Diana found Rowan in the kitchen at seven AM, coffee already brewed, blueprints spread across the table like he'd been planning something all night.
"Morning," she said, pouring herself a mug. "You're up early."
"Couldn't sleep. Been thinking about that attic space you mentioned." He tapped the architectural drawing with his pencil. "The one for living quarters."
"Oh." Diana settled into the chair across from him, studying his face. No tension lines around his eyes today, no careful distance in his posture. "What about it?"
"You said I could choose a room to restore my way."
"I did."
"I choose that one."
Diana's pulse quickened. The attic had been her private dream, the space she'd imagined turning into a real home within the inn. Somewhere permanent, somewhere that belonged to her completely.
"It's not much to look at right now," she said carefully. "Just raw beams and old floorboards."
"Best kind of space to work with. Honest bones, good light." Rowan rolled up the plans. "Want to take a look?"
"Now?"
"Now."
They climbed to the third floor, past guest rooms and storage closets, up the narrow staircase that led to the attic door. Rowan pushed it open and stepped aside, letting Diana enter first.
Morning light poured through the dormer windows, turning dust motes into tiny dancers. The space stretched long and wide, raw pine rafters overhead, planked floors worn smooth by decades of storage use. It smelled of old wood and possibility.
"Wide windows," Rowan said, moving to the largest dormer. "Honest wood." He ran his palm along a support beam. "Sky."
Diana joined him at the window. The view swept across Hollow Oak's rooftops toward Moonmirror Lake, autumn trees blazing gold and red in the distance.
"You really want this room?"
"Yeah. Question is whether you want me to have it."
The careful phrasing made her heart skip. This wasn't just about renovation anymore.
"What would you do with it?"
"Make it livable. Proper insulation, drywall, built-in storage. Maybe a small kitchen area in that alcove." He gestured toward a recessed space near the stairs. "Bedroom space here by the big windows. Sitting area there."
"That sounds like a lot of work."
"Good thing I like working with my hands."
Diana walked the perimeter, imagining the space transformed. "The inn's insurance covers living quarters for the manager."
"Does it cover live-in contractors?"
"Depends on the contractor."
Rowan set down his tool bag and pulled out a paint chart, colors marked with small x's. "What do you think? For the walls."
Diana studied the swatches. Soft sage, warm cream, pale gray that matched his eyes. Colors that would complement the natural wood without overwhelming it.
"These are beautiful. Very... peaceful."
"That's the idea." He handed her a brush. "Want to test some samples?"
