“Okay.” I also agree.
“That leaves these three.” Picking them up, she walks back into the house. Through the window, I watch as she sets down the samples onto the floor. She steps back and stares down. Then, she moves two of the three into the main living area. It’s a fascinating process. When she returns, she’s got all three samples, but only sets one down. “This one.”
“Okay. Why’d you choose that one?”
“Because it looks the best in both the living area and closest to the windows. Plus, it’s a medium color and it’s sort of rough-looking. It fits the place.”
It’s the one sample with smooth grooves in it, like it’s been carved by hand. They haven’t been.
“I love it.” No lie.
“You do?” She appears surprised by my response.
“I do. I get why you picked it.” I smile. “I knew you’d be good at this.” I grab the planks that’ve been eliminated and take them back to the garage. When I return, she’s got the kitchen cabinet samples out next to the choice of flooring.
I watch in fascination as she painstakingly designs my kitchen. She’s chosen a simple shaker cabinet design in a rustic brown hue. “This goes with the cabin vibe of the place.” Picking up a cabinet sample, she winces. “Would it be crazy to do the island in this?” It’s a deep green color.
I shrug. “We’ve done that before. The island in a different color. I like it. It always makes the space feel…”
“Unique?”
“Yeah.” I nod. “So green because…”
“Green for the trees around the house or … what about blue?” She chooses a sample that’s somewhere been navy blue and a medium blue. “For the lake.”
“Love the blue. It’s my favorite color.” It’s also the color of her eyes. The happy ones looking up at me.
“Perfect.” She sets it down on top of the flooring. “Countertop next?”
“Sure.” In no time, she’s got the kitchen done and she’s on to the bathrooms. We’ve been working on this for over an hour when I hear her stomach growl. “Why don’t we cook those steaks?”
“Oh.” She sounds disappointed, like I’m asking her to stop working.
“Tell you what, I’ll cook. You design.”
“Okay.”
Her head moves down to the samples on the table, and back she goes to work.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The Most Fun
I’ve never had this much fun doing anything in. My. Life. Who knew making hardwood flooring choices would make my heart flutter? I love those home shows, but I never thought I’d get the chance to do something like this in real life. Not only that, Sam seems to like my ideas. I’m hard at work when I feel his hand on my shoulder. “Ready to take a little break?”
Honestly? No. But I am hungry.
I look to our left, and he’s got a table set up. With a tablecloth. The two folding chairs are on either side of it. Stepping closer, I see each plate is filled with a huge piece of steak and a baked potato. There’s a small bowl filled with salad as well.
“How’d you make potatoes?”
He smirks. “Microwave in the garage.”
I guess he’d need someplace to make food while he works on this house. Sam pulls out the chair for me. Sitting, I say, “Thank you.” I wait until he’s in his chair before I really look at the table. There’s sour cream for the potato and two salad dressing choices. My wineglass has somehow made its way over here as well. “You’ve thought of everything.”
“I tried.” He gives me a shy smile. “I wanted to make an impression.”
I watch as he holds up a bottle of water. I raise my wineglass as well and wait for him to say something. I’m a bit nervous.
