Chapter Twenty-Six
Rosie
Rosie stood in the large kitchen of Stormhaven, looking around in wonder.
“Oh, Kyle, this cabinetry is amazing. Thank you so much for putting a rush job on it as soon as everything finally came in.”
Kyle Porter, one of her favorite local contractors, nodded. “Happy to do it for you, Rosie. I’m sorry it took us so long to
make it work with the supply chain disruption and our busy schedule.”
“The results are worth the wait,” she said. “It all looks fantastic. I knew it would be. You do such great work.”
“You’re making good headway here. Won’t be long, maybe another few weeks, and this old place might be livable again.”
“I hope so,” she said. “I know Mr. Morgan and his children are eager to move in.”
Kyle shook his head. “I still can’t believe I’m installing cabinets in a house for Andrew Morgan, the creator of my kids’
favorite movie.”
“Your kids are into The Starbound Chronicles?”
“They’re crazy about the whole series. We’ve seen the movie a dozen times, and my kids are always playing the video game.
I’ll admit, I’ve even played it myself a time or two. We’re excited to see the second installment. It will be even more fun
now that Mr. Morgan lives here in town. I wonder if the movie theater will host any special screenings.”
“That’s a good idea. Maybe someone should mention it to Harriet Bell, though I’m guessing someone already has.”
Harriet owned the only movie theater in town, a three-screen ancient movie house that still sold the best popcorn in town. Sometimes Rosie and her friends went for that alone.
“It’s fun to know the creator of The Starbound Chronicles is such a nice guy, too. He’s talked to me several times in the
past three days that I’ve been doing the cabinets throughout the house, asking if I have everything I need.”
“Did he?”
“I thought I would be nervous and a little starstruck around him, but he has a way of making you feel at ease, you know.”
Were they talking about the same person? Every single time she saw him, Andrew left her feeling unsettled.
“And his kids seem nice, too,” Kyle went on. “My youngest has been in drama camp with them. She and Zara have kind of become
friends, which Lucy thinks is the coolest thing in the world, to know the daughter of one of her favorite authors.”
As if on cue, the door opened and Zara and Finn raced in, followed closely by their grandmother. They all stopped and looked
around at the kitchen with expressions of delight.
“Is the kitchen all done?” Zara asked.
“Almost,” Kyle said. “Just have to put in the countertops and a few other details. It’s getting there.”
“Yay!” Finn exclaimed. “I can’t wait to have my own bedroom again.”
“Me, too,” Zara said.
“This looks great,” Nancy said. “Even better than the cabinets you did for me. Good to see you again, Kyle.”
“What have you guys been up to today,” the man asked.
“I just picked them up from drama camp,” Nancy said.
“We’re doing a play,” Zara said. “It’s called The Karate Princesses.”
“Wow. That sounds fun,” Rosie said. “Do you have a part?”
“We both do,” Finn said proudly. “I’m a karate guy.”
He kicked the air and moved his hands like he was fighting an unseen opponent.
“And I’m one of the princesses,” Zara said.
“It sounds lovely,” Rosie said.
“You should come,” Finn said. “You could bring Olive, too.”
“When is it?”
“Friday, down at the community center. At 6:00 p.m., I believe,” Kyle answered. “Lucy has been so excited about it. They’re
putting the whole thing together in only a few days. She did the same camp last summer and loved every minute of it.”
“That sounds really fun. I can’t make any promises, because I’ll have to see what my Friday is like, but I’ll definitely try,”
she answered.
She was charmed by these two cute children. Despite the pain of losing their mother and their home within only a few years,
they seemed like great kids, curious and friendly.
The children told her all about their play while Kyle excused himself to take a phone call.
As he left, Andrew walked in. He looked rumpled and tired, his hair slightly messy as if he had been dragging his hands through
it, and his shirt was wrinkled.
Despite that, Rosie had to catch her breath. Why did she always forget how gorgeous he was whenever she hadn’t seen him for
a few days?
“We were coming to see you,” Finn said, launching himself at his father, who scooped him up in a tight hug.
Zara followed her brother, and Andrew reached out with his free hand to draw her close.
The clear love in their small family unit touched her. Yes, he was incredibly sexy in his rumpled creator persona but she somehow found his clear affection for his children even more attractive.
“Grandma said we could interrupt your writing for five minutes to tell you we both got parts in The Karate Princesses,” Finn informed him. “I’m one of the karate guys.”
Finn slid down out of his father’s arms to repeat his fancy martial art moves, earning a smile from Andrew.
“Impressive. What about you, Z?”
“I’m one of the three princesses. We have to save our whole kingdom from some bad guys who want to take it over.”
“I’m not a bad guy, though,” Finn assured them all. “I help the princesses.”
“That’s a relief,” his father said.
“Rosie said she might try to come. And maybe Olive, too,” Zara announced.
“I hope I can make it,” Rosie said, determined to juggle her schedule, if at all possible. How could she disappoint the children?
“Okay, you two,” Nancy said. “You told your father your exciting news. We need to go practice your lines and let him get back
to work.”
“I’m nearly done for the day. I have a marketing phone call in a half hour, then I’ll be home after that. Thanks for picking
them up, Mom.”
He kissed his mother’s cheek, then turned to Rosie after his family left the kitchen.
“It was very kind of you to agree to go to the play, but you really don’t have to. I’m sure you have other plans.”
What other plans? The ever-present yard work? Her social life was not exactly packed right now.
Maybe she ought to look into the dating apps, as her mother had recommended. Maybe that would help her get over this silly crush on her neighbor and client.
“I believe I will have Olive all that night since her mother will be working late at the bookstore. I think she would love
to see it, especially because she considers Finn and Zara her friends. They’ve been so kind to her. She and I can make a night
of it and maybe go to dinner after the show.”
She almost invited him and the children to join her but at the last minute common sense intruded.
“Sounds lovely,” he said with a warm, slightly distracted smile that made her remember his mouth on hers.
She quickly drew herself back to the job at hand. “Actually, I was hoping I would run into you. I didn’t want to interrupt
your work, but I do need to talk to you about the tile in the third-floor guest bathrooms. Do you mind taking a look with
me?”
“We can look, I suppose, but I know nothing about bathroom tiles.”
She was fiercely aware of him as they walked up the two flights of stairs to one of the guest bathrooms.
“Your designer picked these small period subway tiles in the shower surrounds but this particular kind is back-ordered,” she
said. “Eddie, the tile subcontractor, is suggesting two alternatives to choose from. I’ve sent photos to Yvette and she said
either one would work and that you can choose which one you like best.”
She held out the sample boards for his perusal.
Andrew made a face. “Do you really think I care what kind of tile we end up with in these two bathrooms? I will probably never
even use either of them.”
“You might. Who knows? Maybe five years from now, you will walk into one of them, look around and decide you hate every inch of it. Then you’ll have to pay someone to come and tear it all out again.”
“I can one hundred percent guarantee that is not going to happen. I am more likely to take up competitive yodeling in the
Swiss Alps. Why don’t you decide? Which one would you pick if this were your house?”
He winced as soon as the words were out. “I’m sorry, Rosie. I totally forget this once was your house.”
She gave him a reassuring smile. “You don’t have to apologize. I had to let go of my dreams for this house a long time ago.”
“But what if you hadn’t? Which one would you choose?”
She looked at the two samples, holding them up against the paint swatch. “If this were my house, I would probably go with
this one, with the gray marbling. I think the other one is too dark for me, but that’s my taste, not yours.”
“Gray it is. I trust you, Rosie.”
“I suppose that’s a good thing, since I’m now managing your construction project.”
“Even if you weren’t, I think I would trust you. You obviously have good taste. Your house is very warm and comfortable. The
few parts I’ve seen, anyway.”
She had a sudden stray wish that he had seen her bedroom.
As soon as the thought entered her mind, Rosie felt her face heat. What on earth was the matter with her?
“Are you ready for tonight?” she asked quickly.
He grimaced. “Thanks for reminding me. I’ve been trying all day to put it out of my head so I can actually get some work done.”
“It’s not a big deal. I promise. We’re not scary. And everyone is so happy that you agreed to come speak to our book club. The Wood Briar Sea Witches only has about twenty members—not all women, actually. Only about fifteen or so can make it with any regularity to our meetings.”
“That shouldn’t be so bad, I suppose.”
“Although,” she warned, “I do expect we’ll have more than that tonight. You’re a pretty big deal and several of our members
were upset they couldn’t meet you at the neighborhood party. Oh, and on our text chain, a few people have said they are planning
to bring along a friend who loves your book.”
“You’re not really helping put my mind at ease.”
“I’m really sorry to stress you more,” she said. “You have no reason to be nervous. If it’s any consolation, there will be
plenty of friendly faces. My mom goes to the book group. And you met Mei Lin and Nina and several other members at the neighborhood
party. Emma is coming as well. You know how much she loves your books.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine. It’s the lead-up to an event that gives me a few twinges of nerves. It doesn’t take long for me to
become so busy talking about books that I forget my anxieties.”
“I don’t understand why you would be nervous at all. Like I said, we’re a small, friendly group and you’re a celebrity writer.
Everyone loves your books.”
“I’ve had a couple of bad experiences. Right after my first book came out, one of my university professors invited me to come
and speak to his Fiction Writing 101 class. I was flattered, to be honest, but when I arrived, he spent the whole hour talking
about how commercial fiction like mine was ruining real literature.”
“That’s terrible!”
“I tried to put it down to professional jealousy. He had been trying to sell his own literary fiction for years, with no luck. I imagine it must have burned to see me find success so readily. I was a dumb kid who really had no idea what I was doing. Not only did my debut novel find a publisher, but it also hit some bestseller lists.”
“I can promise, no one will be treating you with anything but respect and admiration tonight. I’m sure it will all go to your
head.”
He laughed. “I doubt that. That’s the funny thing about writers. I imagine there are a few who are overflowing with confidence
and hubris, certain that every word out of their pen is sheer magic. They’re in the minority. Most of us who create still
feel like imposters most of the time, waiting for everybody else to figure out we’re talentless hacks.”
This rare glimpse into his mind fascinated her. Okay, everything about this man fascinated her.
“The rest of the world strongly disagrees with that,” she said. “You’ll see tonight. You have the address, right?
“Your friend texted it to me.”
“It might be hard to find. Barbara West lives on a cul-de-sac in a secluded beachfront neighborhood outside of town. Sometimes
GPS doesn’t always get things right around here. Text me if you have trouble and I’ll try to direct you. In fact, we could
go together, if that would be easier.”
As soon as the words were out, Rosie wondered what on earth she was thinking. She did not need to spend more time alone with
him.
Right now, she definitely did not trust herself around Andrew Morgan. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to end up doing
something stupid that she couldn’t take back. Like fall head over heels for him.
“Sure. That would be great,” he said.
She had no choice now. Might as well roll with it.
“At least that way you can be sure to see at least one friendly face. I can hold your hand if you get too nervous,” she teased.
“Something to look forward to, then,” he said, his voice low and amused.
She swallowed hard and had to look away, not sure if he was sincere or teasing her back.
“The book club starts at seven. Why don’t I pick you up at twenty minutes to seven? That gives us plenty of time to make it
to Barbara’s house without being the first ones there.”
“Perfect.”
His cell phone rang and he gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry. This is the call I’ve been waiting for.”
“Go ahead. I’ll see you this evening.”
He smiled in response and answered his phone. As he headed up the stairs to his attic office, she could hear him speaking
in a brisk, businesslike tone that did funny things to her insides.
Face it, she thought. Everything the man did affected her like that. Whether she liked it or not.