Willow got thoroughly into the thick of renovations at the Rockwell Mansion. Not only did she love making the design decisions and putting together a plan with Ross, the cabinet maker, she was not opposed to rolling up her sleeves and helping with the manual labor. By the end of the week, she’d successfully removed wallpaper from the living room and foyer. “If I were to have a second career, I think it would be something like this,” she told Cliff as she turned off the steam machine. “It’s so fun watching this house coming back to life.” She pointed to the bare wall. “Even without paint, it looks so much lighter and brighter. Like the house is getting happier.”
He chuckled. “That’d be a good slogan for your new restoration company.Making homes happier.”
She nodded. “I like it.”
“I just stopped by to check on a couple of things. Are you taking a lunch break today?” He looked at his watch. “It’s past one.”
She dropped a sheet of soggy wallpaper into the garbage pail. “Come to think of it, I am hungry.”
“Want to join me?” He smiled pleasantly. “We can discuss some kitchen decisions.”
“A business lunch?” She frowned down at her stained overalls and flip-flops. “I’m not exactly dressed for success.”
He chuckled. “It won’t matter at the place where I’m taking you. It’s come as you are. All the construction dudes eat there.”
“Sounds like my kind of place.”
Cliff’s pickup was one of those where Willow almost needed a stepladder to get into the cab. Fortunately, Cliff gave her a hand. As he drove he told her that he’d just met with Ross. “He’s off to a great start, but he wanted to double-check on a few things.” He handed her a short list. She’d just finished reading through it when he parked in front of Dot’s Diner. “This is the place,” he announced. He hurried around to open her door and help her down. “They’ve got the best burgers in town.”
He was just leading her into the fifties-style restaurant when Willow noticed George across the street—staring directly at her. She waved to him, but without responding, he simply turned and hurried away. Although she felt slighted, she was glad to see him out and about. Hopefully that meant he was feeling better. But it was disheartening that he’d ignored her.
George didn’t know why he felt so angry as he walked home from the doctor’s office. He really should’ve been feeling happy that the doctor had given him such a clean bill of health. Especially since George had felt certain that he was dying. “Stress can make you feel very unwell,” the doctorhad told him. “I recommend you find some activities to alleviate your stress.”
“Such as?” He’d attempted to conceal his irritation at the doctor’s suggestion. After all, George was retired. He had a hammock and a cat. Why should he be “stressed”?
“Yoga. Reading. Music. Walks. Gardening. Whatever helps you to relax and enjoy life.” He’d smiled as if to say,That’s it ... next appointment, please.So George had felt miffed as he’d exited the medical office. Then to see Willow being helped out of the big black pickup with a contractor’s name on the side of it ... well, that hadn’t helped any.
As George stormed through town he assumed that Cliff Grant Construction was the company working on his grandparents’ house. Even though George had given Willow free rein there, he now wondered if that was a mistake. Not so much because of the house. Oddly enough, he didn’t feel too concerned about that. But he did not like the way it had looked as the tall, dark-haired man had helped Willow out of that pickup. It looked far too friendly and intimate. And unless George was mistaken, the man was younger. What did Willow think she was doing?
By the time George got home, he felt a bit silly for his earlier anxieties. First of all, the doctor could be right. Perhaps George did need some stress-relieving activities. And besides that, it was none of his business what Willow did in her spare time. Or any of her time. They’d made it perfectly clear they were only friends. Why should he feel so jealous of the handsome contractor?
George considered the doctor’s recommended activities. Well, George had already tried tai chi—and wasn’t sure he wanted to go again. He read daily and would continue to doso. As for music ... well, Simon and Garfunkel had nearly done him in. That left walks, which he’d just done. And gardening. He glanced out the back window to see his grass looked long and shaggy—with dozens of dandelions in full bloom. When had he last mowed? Or weeded? As he went outside, he wondered what his neighbors must think. George would’ve said something to his renters if they’d allowed their yards to become this overgrown and weedy.
“Hello, George.” Lorna came over to the fence just as he wheeled out the mower. “Catching up on yard work today?”
“Uh, yes.” He nodded nervously. “I’ve been, uh, a little under the weather.”
“Feeling better?” she asked.
“I, uh, I think so.”
“How about I give you a hand?” she offered. “I’ll be right—”
“That’s okay. I can handle—”
“I insist,” she cut him off. “I’ll just grab my garden gloves and pop around to the side gate.” Before he could stop her, she was on her way. As he went to open the gate, he thought perhaps it wasn’t a bad idea to accept her help. The grass was so overgrown it would take a lot of time to get it all raked up. And despite his doctor’s proclamation of good health, George still felt weary. It took several pulls to start the mower and then George felt slightly winded. Maybe this was what it was like to beretired—first you became tired, and then you got tired all over again!
Willow could hardly believe that it was already Final Friday art walk night again. Hadn’t they just had one? Still, itfelt rather nice to be cleaned up, dressed up, and ready to greet guests in her gallery. Between Leslie and Joel and Haley and Savannah, they were well staffed. Not only that, but both Collin and Josie had mentioned their plans to make a showing. Collin probably just wanted a chance to see Savannah. And Josie hoped to garner some interest in the three pieces of folk art, which was what Willow was calling Josie’s creations, that were now on display. Hopefully Josie would heed Willow’s advice to “go easy” tonight. “No one wants a pushy salesperson,” Willow had warned her. “Especially on an art walk evening. Just have fun and talk about the art process if someone asks. If they’re interested, they’ll make the next move.”
Willow’s only plan tonight was to enjoy herself—and her guests. Thanks to Haley’s boyfriend, Nick, a classical guitarist, the music was covered. Leslie had arranged for the refreshments. Everything and everyone was in place as Willow entered the gallery. The music was light and airy, the aroma of a blood-orange candle was clean and sweet, and the food table looked inviting.
“You’ve all done a fabulous job,” she told her crew shortly before the gallery was officially opened. “Thank you so much. It’s very reassuring to know the gallery is in such good hands.”
Willow welcomed tonight’s featured artist, an older woman named Belle whose oil landscapes were an old-world sort of gorgeous. “Thank you for joining us tonight,” she told Belle. “It’s a perfect summer evening. Hopefully we’ll get lots of traffic. Enjoy yourself.”
It wasn’t long before the gallery began to fill with people. Some were obviously just there for the eats, but some werevalued customers, and others were just vacationing in the area. To Willow’s relief, Josie, dressed in another one of Willow’s hand-me-downs, acted fairly laid-back. And Collin, trying to appear nonchalant while remaining near Savannah, was in good spirits. All was well.
Willow was just introducing a customer to Belle when she noticed a tall man with dark hair enter the gallery. She blinked, but tried not to look surprised to see that it was Cliff Grant. She finished her introduction then went over to greet him. “I didn’t know you were a patron of the arts.”
