Briley’s wooing skills for once.

  “I have to keep Leah on her toes.”

  Kat waved her hand in the air. “You’re engaged, Briley. You’ve got her.”

  Briley pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and glared at Kat. “Just because we’re engaged doesn’t mean I’m going to stop surprising her or trying to woo her. No, now that she said yes, I’m going to do everything in my power to show her and the kids how much they mean to me. You’ve just shown me I can do more.” She pointed at the boxes on the coffee table.

  “Where will you find the time?” That was one of Kat’s worries. Not having enough time to do everything. She pushed her limits as it was, especially with her accounting clients. Sooner than expected, she would have to let them go. The tiny house business ate up too much of her time to keep a second job.

  “Kat, you make time. You set your priorities and stick with them. That’s it. Could Brandon and I flip more houses? Of course, but then we’d be compromising on family time. When we first started our business, we devoted all our time to it, but once we hit a groove and met the right people, we were able to take a step back and assess everything. We both decided early on that family was important, but so was self-care. If we don’t take care of ourselves, how are we supposed to be both physically and mentally healthy for anyone else? Also, Brandon and Mary are trying to have a baby.”

  Kat sat back and regarded Briley. When had her little sister grown up so much? “Wow. Maybe I should have been listening to you all along.”

  “I know, right?”

  “I can see why Leah fell in love with you.”

  “Kat,” Briley groaned.

  “Just saying.” Kat stood and drew Briley into a hug. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” She squeezed Kat’s forearms and stood back. “Food.”