Something so Grand

by Lynn Galli

  “Morning, babe,” she said as she got in. “I meant to say that on the phone.” She shut the door and leaned over to kiss me hello. She tasted of coffee and vanilla and pure sunshine loveliness.

  I pulled back and smiled, tucking a free strand of hair behind her ear. “Good morning, Vivi. Sorry I had to wake you up.”

  “It was necessary.” She grabbed for my hand as soon as I’d backed the truck up and turned us toward the highway. “Let’s hope this time there aren’t any disturbing messages.”

  I squeezed her fingers and instantly felt comforted by her reassuring return squeeze. She really liked holding hands. I’d recently become a fan myself. The other women I’d dated weren’t the hand holding type. This was a wonderful change.

  When we pulled up to the gates of the new house, I could see damage to one of the stone columns. He’d tried to wedge his truck between the column and the trees. That would take two hours to fix, but I should be thankful that he hadn’t just rammed through the security gate. The gate was a special order and would have blown the closing date on this house. I’d plant another tree beside the column when I was done to discourage anyone else from trying the same thing.

  I punched in the security code and drove us up to the house. “Jeez,” I muttered, surveying the damage.

  Cal’s truck had been towed already. The double carriage style door was completely off the track, crunched, and embedded in the far wall. Great. That would take the rest of the day and a trip to Glenwood Springs for new doors. That was the extent of the damage, though. The alarm system worked as advertised. Once the motion sensors were tripped, the police arrived in minutes. Cal must have been too drunk to get around to making a real plan before they arrived.

  “Unbelievable,” Vivian said, slipping out of the truck. She came around to link up with me before moving us toward the garage.

  “Pretty crappy thing to do,” I agreed.

  “Petty little asswipe,” she continued. “What did he think he’d prove by doing this? His last stunt didn’t stop you. Why would this?”

  “He must be hurting financially and emotionally.”

  She swiveled her head to look at me. “Don’t be sweet about him, Nat. He deserves your ire.”

  “You know, after we ran into Ryan, I did some checking on Cal’s status. He was down to one townhouse and needed to sell it fast or he’d lose that to the bank, too. I can see pulling desperate acts.”

  “Then pull them on his own sites. Get the insurance money. Don’t come after you. You did nothing to him.”

  “I took his best people.”

  “You included.” She shot me a grin. “Just don’t be sweet about him, please. I adore your sweetness, but save it for people who deserve it.”

  “I can fix your perfect design, Vivi,” I assured her, pulling her into my arms and hugging tightly.

  “It’s not my perfect design. It’s a good design, but I’m saving my perfect design for my own house. Beach cottage meets mountain cabin.”

  I nodded, pulling back slightly so I could look her in the eyes. “Good plan.”

  “You’ll build it for me, right? I want to start next spring as soon as the snow melts.”

  My heart swelled. “Of course.”

  “It could become your perfect house, too.”

  I sucked in a breath and felt my eyes blink in thought. “That sounds ideal.”

  She smiled and stole a quick kiss. “Ideal because you’ve always wanted to build your dream house but didn’t have a design? Or is living with me the ideal part?”

  I gave her a long look, pouring all the love I felt for her into it. She was what I’d been missing in my life, even when I was convinced nothing was missing. “Both, Vivi, definitely both.”

  SOMETHING SO GRAND. Copyright © 2012 by Lynn Galli. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For information address Penikila Press, LLC.

  Cover photo © 2012 Mike Norton/Shutterstock.com. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, events, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Other Publications by Lynn Galli

  Wasted Heart - Attorney Austy Nunziata moves across the country to try to snap out of the cycle of pining for her married best friend. Despite knowing how pointless her feelings are, five months in the new city hasn’t seemed to help. When she meets FBI agent, Elise Bridie, that task becomes a lot easier.

  Imagining Reality - Changing a reputation can be the hardest thing anyone can do, even among her own friends. But Jessie Ximena has been making great strides over the past year to do just that. Will anyone, even her good friends, give her the benefit of the doubt when it comes to finding a forever love?

  Uncommon Emotions - When someone spends her days ripping apart corporations, compartmentalization is key. Love doesn’t factor in for Joslyn Simonini. Meeting Raven Malvolio ruins the harmony that Joslyn has always felt, introducing her to passion for the first time in her life.

  Blessed Twice - Briony Gatewood has considered herself a married woman for fifteen years even though she’s spent the last three as a widow. Her friends have offered to help her get over the loss of her spouse with a series of blind dates, but only a quiet, enigmatic colleague can make Briony think about falling in love again.

  Full Court Pressure - The pressure of being the first female basketball coach of a men’s NCAA Division 1 team may pale in comparison to the pressure Graysen Viola feels in her unexpected love life.

  Finally - Willa Lacey never thought acquiring five million in venture capital for her software startup would be easier than suppressing romantic feelings for a friend. Having never dealt with either situation, Willa finds herself torn between what she knows and what could be.

  Mending Defects – Small town life for Glory Eiben has always been her ideal. With her rare congenital heart defect, keeping family and friends close by preserves her easygoing attitude. When Lena Coleridge moves in next door, life becomes anything but easy. Lena is a reluctant transplant and even more reluctant friend. Their growing friendship adds many layers to Glory’s ideal.