Al gave the floors a light sand and three heavy coats of satin polyurethane. “More than enough,” she’d said, “…to keep them safe from all the wear and tear associated with feeding customers night after night.”
New paint, days of polishing crystal chandeliers, more days wiping down the ceiling plaster, and the place looked positively regal. In just over a month, the work had transformed the ragged-looking dining space into something spectacular.
“What about this area?” Christie asked about the sitting area after we finished the dining room.
“That’s the next project I need to discuss with you both,” Evan said, leaning back in his chair with eyes closed. “But not tonight. I’m positively wasted.”
Al cocked her eyebrow at him, but his eyes remained shut, and he didn’t notice.
“So, the health department comes tomorrow morning for their inspection. After that, we can announce our reopening,” Christie said.
“When do you want us here?” I asked, and Christie smiled.
“Not us, just Evan and me.” She looked over at Al and smiled. “Last time we had an official inspection, my wife almost turned the poor woman into a toad.”
“Ugh, that woman was horrible,” Al said. “She didn’t deserve to be a toad. A wart on the back of a toad—”
“See what I mean?” Christie interrupted, gesturing toward Al and causing me to chuckle.
“Probably wise. We’ll stay away,” I said, and looked over at Evan, who still had his eyes shut. “I’m going to get this one home before he falls asleep and I have to carry him out.”
One of Evan’s eyes popped open then, and he smiled before pretending to snore.
Al and Christie chuckled. “We’re headed home too. Night, boys,” Al said, taking her wife’s hand and leading her out of the manor.
“Come on, Evan, your golf cart chariot awaits.”
“No carrying me out?” he asked, teasing, then pretended to snore again. I got up and quickly pulled him into my arms, making him squeal. “Wait, I was kidding.”
I bounced him in my arms a few times before swinging out the front door and using my foot to shut it. When I placed him in the passenger side of the golf cart, I bent down and kissed him. It was the first time we’d kissed since the night we’d attended the concert. Only this time, it wasn’t chaste.
“Mmm,” he murmured into the kiss. When I pulled back, he asked, “What did I do to deserve that?”
“You just being you,” I said, climbing into the other side of the cart to drive us home.
Evan laid his head on my arm as we bounced along the forest trail to the cottage. It felt so good to have him cuddled into me like that, so I put my arm around him and drew him into my side.
When we got home, he said no to supper and headed upstairs. Al and I had surprised Evan with a newly painted and upgraded bathroom just a few days before, so I assumed he was headed there. Most of the work on the manor’s dining room was done, and he and Christie had been planning the menu, setting up separate duties, and even hiring staff, leaving Al and me with little to do. I felt getting his bathroom up and running was the best use of our time.
Well, mostly my time. Al was still running their business back in town. The three-quarter bath hadn’t been much work, really. Of course, looking at the space, I had a feeling Evan would make even the plain bathroom his own in no time.
The thrill in my heart the evening he came home and saw the redone bathroom was enough to light me up for decades. I’d learned I loved few things more than making that man happy. It wasn’t difficult to do either.
Evan was the kind of man who appreciated when you made an effort to do something, anything, for him. That just touched on my natural love language to show I cared through my actions. The more time I spent with the man, and we’d spent a hell of a lot of time together the past few weeks, the more I knew Evan Garland was about as compatible with me as any man could be.
That thought inspired and terrified me. Mostly inspired, but I couldn’t deny the fear element of loving a man who might not return my affection. Our kiss tonight, though, gave me hope.
31
Evan
“Want something to eat?”Cary asked as I dashed out of the cart to avoid the uncomfortably amazing feeling of being carried in his strong arms again. I’d swear I’d almost swooned like some Hollywood starlet in an old black-and-white movie.
“Nah, the lunch Christie brought over was enough. I’m still full. I’m going to head up and shower,” I said as a way to extract myself before I said or did something stupid.
Cary laughed. Of course, that man was nothing but muscle, so I wasn’t surprised he could still put food away. We knew today would be the last day of the renovations, so Christie had inundated us with mostly desserts she was trying out for the menu. God, I loved working with her and Al, even though Al wasas stubborn as an old mule, as my grandmother used to say.
I felt so at home with them, and even in my new home with Cary. It was hard not to make more of that than was there. I was seriously crushing on the man. Not just for his intensely handsome looks but also because he was sweet and kind.
