Nick chuckled. “We wouldn’t want that. I’ll touch base with you tomorrow. Sweet dreams.”
Kat told him goodnight and ended the call with his parting comment echoing in her brain. He’d touch base tomorrow. Slow heat spread through her veins. Would this become an every-night thing?
Before she closed the laptop, Kat checked her email one last time and found a message from Nana Kitty. True to her word, she’d gotten set up with a new computer and email account. Kat opened the message.
Hello, Sweetie,
I had lunch with your father today, and he let me know the tickets for our trip to New York are booked. I’m so excited. I only wish we didn’t have to wait so long. Have a wonderful week, and we’ll talk soon. Much love, Nana
Kat put a hand to her lips as her breath caught in her throat. Plane tickets made it real.
* * *
Every time the phone buzzed, Nick jumped. Now that Friday had finally arrived, he was more nervous than he’d been at the interview. Jittery and on edge. Not the best condition for working with sharp saws and blades. He’d kept a close eye on both his email account and cell phone, but a call was what he wanted. If they chose him, they’d pick up the phone.
Not quite trusting himself to tackle the precision cuts for Rebecca’s mantel, Nick spent the day working the panels that would become her bookcases instead. Simple, straight cuts that he could probably perform in his sleep. When the rattle of his phone against the table startled him, Nick checked the time—two-forty-five. That meant four-forty-five in New York. The end of the workweek. Sucking in a deep breath, he picked up the call.
“Nick Summers.”
“Hey, Nick. It’s Charles McAllister with HomeBuilders. How’s Friday treating you?”
“So far, so good,” Nick said. The real answer would depend on this call, he added silently.
“Well, I’ve got some news for you.”
“Great.”
“Here’s the deal. We want to offer you a three-segment guest series, one spot each on kitchen cabinets, fireplace mantels, and miscellaneous custom wood pieces like bookcases, benches, and railings. Live filming to start this spring. If that sounds good to you, I’ll send the written proposal and terms so you can look over the details. Then, we’ll see about getting you back in here to sign the contract and get acquainted with the crew and procedures. You good with that?”
“Of course. Sounds great.” Grinning, he gave a private fist pump. “I really appreciate the opportunity.”
“Good deal. I’m sending the email right now, so you should have it any minute.”
“Perfect. I’ll take a look right away.”
“Call with any questions, and welcome to the team.”
Nick couldn’t help a catch in his throat. “I– Yeah. Thanks, again.”
“You bet. We’ll be in touch.”
Nick waited until Charles had signed off before he ended the call and let out a loud whoop. Then he jogged upstairs to look at his computer. He’d go over the terms, but there wasn’t a doubt in his mind the answer was yes.
He nudged the mouse, and the computer came to life. The photos of Kat that he’d had open smiled on the screen as if she were congratulating him. His pulse hummed. Like it or not, New York City was calling to him.
* * *
“Seriously?” Kat muttered under her breath. That had to be the third text or call to her phone in the last five minutes. She just needed to get this order placed before she could deal with whatever else was coming at her.
The “deep dive” Cassie had warned about had launched with a vengeance. The entire team had arrived early and stayed late all week. Seemed Kat barely got home before she had to turn around and catch the subway again.TGIF. She switched off her desk light then pulled her phone from the drawer and flipped through the activity. A missed call from Mia and several texts.
It’d been a couple of days since they’d talked and— Oh, shoot. Kat put a hand to her temple. Next week was Mia’s birthday, and Kat had forgotten they needed to make plans. Weeks ago—before project bamboo and Nick Summers—she’d offered to host a get-together. Was there any way she still could? If they got a lot done this weekend, maybe she could pull off something.
Oh, my gosh! Kat’s eyes focused on another text. From Nick.
—“Hey, I got some good news today. Give me a call when you can.”—
Good news! He must’ve got the HomeBuilders spot.Wowza. She wouldn’t take the time to call right now, but she had to at least read the full text. She barely managed to contain her squeal. He got it. He’d landed a spot on HomeBuilders. Unexpected pride rushed through Kat. She hurried toward the elevator and was about to put the phone away when it chimed, and Mia’s face appeared on the screen.
