Stevie
“Why the grumpy face?” Nana asks as we unpack the boxes of supplies that have just been delivered.
“I thought having Garrick here this week would mean lots of time together, but I’ve barely seen him.”
On Monday, we joined Garrick and his crew, along with friends and neighbors, to clear out the barn, tossing everything into industrial dumpsters because nothing was salvageable. It was painstaking back-breaking work, and I collapsed in a heap that night, covered in sweat and grime and aching all over.
Garrick has been traveling to Ravenna with a team of workers from the lumberyard every day, and they leave promptly at six. We barely manage to grab lunch and a quick kiss in the middle of the day.
Nana chuckles. “You sure have changed your tune.”
“You know me.” I shrug as I cut through packing tape on one of the boxes and extract some cute vases and exterior wall hangings. “Once I set my mind to something, I give it my everything.”
Last week, I set up a donation page online to raise funds to restock the shop, and everyone rallied around. We ended up tripling the donation target, and I’m glad because it’s taken the pressure off Nana. There is enough to replace all the damaged items and to pay the staff this week even though most of them haven’t been needed after Monday.
Garrick and the Allen Lumber crew have been working alone Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to repair the roof and reinforce the structure so the barn is more robust and less likely to suffer damage in the future. Garrick promised to show up with double the crew tomorrow to finish the interiors before lunchtime on Saturday so we can get ready for the celebrations planned for later that night.
It was my idea to throw a barn party to thank everyone for riding to the rescue. Hadley canceled the bar booking she made for my birthday night out in Seattle, inviting my friends to come here instead, so it’ll be a double celebration.
As soon as Garrick found out, he roped a few friends he knows, who are in a country music band, to play at the party. Hadley called a friend from college, who is a national line-dancing champion, and she’s going to put us through our paces on the night. Nana’s friends and a few local restaurants are providing the food. Mom got Sand Point to provide some complimentary booze, and I know Garrick will show up with boxes of wine.
The dress code is country and western, and I went shopping with Hads last night for a new outfit. I bought a navy, brown, and orange paisley print dress with elbow-length sleeves and a full swishy skirt that ends just above my knees. It came with a gorgeous crochet-style belt and a navy straw cowboy-style hat, and I bought my first pair of cowboy boots to wear with it. I love it, and I can’t wait for Garrick to see me in it.
“Earth to Little Poppy.” Nana snaps her fingers in my face, a look of amusement glittering in her eyes. “You’re miles away.”
“Sorry, I was just thinking about the party, and I guess I zoned out.”
“Happiness looks good on you, sweetheart,” she says, removing some garden decorations from a box and arranging them on the long table in front of us. We tidied up the barn she uses as a stockroom, to make way for the new supplies, over the past couple of days, and we’ve been unpacking daily deliveries in between making up bouquets for prepaid orders. Hadley and I have been driving around town delivering them most evenings.
“I have never felt like this about any boy before. Is it normal to obsessively think about him all the time?”
Nana chuckles. “I’d be worried if you weren’t obsessively thinking about him.” She fans her face with one hand. “Have you seen those muscles in his arms and the way they flex and roll in his back as he’s working? Sheesh.” She fans her face with both hands now. “If I was forty years younger, I’d be challenging you for him!”
I burst out laughing. “Nana, stop. At least I now know why you’re always taking water and iced lemonade to the workers.”
“I’ve got to get my kicks where I can.” She swipes sweat off her brow as she winks at me. “All that young naked flesh on display is giving this old woman the thrill of a lifetime.”
“We aim to please.” Garrick’s deep voice floods the space as he strides into the barn, grinning like all his Sundays have come at once. He’s bare chested, like most of the workers, because it’s been unseasonably hot these past few days, and they’re not working under ideal conditions. A wrinkled T-shirt is stuffed in the back pocket of his dirty jeans as he ambles toward me.
“If that was the case, you’d be working buck-ass naked,” Nana replies, staring my boyfriend straight in the eye without as much as a blush.
“Nana!” I shriek as Garrick busts out laughing. “Good god. Between you and Hads, you’ll send me into an early grave.”
Garrick slides his arm around my waist, pulling me into his sweat-slickened chest. “Don’t worry, beautiful. The only eyes feasting on my naked body are yours.”
I trail my fingers over the Trinity knot ink on his chest. “I wish. We’ve barely had time to talk this week, let alone anything else.” I’m still so fucking hot for my boyfriend and dying to bounce on his cock.
He kisses me sweetly, uncaring Nana is watching, though he does keep it PG because we have an audience. “I’m planning to rectify that right this second. I drove today and was hoping you’d want to grab dinner?”
“Sounds great,” Hadley pipes up, sauntering into the barn after finishing her flower deliveries. “Hudson and I will join you. It can be a double date.”
Hads has decided Garrick’s best friend from North Bend is her next victim. I have tried talking her out of it, but my free-spirited bestie is as stubborn as a mule, and she’s set her sights on him, so there’s no persuading her otherwise.
* * *
An hour later, the four of us are seated at a cozy table in the back of a local Italian restaurant, nibbling on bread sticks and sipping ice-cold Limonata. Nana let the guys shower and change at her place while Hads and I went back to my house to freshen up. Mom wasn’t home yet from work, but I left her a note telling her I was out on a date. I whipped her up a chicken salad and left it in the refrigerator. It was the best I could do with a limited time frame. I’ll grab a tiramisu to take home to her before we leave.
Hads chattered excitedly about Hudson as we got dressed. I didn’t bother warning her to behave, because she wouldn’t listen, and anyway, I never want to clip her wings. What you see is what you get with my bestie, and if Hudson doesn’t like her direct approach, I’m sure he’ll let her down gently. Garrick says he’s a good guy, and I trust him. I’m glad we got this opportunity tonight. There hasn’t been much time to get to know Garrick’s childhood friend thus far, and I’m hoping to change that now.
