“Ithink Mindy will like this.” Riley wiped her hands on her jeans and smiled as she looked around the room. “I’m pleased with how it turned out.”
“You’ve outdone yourself,” Quinn said, stepping inside. “The transformation is astonishing.”
Riley felt proud as she took in her hard work from the past days. The walls in Quinn’s old bedroom were stripped and painted a beautiful shade of light blue. White linen curtains graced the big windows; underneath them stood a beige antique chaise longue she’d bought in the second-hand furniture store and a coffee table with some books and a vase filled with white roses. She’d painted the big closet white, and she’d borrowed a huge, four-poster bed from the basement, which was topped with a new mattress and white and blue bed linen. She’d used her own art from New York on the walls, as the modern, neutral-toned paintings looked nice in here, and she’d adorned the bed with decorative pillows from the hardware store. There was a pretty dressing table with a velvet stool, a large antique mirror, and the nightstands had cute little reading lamps that projected stars onto the ceiling. It wasn’t necessarily a children’s room, but she was sure Mindy would be delighted with her dressing table and big-girl bed that could fit at least seven kids her size. The off-white rug that covered most of the floor was thick and soft with a subtle light-blue speck running through it, and it was the finishing touch that brought everything together in perfect harmony. The light was beautiful in Quinn’s old bedroom, Riley noticed, as the sun shone through the windows, but best of all was the view over the yard and the river. “You must have loved this room.”
“Yeah. It feels peaceful, doesn’t it?”
Riley nodded. Having Quinn here had taught her to appreciate the house, and now that it was slowly coming together, she felt more and more at home in the mansion she’d so regretted buying only two and a half months ago. “I haven’t started on the adjacent bathroom yet, but that’s a big job, so it’ll have to wait. It’s working, and it’s clean.”
“She’s going to be so happy.” Quinn turned to the doorframe and placed a hand on her heart when she spotted the ridges. “You left my markers.”
“I painted over it very lightly, then removed the paint from the ridges,” Riley said. “I managed to restore the writing next to it too. It took me ages because I had to use a safety pin.”
“That’s so sweet. You didn’t have to do that.” Quinn inched closer and cupped Riley’s face.
“I did have to. It’s your history, and it’s one of the things that make this house special, even to me.” Riley leaned in to kiss her, and as their lips brushed, warmth surged through her. “I want you to know that I respect your history, and I’m seeing Aster House in a different light, now that I know you better.” She smiled shyly. “I’m crazy about you, Quinn.” Riley wasn’t one for throwing her feelings on the table, but it was easy to be open and honest with Quinn, and she wasn’t afraid to be vulnerable around her.
“I’m crazy about you too, babe.” Quinn ran her fingers through Riley’s hair and met her eyes. “How could I not be?”
Riley went weak at her gaze. The impact those eyes had on her was something she might never get used to. “I’m so relieved you’re okay with my changes.” She paused. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately, about the house…”
“What do you mean?”
“Income-wise. I’ll be okay for the coming ten years, but if I want to live comfortably long-term, I’ll need some form of income. And I was wondering if it might be an idea to turn Aster House into a guesthouse, just for the summer seasons. If I had it to myself in winter, it wouldn’t be a huge commitment.”
“A guesthouse…” Quinn pursed her lips as she pondered over that. “You mean like a bed-and-breakfast?”
“Exactly. Just a peaceful place to spend the night for people who visit Mystic.” Riley shrugged. “I have to be careful not to get too stressed, but I already have a cleaner, and if I hire an additional housekeeper, I could easily handle it.”
“Huh.” Quinn frowned. “I wonder why none of the previous owners have thought of that. It’s a great idea.”
“Really? You think so?”
“Yeah. Aster House has the perfect layout and all the amenities anyone could want. A beautiful yard, it’s on the water and walking distance from the city center…” Quinn shot her a mischievous smile. “And, if you really wanted to make the most out of it, you could even have a little prohibition-inspired bar in the basement. People would love that.”
Riley laughed. “Who wouldn’t get excited by entering a bar through a bookcase, right?” She pulled Quinn closer by her waist and kissed her again. “I love your idea, and I’ll definitely give it some thought. How was your day, by the way?”
“Not as productive as yours, but it was good. My team installed a kitchen, and in my break, I met Lindsey to look at a house. She called me this morning because she’d just received a new listing and she thought it would be perfect for me.”
“Oh? I didn’t know you were actively looking,” Riley said. A hint of unease tugged at her, and she wasn’t sure why.
“I’m not.” Quinn shrugged. “But I figured there wouldn’t be any harm in viewing it. It’s a nice town house.”
“Just nice? You don’t sound too keen.”
Quinn ran her hands over Riley’s behind and raised her eyes to the ceiling as she let out a deep sigh. “I don’t know. On paper, it’s perfect for me, but I wasn’t really feeling it.”
“Because it wasn’t Aster House?” Riley asked, immediately regretting bringing it up. She didn’t want the house to stand between them, yet she suspected it was inevitable. They were dating, butshehad what Quinn wanted. Therefore, the balance was somewhat off, and sometimes that made her uncomfortable.
“No…” Quinn hesitated, then smiled and shook her head. “It has nothing to do with Aster House. I just wasn’t feeling it.”
55
QUINN
It was one of those days to remember, Quinn thought. She put an arm around Riley and kissed her temple as they walked toward Mystic town. It was the first evening of the year that she didn’t need a coat or a cover-up, and with the sun setting over the river, Riley by her side, and a free weekend ahead of them, she couldn’t be happier. The town lay quietly along the riverbank as the shops were closed now, and the restaurants along the pier were getting ready for the evening, their staff arranging furniture underneath the heaters on the terraces and bringing out blankets.
“It’s a beautiful town,” Riley said. “I can see that now.”
