Something so Grand

by Lynn Galli

  Damn, there I went again thinking about Natalie and her amazing, brief, stunning, short, toe-tingling, yet fleeting kiss. My main worry about too much togetherness with our work and personal lives had pretty much vanished. Zach and Cass worked together, although they weren’t in the clinic together all day long. Natalie and I wouldn’t be on the jobsite all day every day, either. I could work with a woman I was seeing. Natalie, rather, probably not just any woman, but I didn’t feel concerned about that with Natalie.

  When Zach got us onto the road, I pulled out my phone and checked the message I missed. My pulse raced as soon as I heard Natalie’s voice. It was a short message, telling me again what a good time she had and that she hoped we could do it again soon. To the point and yet enough to spur thoughts of our date again.

  “Who was that?” Zach asked.

  Flutters started in my stomach as I glanced out the window to hide my blush. “Natalie.”

  “How’s that going?”

  “How’s what going?” I started in my seat. Zach and I were close, but he couldn’t possibly know what I was thinking.

  His face lit with a teasing smile. “I don’t know what now. I was just asking about working with her since so many of the other contractors you worked with were d-bags. Should I be asking about something else?”

  “She’s good at her job. No problems at all. Her crew works when she says they will. She doesn’t pull change orders every third hour. She doesn’t say they can’t do something just so she can squeeze more money out of the clients. Basically, she’s nothing like any contractor I’ve worked with.” In more ways than one.

  He nodded. “She certainly didn’t waste time putting in our laundry room. You haven’t complained about a job once since you started working with her.”

  “I don’t complain!”

  “Everyone complains,” he tossed out with a smirk. “You and I have some of the same clients and dealing with them is difficult. But unlike you, I only have to deal with them not a stubborn, lazy, greedy contractor as well. Thanks to Nat, you no longer have to either.”

  “You can say that again.”

  “She’s attractive, too.”

  My smile gave me away. I wouldn’t deny that she was attractive. Hell, last night she’d made me salivate. Her outfit emphasized those muscular arms and touchable rear end. The eye makeup and styled hair shot her way past attractive. I finally figured out which British actress Molly was talking about, and Natalie was way hotter.

  “You should ask her out.”

  “Too late.”

  His face fell. “She’s seeing someone?”

  “We went out last night.”

  “Ah,” he said with a knowing smile. “That’s the reason for the smiles all morning.”

  “I haven’t been…” Okay, I had, and it felt so good I didn’t even care that I just gave my brother enough ammunition to tease me for the rest of the summer.

  “Well, Cass and I like her, so do the boys.”

  That was Zach’s way of telling me to go for it. Not pushing, but encouraging.

  Like I needed the encouragement.

  *

  All week we’d missed each other. I’d stopped by the jobsite twice and both times she’d been out on a smaller job with one of her crew members while the rest continued with the build. Then I’d had the trip to Denver for the Home Show, which was usually a ton of fun because I always went with Dwight. This time I’d been preoccupied thinking about Natalie and her wonderful thoughtfulness and luscious lips. Had she not called and asked me to the site on Friday evening, I probably would have found another excuse to stop by on my own.

  I pulled through the now working security gate on the property and onto the recently paved private driveway to the house. None of the crew’s cars were there, and the trailer looked empty. If it weren’t for Natalie’s truck parked in front of the three car garage, I’d believe it was the wrong night.

  I got out of the car and headed into the house. The lighting fixtures were nearly done. The best part about it, Natalie was able to do it herself without having to hire an electrician. She’d apprenticed with one and knew enough to do finish electrical. She and her crew had done a wonderful job. Cabinets would be going in next, then it would be finishing the kitchen and bathroom fixtures. After that it was trim work and punch list items before I could start with the staging.

  “Hi.” Natalie surfaced from the dining room with a smile and a light twinkling in her brown eyes.

  I stumbled to a halt at the sight of her. Gone were the dusty work jeans and fitted company V-neck. No hat or visor or hard hat. Instead she had on dark grey cotton pants, a sleeveless button up coral colored shirt. Her hair was styled again, and she was wearing makeup. Date makeup. My heart sped up, and my mouth went dry.

  “How was the Home Show? Find anything futuristic or useful?”

  I swallowed, running my eyes over her again. “Some goodies. Nothing like the solar shingles we found last year, though.”

  Her eyes darted up to the ceiling, and her lips stretched into a grin. “Those are clever. Hope your realtor friend was right about the selling potential.”

  “Things look good around here. Missed you twice, did the guys tell you?”

  She nodded and swept her hand toward the back deck. “They did. Hope you like what we’ve done with the place.”

  A blanket spread out on the back deck with a picnic basket, bottle of wine, and two glasses. I swallowed again. She’d set up a picnic for us. The “hope we can do it again soon” comment from her message came back to me. She was good with surprises. A sneaky second date. Giddy didn’t begin to cover what I was feeling.

  “A picnic?”

  Her mouth curled into a soft smile. “A picnic, if you’re up for it.”

  I reached out to squeeze her arm. It was as chiseled as it looked but slender so she didn’t look like a body builder. They were arms defined by the work she did and incredibly sexy. I couldn’t wait to feel them wrapped around me in a real embrace.

  “This is a nice surprise,” I said. “I’m starving.”

  She laughed and grabbed my hand to take us outside. It felt so good in mine. She might be shorter, but her hands were bigger than mine. Sexy hands that should have been rough because of her work but weren’t.

  I took a seat next to the basket, peeking inside to see what she’d brought. Two different salads, two entrée containers, a baguette, and two different desserts. I would be able to tell the restaurant as soon as we dug in, but for now, I just stared in wonder at the food then up at the woman who’d put this together. Thoughtful and beautiful.

  I couldn’t help myself. I leaned forward and captured her lips. Neither of us expected it, but I wouldn’t let her tiny jolt of surprise deter me from enjoying the lushness of her full lips. Especially when she got over the surprise and got into the kiss.

  Her hand came up to cup the back of my neck. She leaned closer and slid the hand up into my hair. The feel of her fingers tightening at the base of my scalp, signifying her pleasure, was almost as good as the feel of her tongue nudging the seam of my lips. It tested and teased before slipping inside. I moaned at the welcome invasion. Her mouth opened wider at the sound, tongue dancing over mine. Her moan was softer but sent a bolt of fire through me.

  Not wanting to ruin this heady feeling, I pulled back to end the kiss. I let out a long breath still intoxicated by how good that had felt.

  A smile touched those perfect lips as red tinged her cheeks. “That was nice.”

  Nice? It blew my mind, and I’m pretty sure she felt the same. She wasn’t one for being overbearing, though. I liked her even more because of it. If she’d gushed or became bawdy, it would ruin the moment.

  “Very, and so is this picnic. You know just how to spoil someone.”

  She lost her smile, looked directly at me, and said, “I like you, Vivian.”

  My heart started to pound. “I like you, too, Natalie.”

  It would be so easy to fall for her. Just
as I’d always imagined it would be with the right person.

  29 Vivian

  The birthday barbeque ended up being a lot more fun that I could have hoped for. Turning forty freaked a lot of people out, but it was just another day for me. Zach put together a low key party that lasted throughout the afternoon and allowed almost everyone I knew to stop by for a little fun. It was nice to see all my friends together, even if what I really wanted to do was take Natalie away and enter a marathon makeout session. I’d been denied anything more than a single, solid, breathtaking kiss on our dates. It was almost as if she was holding back for fear she’d take it too far. She was obviously the sensible one in our duo.

  I smiled, thinking about being part of a duo again. It had been a few years since I’d been in a real relationship. The last couple of years had been a series of tepid first and second dates. Dates with Natalie were anything but tepid. We were taking things slowly, but we were anything but tepid. The pace suited me just fine. I was finally getting enough time to know a woman before emotions got distorted by a sexual relationship.

  Molly sank into the chair next to me. “Enjoying your party, old timer?”

  “Funny,” I smirked. “You’ve only got two years of daylight, yourself.”

  “I might have to start taking a cane with me on my hikes,” she joked about her job as an outdoor guide.

  “Send me a photo when that happens.”

  “Natalie’s holding up well.”

  “You mean she’s managed to deflect J&B from attack mode?”

  Molly snorted a laugh. “They ran into a brick wall with her. Glory and I had to walk away before we started rolling on the ground laughing.”

  I turned and gave her a questioning look. “They hit on her again?”

  “She shut them down before they could finish. Said she was seeing someone very special. Wouldn’t say who the special someone was, but it doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to figure it out.”

  “Why do you say that?” I hadn’t thought I’d given anything away today when I greeted Natalie in front of my friends.

  “Could it be the looks of agonizing longing she’s been shooting your way all afternoon? Dreamy, starry eyed content mixed with raw, hot desire. She’s got it bad.”

  My eyes flipped over to where Natalie stood with Cassie, Glory, and Mei. They were laughing about something, which was typical whenever those three got together. Natalie looked over in my direction, tipped her chin, and tuned back into what Mei was saying. Ten seconds later, her eyes returned to mine. Maybe Molly was right. I’d been thinking I was the one falling fast, but Natalie looked pretty involved herself.

  “You like her, right?” Molly asked.

  I didn’t normally talk about my dates or girlfriends to my friends. I wanted them to form their own opinions and treat them as individuals, not just my girlfriend. I could trust that Molly would be different, though. “I do. Really like her, actually.”

  Molly smiled and nudged my shoulder. “I can tell. I’m happy for you, Viv. She seems sweet.”

  “Unbelievably.”

  “You deserve it.”

  “You’re sweet, too.”

  “I am. I’m a frickin’ catch.”

  I started laughing. She would be a catch, for someone who wasn’t like me.

  “What’s so funny?” Dwight came over with another chicken wing in his hand. I didn’t know how he always stayed so skinny. He ate like an overweight trucker.

  “Molly’s a catch.”

  “That is funny,” he kidded.

  “Watch it, Bony,” she warned.

  He held up a hand. “We’re both catches. I’ll find you a hot lezzie if you catch me a brawny bear.”

  “You’re on your own, D.” Molly shook her head. “Not too many bears head my way.”

  “Then you’ll get the most out of this arrangement.”

  “What arrangement?” Tessa asked, joining us with her partner, Kathleen.

  “I want Molly as my pimp,” Dwight said.

  “Will you let her keep ninety percent of your earnings?” Kathleen snarked. Her attitude grated on me sometimes, which was exactly the reason I kept comments about my dates to myself. Tessa had vented about Kathleen to me a few times, and I had a hard time not letting that information affect my view of her.

  “Hilarious,” Dwight said.

  “Hey, I meant to tell you thanks again for suggesting Natalie for my last deal.” Tessa squeezed my shoulder. The gesture made Kathleen’s eyes narrow. Yet another reason she got on my nerves. Insecure jealousy was so petty. “The buyer wouldn’t have put in an offer if Natalie hadn’t come over to give a reasonable bid and assure him the work would be simple.”

  “She’s good at what she does.” A massive understatement, but I didn’t want to tip my hand about my true feelings for Natalie. I’d tell Tessa eventually, when Kathleen wasn’t around.

  Mason came barreling toward me but got snatched away by Molly before he reached me. He started giggling as soon as her tickling hands attacked him. Between gasps of breath, he asked, “Aunt Viv, did Ms. Nat show you yet?”

  “Mase!” Teddy yelled at him as he approached with Mitch’s youngest son. “Don’t spoil it.”

  I sat up and glanced over at Natalie. “Don’t spoil what?”

  Mason’s hands clapped over his mouth. His eyes were big saucers as Teddy continued shooting a glare at him. “Nothing.”

  “Dummy,” Teddy scolded.

  “That’s not a nice thing to say.”

  “Sorry,” he said immediately. His parents were big on showing respect. Name calling wasn’t allowed. “He shouldn’t have said anything.”

  “What did your dad say about tattling?” I asked, knowing the answer by heart because he and I had come up with it when we were kids.

  He looked away. “I’m going to need my brother not to tattle on me sometime, so don’t tattle on him now.”

  “Smart kids,” Molly praised, reaching out to tickle Teddy, too.

  Mitch came over to grab his son and say goodbye. It looked like the barbeque was finally ending. I was looking forward to the private celebration I was hoping to have with Natalie.

  My friends all took turns wishing me happy birthday and gathering their stuff to go. It had been a great party and a really nice but tiring day. Since starting the Eiben’s house, I’d only had Sundays off, and it was starting to get to me. I knew once Tessa sold the house, my share of the profit would put my house savings over the top. As a reward for completing the project, I intended to submit the plans I’d been perfecting since I was a design student. I looked forward to spending my forty-first birthday in my new home with a better view of my favorite spot by the river that edged our property.

  It took a half hour but nearly everyone cleared out. Glory and Lena were helping Cass clean up. Natalie was helping Zach rearrange the chairs on their deck. The boys were trying to help but mostly just clowning around.

  “Did you have a nice time?” Natalie asked when I approached.

  “I did.” Giving her a long smile, I reluctantly pulled my eyes away to thank my brother. “It was a nice idea, Zach, thanks.”

  “You’re welcome, sis. You’ll have to throw me a blow out when I get old, too.”

  I laughed. “Fifteen months, dude.”

  “Go ahead. We’ve got the rest of this.”

  I shot him a confused look but smiled when I thought of some time alone with Natalie. She held out her hand. I grabbed it without a second thought. Sometimes I think I missed holding hands more than sex when I wasn’t in a relationship. At least the sex I’d had in relationships. I had a feeling that wouldn’t hold true after being with Natalie.

  “I have a birthday surprise for you.”

  My smile brightened, thinking of all the wonderful birthday surprises she could have for me. A better glimpse of her smooth tan skin, more wonderful treatment by her talented lips, or better yet, finally spending the night together. That would be a very nice birthday surprise.

  �
�I hope you didn’t go to much trouble, Nat. You’re always doing nice things for me.”

  She smiled and leaned in for a quick kiss. “You do nice things for me, too.”

  We were heading toward the river, not my cabin, which confused me. My birthday surprise should be taking place inside, preferably on a bed, not by a river. I’d follow her anywhere, though, especially since we were on the path that led to my favorite place. I came out here to read or sketch all the time.

  She turned toward me. “Are you ready?”

  I nodded and stepped through the last of the trees into the clearing by the river. Usually there was some wild grass, rocks, and bushes surrounding a twelve by twelve dirt bank that led to the river. The kids and I would spend hours dipping our toes into the water, jumping from river rock to river rock, and sitting out on towels or beach chairs to watch the river and chat.

  What I saw now, brought tears to my eyes. Instead of the expanse of dirt with the occasional rock, the clearing had been filled in with sand. Like real sand, the kind I escape to every winter in the Caribbean. I loved sandy beaches. It was the one thing I missed by living here. Correction: used to miss.

  I turned to Natalie. “What did you do?”

  “I cleared it with Zach and Cass first,” she said quickly, misinterpreting my look.

  “You made me a beach?”

  “You said you love sand.”

  “But, Natalie, you made me a beach.”

  She shrugged. “It wasn’t that difficult. Dug down a foot and had a truck deliver the sand. It wasn’t too hard to push it around to fill in the area. You’ll have to replenish every few years, but for now, you have enough sand to make sand castles.”

  “You did this for me,” I whispered. It was unbelievable how thoughtful she was.

  “I wanted to make you happy.”

  “Oh, Natalie,” I reached forward and hugged her to me. “This is just…” I didn’t have the words. It was too much and just perfect and so romantic. Everything I’d always wanted from someone special but never thought I’d get.