“I was looking at facilities, and they’re really expensive, Leanna.” Amy pulled up a website on her computer. “I was thinking that you could just sublet someplace for a few months, or work from your cottage, and if you need a backup power source, I looked into a few generators. Your place is so small that you wouldn’t need much. It might run you a couple grand, but at least you wouldn’t be locked into a lease.”
“I was actually thinking along the same lines. If I’ll be in New York in the fall, then I don’t really need another facility. I can work from the cottage in the summer and find a place in New York in the fall if I have to. We don’t lose power in the summers. Ever.” She sat back and blew out a breath. “Do you guys think I’m nuts? I mean, I want this to work so badly. I love what I’m doing, and next summer I’ll do the flea market in Dennis, too, which is during the week, so that works out perfectly.”
“Next year you won’t need to make jam.” Jenna looked up from her keyboard as she typed. “You’ll be married to a wealthy writer.”
“Married?” Married! “I’m not getting married, but even if I were, I’d still want to make jam for as long as I’m enjoying it. I can’t sit around and do nothing.” She shot a look at Jenna. “Married?”
“Probably. Don’t you think?” Amy nodded in agreement. “Jenna said every article she read about Kurt mentioned how important family was to him.”
“That’s right.” Jenna drank her wine cooler. “The article on the Huff Post said that he and his family get together every month for family dinners. I think that’s so sweet. I mean really, how many attractive, single guys make time like that for their family?”
“None that I know. I guess it’s a good thing Leanna’s going to move in with him. It would probably be hard to get him to move away from his family if they’re that close. And then you have the whole, is he a mama’s boy thing to worry about.” Bella stared intently at her laptop. “I’m working on a great logo idea for you.”
“Thanks, Bella.” Leanna ran her finger in circles on the table. “Should I worry that he’s a mama’s boy? I mean, I don’t know his family, but he sure doesn’t seem like one.”
“There’s one sure test.” Bella met Leanna’s gaze. “Mama’s boys have sex one way. Missionary, in a bed. That’s it. At least that’s been my experience.”
Amy went into the cottage and came back out with a bag of pretzels. “You know, I think you might be right about missionary-style sex and mama’s boys. Even nice guys like to taste the fruits of our loins once in a while, but mama’s boys…”
Leanna burst out laughing. “Fruits of our loins?”
“You know what I mean. Mama’s boys don’t do that. They’re all repressed and afraid their mothers will tell them they’re being dirty.” Amy leaned in close. “So, is he a mama’s boy?”
“No! Geez. He’s anything but a mama’s boy by your standards.”
“Ha! You owe me ten bucks.” Bella held out her hand.
“You bet on him?” Leanna ran her eyes between Amy and Bella.
“Not me. I pegged him as a down-and-dirty boy under the sheets,” Jenna said as she primly tucked her hair behind her ear.
Bella raised her hand. “Me too. Total alpha in the bedroom was my guess.”
“That’s not fair.” Amy crossed her arms over her chest. “I didn’t say he was a mama’s boy. I said he seemed refined and that guys who were refined weren’t as adventurous as other guys.”
“Well, my dear Amy, you’re sorely mistaken. I happen to have an adventurous, refined, alpha hottie who doesn’t mind that my rhythm is off or that I have piles of clothes on the floor and can’t clean to save my life. And you know what?” She finished her wine cooler. “I have no idea what he sees in me. I’m so flaky and he’s so not.”
“You are not flaky. You love life. You don’t settle for things that don’t make you happy, but you’re definitely not flaky.” Amy handed Leanna a pretzel. “Eat a pretzel and let’s get this stuff done. He knows he’s lucky to be with you, as he should.”
Leanna put her head on Amy’s shoulder. “See why I love you guys? You’ll totally lie to me when I need you to.”
They spent the next few hours hammering out product and ingredient lists, brochures and order forms, and Amy even came up with an outline for a delivery schedule. Amy also offered to go with her to the print shop as soon as Leanna had finalized all of the documents.
“Thank you. I want to go over everything with Kurt, too. He might have some ideas. Bella, this logo is perfect. How did you come up with the idea for the grapevine interlaced with the Sweet Treats? I love how you put Luscious Leanna’s arched over it, too. It’s simple and elegant.”
“I’m glad you like it. It just came to me as we were talking.” Bella pointed to a few other examples she came up with.
“I love the first one. It’s clever and clean, and with Luscious Leanna’s in the title, it’s sexy, too, and sexy sells.” Jenna stood and stretched, wiggling as she tugged at the bottom of her shorts. “Are you guys hungry? Want to go out for pizza?”
“Starved. I’m not sure when Kurt is going to be here, and I don’t have his phone number. Not that I know where my phone is.” Where is that stupid thing? “Why don’t I drive over just to touch base with him and then I can meet you guys? Where are we going?”
“Let’s take one car. We’ll stop by Kurt’s—unless you plan on dragging his butt into bed, in which case we’ll take two cars. I can drive,” Bella offered.
“I’m not dragging his butt into bed. Geez, Bella. I’ve had more sex in the past week than I’ve had in the past two years.” Leanna grabbed a sweatshirt from in the house and leashed Pepper. “Grab your sweatshirts and we can all meet at Bella’s in a few minutes.”
Bella drove to Kurt’s house, and when she pulled up in the driveway, they all got out with Leanna.
“Are you kidding me?” Bella whispered. “This is gorgeous.”
“I’m never leaving,” Jenna said as she headed up to the front door.
Leanna followed Pepper down the path toward the back of the house. “Come on, you guys. He’ll be out on the deck writing.”
They found Kurt on the deck, shirtless and writing, with an empty coffee cup beside his computer. Pepper made a beeline for him.
“Hey, Pep.” Kurt’s eyes remained trained on the computer, and his fingers never stopped typing.
“If it isn’t the Seaside girls. Did you all miss me?”
“How did you know we call ourselves that? I missed you something awful.” Leanna bent to kiss his cheek. He turned into the kiss and met her lips with his own.
“I didn’t know, but the name fit. I’ve missed you, too. You look adorable.” He tugged on the bottom of her sweatshirt.
“Thanks. We’re heading out for pizza, and I wanted to see when you thought you might be done.” It was breezier by the ocean than it was inland. The sound of the waves was soothing, and Pepper claimed his place by Kurt’s feet.
“I’ve got another few hours, I think.” Kurt stopped typing and smiled at Leanna. “I’m sorry, but this deadline is coming up so fast. I didn’t realize it was due in less than two weeks. I really need to put in a few hours. Go have fun. If it gets too late, I’ll just stay here.”
“No, you don’t need to do that. I don’t mind if you come over late.” She couldn’t even imagine sleeping without him.