“You’ve got it bad, man,” Josh said with a laugh.
“Yeah, no shit. Don’t you have something to do besides harass me?”
Josh laughed again. “You’re welcome for helping you load that heavy thing.”
“Thank you. Now go inside and leave me alone,” Andy joked.
Josh reached out and grabbed Andy’s shoulder. “Seriously though, if you need more hands let me know. Christmas is less than a week away. I know she must be freaking out.”
“I’ll let her know. I haven’t been over there in over a week, so I’m not sure how close everything is to being ready. But I’ll give you a call if there’s anything we need to do. I really want this for her. She needs it.”
“Oh boy. I better get back inside before I throw up,” Josh said with a snort.
Andy got into his truck and made the short drive to Samira’s. The weather seemed to know Christmas was around the corner because it was suddenly winter. It was cold, dark, and dreary. There were even a few flurries.
When he pulled up to the house, he saw a scene from a Christmas movie, not the house he’d been to more times than he could count. The lights he hung out front looked great, but the lighted garland around the door looked amazing. She must have added it after the fact. A new wooden sign that readChesapeake Innleaned against the house next to the front door, adding the perfect touch.
Before he could knock, the front door flew open. Samira stood in the doorway wearing black leggings and an oversized Christmas sweater, looking absolutely perfect.
“Tell me you’re here with my island,” she said, looking past him to the truck.
“It’s good to see you too,” he teased. “Yes, I have the island. Can I steal one of the workers in there to help? It’s pretty heavy.”
“George!” Samira called into the house before Andy even finished what he was saying.
Andy and Samira walked down to his truck so he could give her a sneak peek of the island. They had barely reached the truck when George opened the front door to see why he had been called.
“Hey, can you give me a hand carrying this inside real quick?” Andy asked.
Without a word, George met them at the back of the truck and lifted one end of the island. Samira was practically dancing with excitement as she followed them in. Andy wasn’t convinced that she was more excited to see it than he was to show it to her. He had stayed late at the shop for over a week just to work on herpiece. He had lots of other orders to work on, so he couldn’t just work on it nonstop, start to finish.
They brought it into the kitchen and placed it in the same area he measured when she first asked him about it. He was surprised to look up and see the kitchen was otherwise complete. A commercial stove sat where the old regular stove used to sit. It was nearly impossible to see where the cabinets and countertop had been altered to allow for the large stove. The placement of the dishwasher was also seamless. It looked amazing.
“Well? Will it do?” Andy asked after he positioned it the way he had envisioned it.
Samira’s initial response wasn’t verbal. She took several steps until she stood in front of Andy and then found his mouth with hers, taking him by surprise. Once he got over his surprise, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
“Will it do?” she asked in dismay. “Of course, it ‘will do’. It’s absolutely stunning, and it looks so good in this kitchen. I know you do good work, but this is amazing. It goes with the dining room set. It goes with the look of this place perfectly. Thank you so much.”
“You already thanked me. My ego is big enough,” he laughed. “Let’s talk about you. How many do you have booked for Christmas Eve? And what still needs to be done?”
Samira took his hand and pulled hm toward the stairs. “Come look for yourself. I have three rooms booked and everything should be ready by the end of the day. They are doing the finishing touches on that bathroom, and we’ve got everything painted.”
Andy couldn’t be happier for her. “That is so good to hear. I’m sorry I’ve been too busy to stop by more. If there’s anything you need, I’m freed up now, and Josh also said to let him know. We all want this for you.”
Samira stopped at the top of the stairs. “Thank you for everything. I know these past few months have been crazy, and I’m glad you haven’t run for the hills. The only thing I need is for you to just keep doing what you’re doing, being here for me.”
He climbed the last couple steps and stood before her. “I can do that.”
“Good. Now, check out my new bed and breakfast.”
They made their way down the hall and stopped at each room along the way. Every wall had a fresh coat of paint. The hallway was a clean shade of white. Every room had varying shades of blue and gray; each having its own appeal. Even the smallest room had every detail attended to, including a Christmas tree and plenty of decorations, just like every other guest room.
“You know this is amazing right?” Andy asked after a few minutes of stunned silence.
“So, you like it?” she asked with some hesitation.
“I love it.”
