Chapter9
Belle
Maverick texted me a few times on Sunday and then nothing.He'd done exactly what I expected he'd do.He'd gone back to ignoring me like he had before.
I rationalized it because his boots were probably muddy, and he wouldn't want to trail dirt through my new store.But he didn't text me or ask to meet to discuss the progress.
I should have been happy that work was progressing, and I was closer to my dream every day.The store was nice, but it was going to be so much more with the patio and four-seasons room.
On Friday, I met with Eve to discuss the possibility of a fireplace.She wanted to multitask and meet at Merry's Diner for lunch.
"How are things going with the construction?"Eve asked after we ordered and tucked our menus into the stand on the side of the table.
"It can be loud, but no one seems to mind.The kids love watching the trucks work."And I enjoyed watching Maverick work.
Her nose wrinkled."I was worried about the dust and noise."
"We could have waited to open, but I didn't want to.It's going to be amazing once the work is completed."
"You said you wanted to add something."
I nodded eagerly, pulling out the rendering I'd drawn.It was the four-seasons room with holiday decorations and the fireplace.
"You're a good artist."
I stiffened."Oh, this is just something I drew quickly to show you what I was thinking about."
Eve gave me a look."You framed the other rendering you did.That's art."
"Maverick told me to frame it."I wouldn't have otherwise.It was one of the few compliments he'd given me.In the past, it was mainly heated looks and flirty encounters.We hadn't talked about much that meant anything to us, and now I was seeing that might have been where we went wrong.
We'd both made assumptions about each other that didn't bear out in real life.
She raised a brow."Maverick agrees with me."
I did get a lot of compliments on the drawing.When I had downtime, I sketched characters in a little book I kept beneath the counter.I had no plans for anyone ever seeing them though."I wanted you to see how it would look.It's cozy and inviting.We can have meetings in this room year-round."
Eve nodded."It is nice."
"The bookstore will be the place to congregate.We can host town meetings there, book clubs, and other interest groups."
"Everything you've thought of is amazing.I'll see if we have it in the budget to add the fireplace right now.We're still replacing the pipes and finishing up renovations on the inn."She sighed."I have a feeling we're always going to be working on one project or another."
"You're constantly evolving, making everything better," I said.
She nodded."We want things to run smoothly, but we also want a place that people can gather."
"Our bookstore will be the obvious choice over the one in Telluride."That store was a tight space, overfilled with books, were stacked on the floor and the tables.It couldn't compete with our new and enlarged space.
Our food came, and we ate for a few seconds without speaking.Then Eve asked, "Has Maverick kept you updated on his progress?"
I frowned."Not as much as I would have hoped."
"He's quiet, and he doesn't like a lot of input on his work.But he's the best for this job.Don't be afraid to ask for updates.My hands are full with the pipe repairs and other issues and complaints."
I shuddered at the memory of the last town hall when one of the shop owners tried to shut down the lingerie store because he thought Angela's shop was inappropriate."I wouldn't want your job."
"It can be a lot sometimes.Maddox pulls me away and insists that I take breaks."
