Chapter Sixteen
Autumn brought the color and it brought the rain. She watched both sweep across the valley from her office window as progress on her book streamed along.
Because it streamed, she realized she’d begun to lose some of her focus on the work back in Columbus. She’d let anxiety break through her discipline.
Not let, she reminded herself. It simply had. And she’d taken the steps, the right steps for her, to regain control.
Since Zoey had pushed her to buy rain gear, she braved the wet to go out to cut drenched flowers from the garden, to drive into town or to dinner at Zoey’s.
She rewarded herself in the evenings by sitting in one of her new butterscotch leather chairs with a book in front of her new library fireplace.
Zorro, after some initial wariness, accepted her footstool pig. But he tended to give it a wide berth and napped in front of the fire, usually with his llama.
Since Jamie refused to let her see what he was painting for her, she couldn’t visualize it. But contented herself knowing it would be exactly right.
As October loomed, she planned and prepped her first dinner party, with Zoey and Boone—no kids, at their request—Jamie and Nick, and considered her timing perfect. With her second draft completed ahead of schedule, she’d let it sit a day or two before going over it all again.
She fussed with her house until every surface gleamed. Once the table was set, she took a careful study of the space. And happily, thought her dining room had come a long way.
She’d fussed with herself, too, choosing the dark green dress from her still mostly empty closet, leaving her hair down, and adding a few thin braids to frame her face.
She had the Brie baked, the wine breathing, and the ham resting when Zoey and Boone came to the door.
“God, an adult evening!” Zoey hugged hard. “Thank you!”
“We love our girls, but.” Grinning, Boone moved in for his hug. “We’ve been so busy we haven’t had solo time outside of work in weeks.”
“I know we’re early, but we couldn’t wait.”
“Happy to provide. Let’s get your jackets. It’s actually not raining.”
“Hallelujah. But,” Boone warned, “expect the wet by dessert. Speaking of food, something smells amazing.”
She took Boone’s jacket to hang. “I sure hope so. Let’s go have some wine and start adulting. Sparkling cranberry juice for you, Zoey, and the surprise inside.”
“My fave pregnancy drink.” Zoey hooked an arm around Arden’s waist. “Boone, wait until you see the library. It’s not finished, but it’s wonderful even so.”
“I’ll say.” He didn’t just pause at the doorway but walked in. “That’s a great-looking fireplace, but these bookcases are really something.”
“I love them. I decided to add the photos and things along with books in every other one. I’ve already got a box of what goes in the next when it gets here. I thought about buying a library ladder, but I’m going to see if I can talk Gideon into making one.”
“He does good work.”
“He really does.”
They went back to the kitchen, where Zorro sat and watched Arden pour the wine and Zoey’s drink.
“And look at your dining room.” Hands on hips, Zoey scanned the room. “Did Martha Stewart drop by for a consult on tablescapes?”
“The internet provides visuals. Nick and Jamie set such a gorgeous table for their monthly brunch, I felt I had to meet their standards.”
“I’d say right on target.” Boone sipped some wine. “I definitely feel like an adult.”
“And baked Brie? Yum.” Zoey started to help herself when Zorro raced back to the front door.
“Looks like Nick and Jamie couldn’t wait either. We’ll get this party started.”
Arden went to the door. And found Gideon, Joe, Elvis, and a bookcase.
“Oh boy! Number four.”
“And five,” Gideon told her.
“Looks like we hit when you’ve got company. We’ll get them in, and get out of your way.”
“Joe, you’re never in the way. Come in, come in. Gideon, you met Zoey and Boone. Joe, these are my cousins Zoey Rogan and Boone Yeoh.”
“Nice to meet you. I just got my first look at these in place,” Boone added. “Need a hand with that one?”
“We’ve got it balanced, thanks.”
As they wheeled it in, Zoey eased toward the library door. “We were just talking about how beautiful these are.”
“My boy knows his stuff. That fireplace looks just right, Arden, and would you look at those chairs? Somebody else knows her stuff.”
“It’s turning out just the way I imagined it.
My neighbor, he’s a local artist, is doing a painting for over the mantel.
He won’t let me see it yet. Oh, there’s number four where it belongs.
And number five finishes that wall. A whole wall of bookcases.
” Arden hunched up her shoulders in delight. “And more to go!”
“Tell me about it. Let’s go get it, Pop.”
“Yes, please. Have you eaten?”
“We’re grabbing something on the way home.”
“No, you’re not. You’re staying.”
“That’s a sweet girl.” Joe patted her shoulder. “But we’re not going to horn in on your dinner.”
“You’re not. I’d love for you to stay. I made plenty. As long as you like glazed ham.”
Joe sighed. “Hit a weak spot.”
“Then it’s settled. I’m setting two more places.”
While she did, Boone poured more wine. Arden took the glasses to the library as they installed the next cabinet.
“It fits so perfectly.”
“That’s the idea.” Gideon glanced at the wine. “My truck, I’ll drive and stick to one. You enjoy,” he said to Joe.
“And I will. Thank you, Arden. It’s been a while since I had a ham dinner.”
“Come back and relax.”
In the great room, Elvis sniffed his way around everything.
“It’s the hound in him,” Joe said. “Elvis, you settle down. We’re guests.”
“Our final two—the neighbors—have the cutest little dog. They’ll bring Isis. You may know them, Joe. Nick’s the owner/operator of Sugar, Spice, and Coffee.”
“I sure do. So it’s Jamie who’s doing your painting. I met him at one of the gallery’s art shows. I like his work.”
“Me, too.”
“We’re admiring yours,” Zoey said to Gideon. “I’d love to know more about bowl turning. I’m not saying I could build custom cabinets like those, but at least I know the process. I don’t know anything about turning wooden bowls or those wonderful lamps Arden has. You must have a lathe.”
“Pop does.”
“I haven’t used it much the last few years, but I’m pleased to say I taught Gideon how to work with one, even though he’s one-upped me there.”
Zorro raced to the door again. Elvis cocked his head, then followed more leisurely.
“That’ll be Jamie and Nick.”
When Arden opened the door, she found Nick carrying Isis, a hammer, and a wall hook, and Jamie holding a painting, unframed, with its back to her.
“Mine,” she said, and reached out.
“Uh-uh-uh. No touching, no peeking. I’m hanging it unframed. If you want it framed, you need to wait a couple months. But we decided you deserved to see it hanging in place.”
“I really do.”
Nick set Isis down, where she wagged at Zorro, then walked to Elvis. When he lowered his long face, she exchanged sniffs, then licked him.
“Flirt,” Jamie said. “Hello, everyone!”
“You’ve met Zoey and Boone, and I think you’ve met Joe. This is Gideon.”
“I’m an admirer of your work.” Nick held out a hand to Gideon.
“As we are of yours,” Joe said. “Both of yours.”
“We’ll see what you think of my latest masterpiece. Got a stepladder, my darling?”
“Yes, out in the shed. Just let me—”
“Well, you must know your way around a hammer.” As he smoothed a hand over his hair, Jamie gave Gideon a flirty look. “And I bet you wouldn’t need the ladder.”
“Probably not. I’ll give you a hand.”
“Nick, you keep Arden in the kitchen. And have a glass of wine ready for me. I’ll need to celebrate success or bemoan my failure.”
“I can wait five minutes. How long does it take to hang a painting?”
“Have you met Jamie?” Nick pulled a measuring tape and a small level out of his pocket, handed them to Gideon. “Something smells wonderful.”
She had a houseful of people, Arden thought. Of friends. Add in two more bookcases and a painting.
The evening hit number one with a bullet.
“Let’s get you that wine. Dinner’s ready once my painting’s hung. Everything’s in the warming oven, and the ham’s waiting for my hopeful carving skills.”
Joe tapped a finger on his chest. “As the eldest, by far, and an experienced hand, I’ll take that task on.”
“I’ll gratefully pass the carving knife to Joe.”
She heard Jamie let out what could definitely be termed a giggle, and Gideon’s quick laugh.
“Somebody else is a flirt.” With a grin for Arden, Nick took his wine. “How’s your family?” he asked Zoey.
“Very well, thanks. My parents will be coming out for Christmas, staying through New Year’s. My brother and his family will drive up from Crescent City Christmas Day.”
“This is taking longer than it should. You just smack a nail in the wall.”
Nick slid a look toward Arden. “Again, have you met Jamie?”
“Add Gideon there,” Joe put in. “Measure, measure, level, level.”
“Well, give me a hint. Landscape, figure study, still life?”
“And end up sleeping in the guest room tonight? I’ll just say that if Jamie hadn’t promised it to you, we’d be hanging that in our house.”
She waited, mostly pleased that the conversation flowed and her baked Brie with raspberry sauce seemed to be a hit.
Arms spread, Jamie stepped out of the library. “The big reveal. Be kind.”
She didn’t waste time.
The minute she stood beside him in the doorway, she pressed both hands to her mouth. Then turned to wrap around the artist.
“Thank you. Oh, Jamie, thank you.”
“You barely looked at it.”
“I’ll look more in a second. It’s the valley in moonlight. It’s my view in moonlight.”
“I sketched out sunrise, but—”
“No, moonlight. For this room, it’s moonlight.” She drew back, framed his face with her hands, and kissed him. “Thank you. Now move aside!”
She turned, stepped closer, and realized she couldn’t have imagined it even if she’d known what he planned to paint.