She also needed to talk to Lucas, but it wasn’t going to be the kind of conversation she’d originally anticipated. She had to talk to her sister, too. Thatdefinitelyneeded to happen. If Frankie was going to stay, she needed to get some things mapped out.
She looked around the empty kitchen. Where was Harper? Frankie knew Willa was still asleep. It was a perfect day for it. Gloomy, rainy, and gray. Not exactly beach or pool weather, but good for working, which she needed to do.
Could Harper really still be in bed? Archie would have needed to pee by now, but his leash was on the counter in its usual spot.
Frankie got a pot of coffee started, then went to listen at Harper’s closed bedroom door. She couldn’t tell if Harper and Archie were in there or not.
She went out onto the back deck. The air carried the heavy scent of fresh earth, the way it did when a good rain had gotten underway. She looked out over the backyard. No sign of Harper and Archie out there and the curtains were drawn on the doors that led from the back deck into the master bedroom. They must still be sleeping.
Her stomach rumbled. She went back in, doing her best not to make too much noise as she puttered around. If Harper wanted to sleep in, good for her. Frankie didn’t want to be the one who woke her up.
She got a cup out for coffee, then had a look in the fridge. They were pretty well stocked up from their recent grocery trip. She grabbed a yogurt. It wasn’t much but it would hold her for a bit. Once she fixed her coffee, she planned to go into the office with her laptop and work.
When everyone was up, they could have breakfast together.
By the time she finished the yogurt, the coffee was ready. She tossed the empty container, fixed her coffee, then carried it and her laptop into the office.
She put everything down on the desk and was about to sit when a sudden impulse made her go back out into the hall and look through the door at the end. It led to a covered walkway that went across to the guest house.
If she moved here, she might very well be living in that guest house. The urge grew inside her to see what it looked like. It couldn’t hurt. She knew where the keys were. Harper had pointed them out once. They were in the kitchen in a drawer next to the utensils. The junk drawer, essentially.
Frankie went back and got them.
Rain drifted across the walkway, but it was pretty light. A little water wasn’t going to keep her from having a peek. The guest house windows were covered with sheers, preventing her from seeing in. She unlocked the door and stepped inside.
She smiled. The place was beautiful. The air was a little stale. Probably from being closed up for so long. No telling when someone had been in here last. The décor matched the main house, lots of white with touches of turquoise, deep cobalt blue, coral, and dark wood.
A big painting of a mermaid graced one wall, a large-screen television took up most of the other. The feeling was light and airy, but solid and cozy at the same time.
She stood in the living room. There was a three-cushion couch and a recliner with a small coffee table. Atop it sat a blue glass bowl filled with shells and sea glass with a battery operated candle sunk down in the center. A light fixture made of driftwood hung over it.
The living room adjoined a decent-sized kitchen with dark blue cabinets and sparkling white quartz countertops. Lots of windows meant lots of natural light, which she loved. Next to the main living area was a little vestibule with three more doors. The first led to a small room with a twin bed. Small, but still nicer than Frankie’s apartment.
The bathroom was behind the middle door. It was bright and clean and beautifully done. Lots of crisp white tile on the walls. The vanity had two sinks, the shower was a walk-in with a bench. The glass enclosure around the shower was frosted with a pattern of waves, giving it a little privacy.
She went to the last door and opened it, letting out a soft gasp. Another bedroom, with a sumptuous queen bed decked in white linens. The headboard was woven rattan, matching the dresser and a chair in one corner. There was a stunning view out to the water. The room was twice the size of the first bedroom and had a French door on the side that led to another balcony.
Could she see herself living here? Yes. A thousand times, yes.
She’d make the small bedroom her studio. She could put a desk across from the bed. It would be plenty of room and— She laughed at herself.
Nothing had been decided yet, but she was already moving in.
No doubt she was getting ahead of herself. But it was fun to dream. And she hadn’t dreamed like this in years. She walked to the big windows and looked out. Could that really be her view?
She took a deep inhale. Maybe. But there was a lot that had to happen before this dream became a reality and she had to get started on that.
She took another quick look around the kitchen just to see if it was fully equipped, which it was, then locked up and went back to the office.
Her coffee had cooled off, but she didn’t care. She got to work adding three new T-shirts and coffee mugs to her shop, and two sets of new notecards. Then she did some research on logo designers and how they set up the terms of their businesses.
She had two pages of notes and tons of ideas when she heard sounds coming from the kitchen. She grabbed her coffee cup andgot up to see who it was. She found WillaandHarper getting coffee. Archie was eating breakfast.
Frankie settled into a seat at the counter. “Morning, sleepyheads. Good day for staying in bed, huh?”
Harper looked over. “Which, apparently, you didn’t. You seem chipper this morning. What’s up?”
Frankie grinned as she shrugged. “Can’t a person be in a good mood?”
