Not surprisingly, George had second thoughts as he changed into his oxfords. What was he getting himself into—and with Lorna? Was he opening up that proverbial can of worms? And for what reasons?
George didn’t really want to admit the motivation behind this madness. Not even to himself. The truth was he hoped to compete with that Cliff Grant fellow. Haunted by images of Cliff’s interaction with Willow while dressed in a casual but attractive manner, George felt the urge to make some personal changes. Although Cliff didn’t wear a suit and tie, whichwould hardly be the appropriate apparel for a contractor, he always looked well put together—almost like one of those fellows on the cover ofGQ. Not that George had ever purchased such a silly magazine, but he’d seen them at the store. And Cliff definitely had that sort of flair and confidence.
As George brushed his teeth and combed his hair, he was willing to wager that one of Cliff’s ex-wives or girlfriends had taught him how to dress. Maybe they even shopped for his clothes for him. George wouldn’t be surprised. It was shallow—he knew it was—but George thought that if he looked a bit more fashionable ... perhaps it would make apologizing to Willow easier. And perhaps—if he was really lucky—it might even improve his chances of winning her back. He knew that was a stretch, but improving his appearance couldn’t hurt.
“Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place,” Willow said to her designer friend as the two of them rearranged the furniture in the living room again. It was their third try to get it just right. And with just one more day to get everything set for the Tour of Homes, Willow was trying not to feel overly concerned. But between George’s unpredictable behavior and the upcoming deadline, it was difficult not to feel some stress.
“I’ll say. That Mr. Emerson is a hard one to figure.” Donna stepped back to look at the sofa. “But stick to your guns, Willow. You’ve got this house on the tour, and you have to honor that commitment. Sort things out with Mr. Emerson afterward.” She pointed to the pair of chairs. “Let’s anchor those to the other edge of the rug.”
“Do you think this Danish Modern is too much for this room?” Willow asked as she set one of the chairs into place. “I mean, I do like it, but maybe—”
“No, no, I actually think it’s superb in here. I never would’ve done something like this myself. But with those more traditional pieces I brought—and this gorgeous carpet, well, I think it totally works. It’s just getting everything into the right positions that’s the challenge now.” She stepped back to look. “How about that?”
“Yes. That’s it.” Willow gazed over the room with satisfaction. “I personally love this room now. I can’t wait to get the art up and everything else in place.”
“I’m so glad you decided to slipcover the old upholstery in off-white.” Donna pulled a colorful pillow from a box and tossed it onto the sofa. “Really sets these off.”
“George was so worked up over the bills, I actually paid for the slipcovers myself,” Willow confessed. “But that yellow, green, and orange upholstery was pretty jarring. This is much nicer.”
“Well, George should be grateful for how much you’ve accomplished with such a small budget.” Donna continued to arrange the pillows. “Trust me, you could’ve easily spent many times that much.”
“He got me so upset that I canceled the housecleaners I had coming for today.”
“Looks like you’ve got a pretty good crew anyway.”
“Thanks to Savannah, Josie, and Collin. They’ve been hard at it since yesterday.” Willow held a large piece of art above the antique console against the back wall. “What do you think of this up here, Donna?”
“Oh, that’s fabulous. I love the juxtaposition of the modernart over that bulky walnut piece. And I have a pair of brass lamps that’ll be perfect on either end of the console. Is that one of the original Rockwell pieces that you held back?”
“No, this is one that Betty volunteered.” Willow set the painting on it for now. “It’s sweet how many of my friends are helping me with this. I’d like to have a thank-you party after the tour is over, just to show my appreciation.”
“And will you invite Mr. Emerson?”
Willow cringed. “I’m not sure he’d even come.” In fact, she sincerely hoped that George would stay away until the whole thing was over and done with. After that, well, she didn’t want to think about it right now.
The crew continued to work on the house—both inside and out—and by Wednesday evening, the Rockwell Mansion looked better than ever. At least to Willow. She was fairly certain that George wouldn’t agree.
“I’m stunned,” Cliff Grant said after she finished giving him the full tour. “This is nothing short of miraculous, Willow. How did you do it?”
“With a lot of help.” Willow tweaked the massive bouquet on the dining room table. The flowers were from her terrace garden, artfully arranged in an oversized pottery vase she’d made several weeks ago. “I keep telling everyone that it’s taken a village to bring this house back to life.”
“Well, you’ve sure managed to do it. Between the art pieces from your gallery, the mix of various styles of furnishings, and Donna’s designer touches, this house looks better than I thought possible. I’m proud to have my name on it.” He grinned. “Although, the truth is, I didn’t really do much more than organize the crews.”
“Speaking of that, I’m in love with the kitchen.” She pushedopen the door and went into the renovated kitchen where everything was now perfectly in place.
“I like how you’ve warmed it up with all these copper pieces.”
“Those are actually from my kitchen,” she admitted. “Mine looks pretty stark at the moment.”
“I think this place is going to be a hit.” Cliff ran his hand over the sleek marble countertop. “I really appreciate your efforts, Willow.” He smiled warmly at her. “You’re one hardworking woman.”
“Thanks. And thank you for helping.”
“I’ve known a lot of women who prefer to just sit around while the guy does all the work.” He reached over to push a stray strand of hair off her forehead. “It’s refreshing to meet a woman who knows how to stand on her own two feet. And it’s very attractive too.”
“Well, thank you.” Willow felt uneasy as she turned to adjust a stack of hand-thrown mixing bowls. Was Cliff making a pass at her? Although it was flattering, she had no real interest in any kind of romantic involvement with him. “It’s been a long few days,” she said with finality. “And I’d like to go home to do some repair work tonight.” She held out her hands. “Like a manicure for starters.” She laughed as she headed back through the dining room. “Tomorrow I’d like to look more like an art curator than a common laborer.”
As she led him out the front door, pausing to lock it, Willow turned to give the house one last look. The porch lights were on, illuminating the handsome arrangement of wicker furnishings that Donna had brought over earlier today. All in all, the front porch looked very inviting.
