Duncan led the way through a door into a space that was decorated similarly to his office, but with a large table surrounded by chairs dominating the space. The room was bright because, like his office, one wall was essentially all glass.
“Have a seat,” Duncan said as he sank down into the chair at the head of the table.
Jude sat next to Garrett, while Angela and Kiara took seats opposite them. There were rolls of white paper on the table between them.
Garrett pulled a tablet out of his briefcase and set it on the table in front of him.
“So, I have the blueprints here for Annie’s house and also for Jude’s.” Duncan looked at Jude. “Hope that’s okay.”
“It’s fine.”
Duncan stared at Jude for a long moment before reaching for the rolled papers. “These will give you an idea of what we’ve already done for the homes on the estate.”
“Do you have a location already picked out for this?” Kiara asked.
“Yes, there’s a suitable spot halfway between Annie’s and Jude’s. But there is plenty of forest between all the sites, so you can’t even see the other cabins.”
Angela watched as Duncan unrolled the paper and used some coasters to hold down the corners. There had been some mention of them going to see Annie’s home, but it hadn’t happened, so she was curious to see what it was like.
“Annie’s home is two stories,” Duncan said, then went on to describe its layout, pointing to the papers as reference. It seemed like a nice place for her sister. “Now Jude’s place is bigger, as it was built with a family in mind.”
Jude cleared his throat as Duncan moved on to the other set of rolled papers. “My dad and I moved in there when we came to Idaho.”
“Yes. And it became your home with his death.”
Angela saw again that Duncan viewed Jude as more than just another employee. She wondered whether Jude was aware of that.
She was curious about his home, so she listened more intently when Duncan described it.
“It has four bedrooms, with the master on the main floor. There’s also a space that could be used as a study or a nursery.”
Angela lifted her gaze to find Jude watching her. When their eyes met, something flickered across Jude's expression before he looked away, his jaw tightening. Angela felt heat rise in hercheeks and forced herself to focus on the blueprints spread across the table.
"So," Garrett said, opening his tablet and pulling up what looked like a questionnaire. "Let's start with the basics. Are you thinking of sharing one home, or would you prefer separate residences?"
Angela glanced at Kiara, who shrugged. "We've never really had the option of choosing before."
"What do you think would work best for you?" Duncan asked gently.
"I think… maybe one home?" Angela said hesitantly, glancing at Kiara. "At least for now. We've always been together."
Kiara nodded. "But maybe with our own separate wings or something? So we each have privacy when we want it?"
"That's definitely doable," Garrett said, making notes on his tablet. "What about size? How many bedrooms are you thinking of?"
"I don't know," Angela admitted. "This is all so overwhelming."
"Why don't we start with what you each like to do?" Garrett suggested. "That will help me understand what kind of spaces you'd each want."
Angela felt her cheeks warm. "I like to bake. And read."
"So maybe a really nice kitchen? And a cozy reading nook?"
"That sounds amazing," she said softly, still unable to believe they were actually giving their input into a home that would one day be theirs.
"I love to read too," Kiara added. "And I'd like space for puzzles and maybe crafts. Oh, and a space for lots of plants."
"A sunroom would be perfect for plants," Garrett said, his stylus moving across the tablet as he took notes. "And we could design built-in shelving for books. What about entertaining? Do you see yourselves hosting family gatherings?"
