“That’s true.” With a decisive nod, Paris picked up the canvases. “I’ll have natural beige in this room, the kitchen, and the bathroom, and navy blue in the sales area.”
Richard typed the colors into the project plan. “Ceilings and trim?”
“Alabaster.”
“White it is,” he muttered. “I’ll buy the paint in the morning. We should have the first coat finished by tomorrow evening.”
“That’s fast.”
“It isn’t a big space. How was work?”
“Busy. We’re providing the flowers for three events this weekend. We’ve finished some of the arrangements, but not all of them. I’m going back to Blooming Lovely after I’ve seen you.”
He checked his watch. “It’s five o’clock. Shouldn’t you be going home and doing whatever you do to relax?”
“Flower arranging relaxes me, especially if it’s for an event I’m looking forward to. That’s probably why I don’t have much of a social life.”
“You don’t need a social life when you enjoy what you do.”
“What do you like doing when you aren’t working?”
Richard frowned. Between looking after his son, working part-time at the old steamboat museum, and running his own business, he didn’t have much free time. “I spend time with Jack. We walk or ride around Flathead Lake. Sometimes we go to Polson or Bigfork.”
“The weekend market in Bigfork is amazing. I’ve bought some lovely gifts from there.” Paris poked her head around the kitchen doorframe. “You did a lot today.”
“You can thank the construction crew for that. They’re on track with all the alterations.”
Tommy walked into the room. “See you later, boss. I’ve left my batteries in the kitchen on the charger. They’ll be ready for tomorrow.”
“I’ll lock the cottage before I leave. See you tomorrow.”
With Tommy and the other apprentices gone for the day, Richard looked around the room. “We’ll install the air conditioning after the walls are painted. You won’t get cold over the winter with the extra insulation we’ve added.”
“I appreciate everything you’re doing. Penny must have invested a lot of money into the remodeling. Is there anything else you need from me before I leave?”
Richard looked through the project plan. “The paint colors were the most urgent. I’ll let you know about the shelving.”
“Thanks.” Paris picked up the canvas blocks.
Richard cleared his throat. “I wanted to thank you for the motorcycle you helped Jack make. The flowers lasted longer than I thought they would.”
“It was a great Valentine’s Day present.”
“I was surprised Jack wanted to join the flower decorating class. But, now that I’ve seen what you’re doing, it’s easy to see why he enjoys it.”
Paris smiled. “You aren’t the only parent who was confused. Andrea’s boys were so excited she thought the name of the class was a secret code for online gaming.”
“That would be Jack’s idea of heaven, too.” He handed Paris another canvas. “Why did you become a florist?”
Paris’ smile dimmed, then resurfaced almost too brightly. “It wasn’t something I’d thought about until I moved here. Kylie ran some flower decorating classes at the church and then offered me a part-time job. The more I learned, the more I loved it. I can’t imagine doing anything else now.”
“What did you do before you moved to Sapphire Bay?”
“I’ve tried a lot of jobs. I was a data analyst for a few years, a receptionist at an art gallery, a janitor, and a telemarketer. Sales weren’t my thing. I spent too much time listening to people tell me about their lives instead of selling them products.”
“The people you called must have enjoyed the conversation.”
Paris frowned. “They did, but I didn’t earn enough commission to pay my rent. I have a problem with stickability.”
