“Come with me.” I beckoned him with one hand as I crossed the foyer.
“You have a sticky note on your bum,” he said.
My hands flew behind me on instinct, searching for the little runaway. “What does it say?” I pulled the note free before he could answer. “Sweet treats,” I read. “I wondered where that went.”
Violet trotted into the study at my side.
I’d leaned a giant whiteboard against the bookshelves and covered it in brightly colored notes, pictures, and text. “Ta-da!”
Davis rubbed his chin with one hand and crossed the opposite arm over his chest. “You made a murder board. Nice.”
“It’s not a murder board.” I guffawed. “This is a miraculous thing of beauty.”
He approached slowly. “All you’re missing is the red yarn that ties it all together.”
The board clearly outlined my vision for big change at Rini Reads. Potential names for the revised shop. To-do lists. Fun images of pets reading books. Shelters, rescues, and other related businesses in Willow Bend, as well as a carefully detailed timeline for all the steps necessary. “I stopped at the craft store after coffee with Daisy. I couldn’t wait to get started. I guess I should’ve set an alarm.”
“There’s a marker in your hair.”
I pulled the hot-pink highlighter from my messy bun and tossed it onto the desk with the two dozen other writing utensils, sticky notes, and construction paper remnants. “Give me five minutes to change.”
“You sure you don’t want to go in those big-ass boxer shorts and your ‘Get Lit’ shirt?”
I hustled up the steps to my room. “Brainstorming outfit,” I called as I ran.
“Do you care if we take Violet on her walk first?” he asked, projecting his deep tenor through the ancient home.
“Nope!” Honestly, I probably needed to burn off some of the excess energy.
Did Emily Dickinson enjoy caffeine?
What would she think of me soaring around the manor in men’s underwear?
I probably didn’t want that answer.
Several minutes later, I returned to Davis in yoga pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt. I pulled the tie from my hair and gave my curls a quick finger comb. “Ready!”
He dragged his gaze over me and sighed. “Shoes.”
I grabbed a stack of letters from the table and stuffed my feet into my sneakers. A moment later, we were out the door.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Davis beeped his truck doors unlocked and motioned for me to climb aboard.
“I thought we were going for a walk?”
“We are.” He opened the passenger door, and Violet jumped inside. “She wants to visit another park.”
I looked to the pretty tail-wagging blonde. Her wide pink tongue lolled cheerfully from her open mouth. “How can I say no?”
Violet licked my arm as I buckled up.
“Can we stop at the bookstore?” I asked. “I want to put a few letters into the cubbies.”
Davis shifted into drive, looking unimpressed. “Weren’t you just there?”
“Yes, and I received a bunch of letters. Now I want to drop off my responses.”
