Breathinginthefresh,new carpet air, Haley halted mid-inhale, hacking and coughing out the fumes that singed her nose hairs. Damn, that was downright noxious. Even after opening every window in the house wide open, her vision was still blurred as her eyes tried to flush it out.
Yet it was an improvement from the thick layer of dust that still coated her sinuses.
She grabbed her purse and headed into the garage, which was now fully functional thanks to the garage door opener she’d installed while the flooring crew was doing their thing. For all her designs before, she hadn’t installed much. Her arms still trembled from the exertion and her shin throbbed where there was likely a permanent indent, but she did it. And it felt so freaking good.
Maybe she was tooting her own horn a bit soon, but she was pretty good at this stuff. Watch out Bob Vila.
She hopped into the Land Rover, tossed her purse onto the passenger seat, cranked up the stereo, and slipped on her aviator glasses. As Grady would say,Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.
Chuckling, she thought how much fun she’d had yesterday, the adventure of getting to know her family all over again. Grady and Claire had brought breakfast sandwiches and stayed until dusk, buffing and polishing. She and her brothers had been close as kids, but it had been tough so far apart, all of them too busy through school to visit much.
And Claire. She was so normal and goofy and down to earth. So good for Grady, who took himself way too seriously. Used to anyway. Actually, seeing how he had dug his heels in and decided to be the man he wanted to be, was damn inspiring.
After they’d left, she’d hardly slept, wired after spending the day visiting with people she was completely herself with. Not just because she could, but because they brought it out in her.
And, despite her muscles screaming at her, she felt so… alive. Naturally, muscles were important for basic functioning, but to be able to feel them again? Fan-freaking-tastic.
High on satisfaction, or perhaps carpet emissions, she drove straight to her favorite pub, knowing it wasn’t just the food she was looking forward to. Parking was at a premium in town tonight; she was lucky to find a spot around the corner. Checking her reflection in the mirror, she smoothed a few unruly eyebrow hairs, ran her fingers through her hair, and checked her teeth were free of lunch debris.
After a much-needed shower, she’d tossed on a simple cream-colored sundress and low boots. A little boho with a hint of edge, she’d always liked the look. It didn’t hurt that Nate hadn’t liked it one bit. Too short, too hippy, and too many eyelets.
One of her quiet rebellions. She was never going to be the picture-perfect show-wife again, but she still liked to feel pretty. For her. Maybe she’d add a style page to her blog and pull in more revenue.
The moment she stepped into the pub, she instantly relaxed at the mouthwatering scent on the air. Not interested in the quiet table in the corner, she sought an open stool at the bar. Appearing in the doorway from the kitchen, her favorite part of the pub was still laughing from some shared joke with the cook, or so she assumed, as he backed out of the kitchen, rich laughter warming the air, his grin still genuine as he turned and delivered plates to a pair of customers at the bar.
Catching sight of her, he halted, crossing his arms over his chest, a slow smile forming just for her.Pitter patter, her pulse tap-danced a hearty rhythm that spun her imagination for a dizzying twirl. He motioned to the end of the bar and rubbed his towel over the surface so it was fresh and clean for her.
Without any input from her brain, she floated over. Spinning a coaster like a top, he slapped it down and slid it to the spot he’d cleared.
“Hey.” He grinned, resting his hands on the bar in front of her. Damn, she wanted to trace the lines that defined his arms. Did he spend all day at the gym?
“Hey,” she answered, the corner of her mouth tugging up like a fish on a hook. Worth every nibble of the bait.
“Welcome back. Bury any dead animals this morning?”
“What? Oh.” She chuckled softly. “No, thank goodness. I don’t think I’ll ever figure out how he got in. I have clean floors and functioning appliances now, so things are looking up.”
“Floors and appliances, huh? Not so much on the furniture?”
“Not so much.”
“Beer?”
“Please. Same as last time if you’ve got it.”
Stepping back, he moved to the taps.
The server helping the table behind her smiled as she passed. “I love those boots.”
“Thanks.”
With a wink, the server sashayed past, her ponytail keeping a metronomic rhythm with each sway of her hips.
Her favorite bartender returned a moment later with her beer, setting it on the coaster and sliding it toward her. “This one’s a little hoppier. Let me know what you think.” Hands resting on the bar in front of her, he gaged her reaction, the corners of his yummy lips turned up in anticipation.
She took a testing sip, the bubbles filling her mouth and buzzing down her throat. “Even better.”
“The guys at Black Op Brewing make us try out their creations before they bottle and send out for mass production.”
