“That’s it? And you just sent Grace out the door with him?”
“In Bluebell? In broad daylight? She’ll be fine, Levi. She’s not a child anymore.”
“How long’s he staying?”
She shrugged. “It’s open-ended—and you’re overreacting again. You said we should let you know when you’re doing it, and I’m letting you know—you’re doing it.”
Levi shifted. “He seemed kind of secretive, that’s all.”
“During your extensive onetime conversation? People usually don’t spill their life story upon first sight.”
He pinned her with a look.
Well, fine. “Mostpeople don’t. I’m leaving now. Can you throw the load in the dryer in twenty minutes?”
“Sure.” She could tell he wanted to say more, but he wisely held back. “See you tomorrow.”
Two hours later, Molly sat at her kitchen table, frowning at the document on her laptop. She glanced out on the deck where her husband’s fingers were practically dancing across his keyboard, feeling a moment’s jealousy.
Sure, sure, he wrangled words for a living, but this was her beloved childhood home. She knew everything there was to know about it. Loved everything about it. Why couldn’t she find the words to make others see how special it was?
She stared at the cursor blinking where she’d left off. She placed her fingers on the keyboard and wrote out the spiel they gave every new guest upon arrival. A nice long paragraph.
She reread it, finding it didn’t feel right in print, not for a listing.
She placed her finger on the delete key and watched all the words disappear. Outside, the sunny deck and cushy lawn chairs beckoned. But Adam was working, very productively apparently, and she wasn’t about to interrupt his flow.
Her gaze drifted around their lake house. He’d bought it when he moved here from New York. She’d thought he’d choose something new and modern like he’d had in the city, but this home was fifty years old and loaded with charm. They’d done some updating, but the two-story home retained its lovely character.
Settling in here after the wedding had been easy. She felt at home on the lake where she’d grown up. At home with Adam. She hated the weeks when he went on tour, but that was only when a new bookreleased. The rest of the time was easy breezy. They’d settled into a nice routine. Most nights she cooked or he grilled out, and once a week they ate with Levi and Grace. Molly did the grocery shopping, and Adam took care of the lawn. They had a couple favorite shows they watched together.
All that would change when they moved to Tuscany. They’d have to find a new routine. But she was so grateful Adam was willing to move. She’d already started tackling the red tape necessary to own and operate a business in Italy. It was complicated, and she’d likely have to hire an Italian lawyer to help her muddle through it.
In the meantime she scoped out potential inns and homes online, but she didn’t want to get her heart set on anything. It would probably take a while to sell their inn, maybe over a year.
The glass door slid open, and Adam slipped through, looking handsome as ever. His brown hair was windblown, and he had a few days’ stubble on his jaw. He’d gotten new glasses a few weeks ago, and she was crazy about the way he looked in them.
“Ready for lunch?” she asked, eager for a distraction.
“Not just yet. I had a late breakfast. What are you working on in here?”
She heaved a sigh. “The inn’s listing.”
“It’s not going well? What have you written so far?”
Molly peered down at the document. “Historic inn, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, for sale.” She gave him an exaggerated pouty look.
“All right... That’s a nice start.Nestledis a great verb.” He came behind her and rubbed her shoulders.
She moaned as his fingers dug into her tight muscles. She hadn’t realized how tense she was. “How do you do it? How do you turn your thoughts and feelings into just the right words on paper? Everything I write... just doesn’t do the inn justice.”
“You’re pretty close to the subject matter. Sometimes that makes it more difficult. Want a little help?”
“Yes.”
“Want me to just do it for you?”
She peeked up at him. “Would you?”
