“This place is incredible. There are so many possibilities with the setup. Are you open to a few ideas, or are you set on the images you’ve already provided?” Blue put one hand on his hip and rubbed his chin. “I think we can make this much more comfortable and elegant, unless your girlfriend really enjoys a sterile feel to the environment.”
“She’s anything but sterile.” He smiled, thinking of Leanna’s kitchen, stacked high with dishes the first night he took her home. “I think she’d like something that felt like home but was easy to clean. Jams and jellies make for sticky cleanups, so if you can work with that, then sure. I’d love to hear your ideas.”
“I know you want to keep this a surprise, but renovations like this can be pricey. Are you sure you don’t want to run a few ideas by her first?”
Kurt locked the studio, and they headed back to the cottage.
“Do you have images online I can show her? I can work it into a conversation, and she won’t have to know about the renovation.” Kurt opened his laptop and slid it across the table to Blue.
“Sure.” Blue pulled up his website.
“Just save the images to my desktop. That way she won’t see your site.”
“Smart. So, how long have you two been together?”
“Oh, man, don’t even ask. You’ll think I’m nuts.” Kurt walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. “Can I get you a drink?”
“Sure, thanks. Water’s fine.” He saved a number of images and then showed and explained each to Kurt. “And I’ll build these cabinets myself, so they’ll look as if they were part of the original build. I agree with your using stainless steel for the appliances and a few of the larger workstations, for ease of cleaning, but I think if we mix in some granite and wood along the east wall and in the supply area, then it will give the studio a warmer feel. Maybe warm shades of browns, golds, and beige?”
“Sounds great.”
“We need to talk budget, so give me a feel for what you’re thinking.” Blue turned back to the computer, and Kurt knew he was giving him space to think through the finances. He didn’t need to think about it. He had more money than he could spend in the next thirty years, and his father’s advice reiterated his thoughts. Invest in quality—your house, your children’s education, your career. Don’t skimp on things for the people who matter. He thought of his mother. She was an artist, and his father had built a studio for her the year Jack was born. He remembered hearing his mother going out to her studio after they’d gone to bed when he was just a boy, leaving their father on “kid duty.” Sometimes Kurt would look out his bedroom window and watch her through the studio window. He remembered seeing her dance while she painted. Even now he saw a light in his mother’s eyes when she went to work in her studio. He wanted Leanna to have that—a place to call her own that she would still adore twenty years from now. A place where she could create from her heart and that held significance for them.
Kurt gazed out over the ocean, wondering again if he was moving too quickly. For a guy who kept his world close to his chest, he was opening up to Leanna in ways that couldn’t be easily closed. He tried to picture his life without Leanna and found he was unable. There was no room for doubt in his very full heart. Fast or not, the only thing in his life that he felt as passionate about as he did Leanna was writing, and even that now took a backseat. He was moving forward, and it felt right all the way to his core.
This is where we met. What could be more meaningful than this property?
“I have a hard time putting a price on love. Work it up, and let’s do this.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
LEANNA PLACED SIX jars of jam into a bag and handed it across the table to the elderly gentleman in shorts and a polo shirt. He reminded her of Al Black, and a quiet longing passed through her.
“Thank you, and I hope you enjoy them.”
“How can I not enjoy something called Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats? It’s all in the name. Do you have a website where I can order throughout the year?” the gray-haired man asked.
Oh no. Of course, a website! She made a mental note to figure out how to create a website. “It’s under development right now, but if you leave me your email address, I’ll send you the link once it’s live.” Note to self: Start an email list, a mailing list, and maybe a newsletter.
That pushed her total sales for the day over ninety, and it was only noon. Things were definitely looking up. Carey hadn’t shown up today, leaving the space beside her empty. The flea market felt strange without his orange van parked behind hers and their friendly banter, but after the first twenty minutes, she’d been too busy to notice. The clouds had cleared and the sun shone brightly on the tented rows of vendor booths, drawing in droves of customers since the flea market opened at nine, and she was thankful for the sales. Several return customers stopped by to stock up on her Sweet Treats in anticipation of the end of summer, when real life took over and the flea market would be a distant memory.
Leanna thought about real life. She had a plan for the first time in her life. Not a whim, not a hope, but a solid plan that included a life she wanted, a relationship with a man she adored, and a future full of promise. With Kurt she’d found love, and she’d become stronger, more focused. Happier. Which she found astounding, because she thought she’d always been happy, even if she’d been searching for something more in her life. She hadn’t realized that her happiness could triple with Kurt in her life.
Pepper began barking before she spotted her love walking leisurely through the crowd with his computer and notebook tucked under one arm, a small bag and a vase full of flowers in the other. A warm thrill flowed through her. He was incredibly handsome in his khaki shorts and white polo shirt. His hair was perfectly combed to the side, and he hadn’t shaved. She loved when he didn’t shave. A shiver of anticipation ran up her spine as she thought about the scratchy feel of stubble on her cheek when they kissed. His eyes met hers, and when he smiled, it reached his eyes and brightened her heart.
Pepper fought against his tethered leash. The jars knocked against each other. Kurt stepped up his pace as she came around the table and reached for Pepper’s leash.
“Hey, babe.” He kissed her and took Pepper’s leash from her hand. “Next summer we’ll have to figure out a better plan for Pepper.”
Her heart warmed at the way he’d come to care for Pepper.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I missed you.”
He draped his arm over her shoulder, and they sat behind the booth. “I missed you, too. Where’s Carey?” He set the vase on the table.
She shrugged. “Not sure. Sometimes vendors don’t show up.”
“I brought him a few of my books and signed them for him. He seemed like he was into them, so I thought if he didn’t want them, he could sell them on eBay or something. I’ll put them in your van.”
Flowers for me and books for Carey? Could you be more thoughtful?