He tidied up when he had finished, carried his tools back to his truck, then walked up the front steps and knocked on the door.Rufus went nuts.
Willow dragged him back from the door, held him on a short leash as she pulled it open.“Hi.Sorry.Rufus, enough.”She gave the leash a sharp tug, quieting the dog but earning another reproachful look.
“I’m all done.”His stomach rumbled at the mouthwatering scent coming from the kitchen as he stepped inside.“Smells great in here.”
“Thanks,” she said with another warm smile that made his heart trip, and waved him farther inside.“I just pulled the chicken out of the oven a few minutes ago.”
“Don’t you want to see the fence before we eat?”
“After.Don’t want dinner to get cold.”
He followed her through the house, taking in all the changes since the last time he’d been in here fixing the kitchen cabinets for Mary.“Looks great in here.”
“Amazing what a fresh coat of paint and ahelluvalot of decluttering will do.I have Mae to thank for most of the last part.She’s an organizational wizard and ruthless when it comes to getting rid of stuff.Not that you’d know it by all the rainbow art in her yard.”
“True,” he said with a rueful grin.He’d do anything for Mae.And Willow.His feelings for her were on a whole other level.
She’d set two places at the small rectangular table in the nook off the kitchen.“What can I get you to drink?”Rufus ducked under her chair and laid down, watching everything anxiously.
“Just water.Can I help with anything?”
“You already have.”She placed a glass of chilled water in front of him and brought the serving dishes over, taking the chair opposite him.“Spice-rubbed chicken breasts with roasted smashed potatoes and roasted cauliflower.”
“Looks—”
“Great?”
His cheeks flushed.“Yeah.”He did say that word a lot, didn’t he?
“I’m just teasing you,” she said, a twinkle in her eyes that he hadn’t seen in forever.“You’ve always used that word.”She gestured to the serving dishes.“Go on, dig in.”
He waited until she had served herself before cutting his first bite.“So, what did you and Bronwyn get up to after yesterday morning?”
“Lunch with Mae, then a girls’ night that may or may not have included a few bottles of wine, and then this morning we painted up a couple of old Adirondack chairs with Mae that she found in the shed out back.”
“That sounds wholesome.”
“It was.Loved every second of it.And not sure if I told you, but I’ve also done a few volunteer shifts at the library.They’re short-staffed over the summer, and I’m hoping they’ll let me stay on once everyone’s back from holiday.Can’t keep an archivist away from books, you know?”
“All that plus getting the house set up, your art, and looking after Rufus?”
She shrugged.“You know me.I like to keep busy.What about you?”
“I just finished up my latest commission.”
“Oh, can I see it?”
He hadn’t expected her to be interested.“Sure, I’ll send you some pictures tomorrow.The daylight will show the details better.”
“Can’t wait.I love that you’re doing woodworking for a living now.Other people’s creativity fascinates me.”
He smiled, her enthusiasm infectious.“Just wished it came with a steady income I could bank on.”
“It will.Once word of mouth spreads enough, you’ll have more work than you know what to do with.So, be careful what you wish for.One day you might end up complaining about being too busy.”
“I’ll try to remember that,” he said dryly.It was wishful thinking.
But as nice as that idea was, all he really wanted was her.
