61. Leilani
“Still feeling lucky?” I murmur, nudging Asher”s arm with my shoulder as we stand in the old villa and gaze up at the water stains on the ceiling and the curling wallpaper.
He doesn”t say anything at first and I wince, biting my lip. “You don”t have to agree to this, you know. If it”s not your thing, you can?—”
“I love it.” He turns to me with a grin.
“Really?” I laugh at his expression. “I thought you were having major doubts.”
“No, I was just picturing the potential. Look out that window.” He points west and I turn, drinking in the dark orange ball of sun that”s sinking below the mountains in the distance. “And look at this floor.” He points down at the scratched wood beneath our feet. “With a good sanding and polish, it”s going to be stunning.” He steps away from me, walking to the window seat and then doing a slow spin. “Can”t you see new paper on the walls or a fresh coat of paint? Guests will come in here for drinks before dinner is served. We could turn this wall into a shelf stuffed with books. There could be a chess set here on a low coffee table with some plush chairs.” His voice grows with excitement as he grabs my hand and drags me through a doorway and straight into the kitchen.
It”s a dump, the equipment so outdated, I”m surprised it even works.
“Imagine this all kitted out with shiny new surfaces and equipment. Ray could cook up a storm in this place.”
“I know!” She skips in from the other doorway with Liam in tow. Spreading her hands over the counter, she taps the wall. “I want to ask if this could be opened up so we could turn it into a serving station. Do you think we could knock a hole in this wall?”
Liam runs his hand over it like he knows shit about building, then shakes his head. “Not sure, but we could ask.”
“You definitely can.” Baxter appears behind Liam. “I was just looking at the other side. It’s not load-bearing. You could turn that room into a dining area for guests, make it like a café style, even.”
Rachel gasps. “You know, this doesn”t just have to be a bed-and-breakfast. What if we made it a café as well?” She spins to look at Asher. “That could work, right? We could serve like a high tea kind of deal, and people could come out here for an afternoon, catching up with their friends over a cup of coffee.”
“Isn”t it a little too far out of town to be convenient?” I wrinkle my nose.
“It”s only ten minutes… and that”s kind of the point,” Asher murmurs. “You’re not just grabbing a coffee to go, you”re meeting up for the pleasure of delicious food and a stunning view. We could maybe build a little playground area out in the yard for kids.”
“Yes!” Rachel rises to her toes, then touches her cheeks, spinning to look up at Liam with a watery smile. “My bakery. I could make food so incredible that people will want to drive out of town just to experience it.”
Liam”s smile is wide and encouraging as he pulls Rachel into his arms and kisses her.
Asher throws his arm around my shoulders and smiles down at me. “I want to be a part of this. I want to get this place off the ground and make it a must-see place to visit in Nolan.”
I rest my hand on his stomach. “If anyone can do it, you can.” My heart swells with affection. “I don”t know if I”ve ever seen you so excited about something.”
“I am.” He stares around in wonder. “Seriously, I”m so pumped for this.”
Baxter catches his eye and nods. “It”s gonna be awesome.”
“Really? You”re in?” Asher asks. “But you graduate this year.”
Baxter shrugs. “I’ve got no place else to be for the summer. Might as well kick around here and help you guys out. I”m used to working construction jobs over the long breaks, so…”
“Oh yeah? That”s handy.”
He shrugs, like giving us details is too much effort, then spins out of the kitchen before we can ask for more.
I snicker and shake my head. The guy is a perpetual mystery. It”s like he”s only ever willing to expose a small corner of himself. But I”ll keep picking away. Eventually, I”ll understand how the guy ticks.
“So…” Asher takes my hand and pulls me out of the kitchen. We head back through the parlor and out to the entrance. There”s a wooden staircase with a beautifully carved railing leading up to the bedrooms. “What do you think, Miss Iona. You like this place?”
I ascend the stairs and smile at the laughter above us. Sounds like Casey and Caroline.
“I like you in this place,” I finally tell him. “I love the look in your eyes and the potential you see.”
“Think you”d want live here?”
I jolt to a stop. He”s two steps above me, and I gape up at him. “You want me to live here? With you?”
“Eventually.” He shrugs, then walks back down to cup my face. “I know it”s too soon right now, and I”m not trying to rush you. You love being at the dorm with Caroline, and you should totally stay there, but… I mean, this summer. Would you want to stick around?”
I hold his wrists, brushing my thumb across the hair on his arms. A smile grows within me, then starts to show on my face as I nod. “I”d like that.”
“Yeah?” His laughter is thick with relief.
“Think you”ll be able to stand it?” I tease him. “I can be a bossy bitch when it comes to projects like this. There”s a strong chance everyone will hate me by the end.”
“I could never hate you,” he assures me.
“You used to.”
He laughs and shakes his head, pulling me in for a firm kiss before looking me in the eye. “I never hated you.”
My insides turn to mush as I bask in his affectionate gaze. “I never hated you either.”
His grin grows a little wider. “Love you, my little shrutebag.”
I laugh and slap his butt as he comes in for another kiss. I let him have it, deepening the kiss with a tongue sweep that makes him groan.
Pulling back, I smile against his mouth and murmur, “I love you, too, my lumpatious asshole.”