“All right. You may have just invented a color. I don’t know if we can order tiles in any color your imagination cooks up, though.”
“Shut up. I know the tiles you’re talking about and Iknowthey come in this color. I saw the same catalog.”
“If you say so.”
“I do. Just… concentrate on driving, babe. We’re almost there.”
Chapter Nineteen
THE CRUZEShadn’t seen their house since they’d approved the final design plan, back when the house had still been stripped to the studs. Nolan felt that same stomach-churning nervousness he’d felt before they’d revealed the Roberts house. They went through the now familiar routine of making last-minute tweaks to make it look like they’d been designing up to the last possible minute. In truth, they kind of had been; he and Grayson had been in the house finalizing things until 2:00 a.m.
This was their first attempt at designing an entire house. It had been a huge undertaking. Some of the furniture had been the Cruzes’ already; they had most of their belongings in storage while they bunked with Lara’s parents. Nolan and Grayson had raided the storage unit over the weekend, with the Cruzes’ permission, and had taken all the furniture and art they liked. But even if they’d taken everything, the Cruzes now had more house than they had stuff, so Nolan and Grayson still had to supplement what they had. It had meant a lot of shopping for furniture, bedding, and other household supplies. But not having to buyeverythinghad been a blessing for the budget, and Nolan had splurged on a beautiful teal sofa that was a bold design statement but fit well into the new space.
So the Cruzes arrived at the door and Nolan and Grayson let them in. Lara immediately screamed, while Jason just stood there, dumbfounded. The first thing that popped out of his mouth was “Hey, there are walls.”
“We did a little more than just put up walls,” said Nolan.
Nolan led the house tour, explaining the decisions they’d made on the way. The kitchen was where things got really emotional, though.
“It’s so beautiful.” Lara ran her hands over the counter. “Oh, Jason, can’t you just picture our future children sitting at the island for breakfast? I could make waffles, you could make scrambled eggs. We could do the crossword at that little table over there.”
Grayson sniffed. “That second bedroom would make a beautiful nursery.”
“Oh, you’re so right! We didn’t want to think about kids until the house was settled, but now that it’s ready for us…. Jason, I really think this is going to be our forever home. The place where we raise our kids. Where we grow old together.”
“I’m so happy for you,” said a watery Grayson.
It wasn’t that Nolan didn’t feel emotions. He was touched by how happy the Cruzes seemed. And he was glad he could do this for them. The swing in emotion from their distress over their wall-less house to their relief and delight over the finished house was really something.
He and Ricky had redone their house in LA themselves, so Nolan knew firsthand how stressful a renovation could be. He could imagine the relief the Cruzes felt in this finished space.
“You know what I really appreciate?” said Lara. “This tile here. The wallpaper in the living room. All these beautiful, colorful touches that make this different from the same generic house they do on most home renovation shows.”
“You guys aren’t beige, neutral people,” Nolan said.
“No, we aren’t! And you understood that. Look at the backsplash in the kitchen. These tiles are so pretty, and they tie in with the rest of the design really well.” Lara looked around the room again. “I can’t believe I live in a house designed by Nolan Hamlin.”
Nolan glanced at Grayson, who didn’t look offended. Probably because he was too busy wiping the tears from his eyes.
Mostly, Nolan was thrilled the Cruzes liked the house so much. Jason liked the stainless-steel appliances and the coffee bar in the corner that had been Grayson’s idea. Lara loved the tiles and colors they’d chosen for the bathrooms. Jason liked the custom entertainment center they’d built for the living room. Lara loved the teal sofa.
Overall, job well done. That was now three episodes in the bank.
“How do you guys feel?” Helena asked when they got back to the cars.
“Good,” said Nolan.
“I’m so glad they liked it,” said Grayson, now in better control of his emotions but still sniffling.
Nolan threw an arm around Grayson and gave him a sideways hug. Grayson sniffed again.
“So, like, not to be nosy,” said Helena, “but are you guys dating? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. It’s none of my business.”
Grayson glanced at Nolan, a questioning look in his eyes. So Nolan decided to answer. “Yeah, I guess we are. You’re not going to put that on the show, though, are you? I’m not ready to go public with this.”
“No, no, I was just curious. But if you change your mind, the Restoration Channel audience loves to really get to know the show hosts. Maybe we could add a couple of talking heads where you discuss what’s happening with you personally. Nothing too in-depth, but Nolan, you’re adopting a child. That’s a big deal. Maybe you could talk about that?”
Nolan’s knee-jerk reaction to that was to refuse, but then he thought about those kids at Rainbow House and how he would have reacted to seeing a gay parent when he’d been a teenager. “I’ll think about it.”
