I frown. “James okay? He’s not sick or anything, is he?”
Cole’s lips quirk, and I find myself noticing the curve of his Cupid’s bow. “He’s fine. Just being a little shit. He covered the bathroom and himself in marker.”
I give a laugh that feels a bit too forced and drop my attention from his face. “Wow, he really is rotten. I’m sure Xander is remembering some of the crap he put your parents through.” My gaze catches on the breadth of Cole’s muscled chest, his biceps, his trim waist. Army life has done his body right. Wow. Good for him, I tell myself. I’m sure his dates love how…attractive Cole is. I can be honest enough to acknowledge that my best friend is looking good and cheer him on for it.
“Xander is definitely getting payback in spades,” Cole says. “Anyway, I’m here, and you can show me the plans. I’ll relay it to my brother tomorrow.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind delaying the meeting. Or I can meet with your dad when he gets back in town, if you prefer?”
A shadow crosses Cole’s face. “If you can find him, be my guest.”
I reach out and take his hand, my heart squeezing. “Is he okay? I don’t want to pry, but I know Xander’s having to take over this project, and…” I shrug. “I can be flexible if I need to.”
He sighs, his gaze dropping to the ground, and grips my hand. “It’ll be fine. I think Xander wants this to keep moving forward. I don’t know what’s up with Dad, but I suspect he’s still dealing with shit from my mom’s death.”
Cole’s mom died of sudden pneumonia a few years ago while he was overseas. He was given leave to return home for the funeral. Between the shock of his mom dying and the crap he was dealing with in the army, he was so depressed for a while that I was worried about him. I made it my mission to reach out to him as often as I could, to be there to listen whenever he wanted to talk.
Cole never took me up on that, didn’t open up about what he experienced overseas or how he was coping with his mom’s passing. But I know it was a difficult time for him.
“What can I do?” I ask softly.
He takes a step toward me and gives a small smile. “Show me your plans. I want to help Xander too, and right now this is what he wants.”
“Okay, then.” I nod and dig the papers out of the bag. Suddenly I’m nervous to show Cole.
He takes them from me and studies the drawings for a good minute. His gaze is intense, focused, as he looks over all the pages. I stand there and let him absorb this material first before getting into my spiel, knowing this is how Cole works—he’s a very visual person.
Then he looks up at me and nods. “Okay, tell me everything I need to know.”
I take the papers back and point to specific spots. “I know your brother and father love the original woodwork in here, and I want to preserve and repair as much as I can. But I think stripping the old varnish off all the exposed wood and refinishing will brighten the room considerably. The color is too dark, so this place always feels a bit too small and enclosed, even with those large windows. I’d like to change the color back to its original maple, which will look stunning.” I shuffle to a particular piece of paper, moving it to the top of the pile, then point to the bar. “I’d also like to install a new countertop to be more of a feature and pull in copper elements from the ceiling for continuity.”
I spend the next twenty minutes or so explaining the rest of my vision for the main room, how I want to knock down one of the non-load-bearing walls near the back to open the floor up, layer in various bright textiles, rearrange seating to add coziness and intimacy. As I talk, Cole nods, quietly absorbing, only asking a few questions here and there. I admit, part of me is distracted by how muscled he is, the way he moves quietly like a panther, how he appears to have every sense turned on and is absorbing everything around him.
This intensity seems new, and it’s kind of throwing me off. Cole was always deep and resonant even as a kid, but never quite this…predatory. I don’t know how else to think of it. Every action, every movement is purposeful. I tell myself it’s just the newness of this personality change, the difference from how he was in the past that makes me keep stealing glances at him.
We move back into the kitchen next, and I show my idea about moving the storage from here into the basement to allow for more cooking space, plus upgrade the appliances. Cole stays by my side as we walk toward the back patio and I explain Emme’s idea, all the stonework we’d like to incorporate, the fireplace.