Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
J enna spent the next day pulling the faded, peeling wallpaper from the back bedroom walls. She thought a nice pale-yellow shade of paint would brighten up the room. That was something she could do. Her arms ached from the work, and she finally stopped to take a break.
She sat outside sipping on sweet tea and enjoying the gentle breeze coming in off the water. A short distance away, a family had staked their claim on the sandy expanse, a colorful blanket serving as their base camp. Two little girls, all giggles and boundless energy, darted along the water’s edge under the watchful eye of their father, never more than a step away.
A jogger went past at a slow, even pace on the hard-packed sand. Two women leisurely strolled down the beach, plucking shells from the sand and dropping into a shared pail. All around her, people savored the unhurried pace of island living.
Jenna exhaled slowly, allowing the tranquil scene to wash over her. She could easily grow accustomed to this pace of life, where moments were meant to be cherished rather than rushed through. Sitting here and just enjoying the moment, her darkest memories seemed to recede, if only temporarily. A joyful peal of laughter from one of the young girls yanked her attention back to the present. The girl’s father playfully tossed her into the air, her delighted squeals aloft on the breeze.
Her gaze drifted over to the deck, where a loose railing caught her eye. She mentally made a note to add that to the list of repairs. She couldn’t wait to have the repairs all finished and settle in. Making the cottage her own, her home.
After finishing her tea, she pushed off the chair and headed back inside, ready to tackle the project again. Her phone rang with a familiar ringtone as she placed the empty glass in the sink. “Hey, Marly.”
“Hey, yourself, sis. How are things going in your new home?” Concerned edged Marly’s words.
“They are going fine. I’m in the middle of peeling off worn wallpaper. And I found a contractor to help with some of the repairs.”
“You did? Great.”
“Beverly recommended him. She’s the owner of Coastal Coffee. I’ve gone there a few times for breakfast and she invited me to go with her and her friend, Maxine, to a show at the theater last night.”
“Look at you. Making friends already. That makes me feel better. I hate to think of you all alone on the island.” The concern was still clear in her tone.
“You don’t have to worry about me, Marly. I like it here. It’s just what I need. A change. And I am meeting people. And of course, I have the house to keep me busy.”
“How’s your freelance work coming along?”
“I’ve done a few articles here and there. And I’m in contact with a Florida travel website. Hoping to do some work for them. I’ll figure it out.”
“I know you will, but I still worry about you. It’s my job.” Marly laughed.
“Well, don’t. I’m fine.”
Marly’s deep sigh came through the cell phone speaker. “I’ll try not to. But I do miss you. It’s not the same without you here.” Her sister’s voice took on a wistful tone. “I can’t just pop over for a chat or suggest we grab a drink after work like we used to.”
“After I get the cottage whipped into shape, you can come visit. Boss me around. Critique my decorating choices. You know, the usual stuff.”
Marly laughed. “And you know I will.”
“Listen, I have to get back to work. I’d like to have all the wallpaper down before Nash gets here.” She headed into the back bedroom.
“Nash. Who is Nash?” Her sister’s voice filled with undisguised interest.
“The contractor I told you about.” She kept her voice nonchalant, knowing any hint of evasiveness would just prompt more questions.
“Oh, I thought maybe you’d already snagged a date with some handsome local.”
“No… I…” No way she was telling her sister she’d gone to eat with Nash. There would be endless questions. “Nope, just the contractor I mentioned coming to start working on the house tomorrow.”
“Okay, I’ll let you get back to work. But check in soon. Or, you know, I’ll badger you mercilessly,” her sister teased.
“Bye, Marly.” She clicked off the phone. Her sister meant well. And she had to admit she missed her sister too. Not that they really spent a lot of time together in recent years. She’d always been so busy with her job and her investigations.
She pivoted, staring at the one long wall where the dated wallpaper remained untouched. An unbidden sigh escaped her lips. The wallpaper wasn’t going to peel itself free, that much was certain.
She wanted Nash to see how hard she was working on getting projects done on the cottage. That she intended to work just as hard as he did. With renewed vigor, she clasped the scraper in her hand. She resolved to not quit until the last strip of wallpaper surrendered its grasp on the wall.
Jenna awoke Monday morning, her body still feeling the effects of the grueling work she’d put in the day before. Despite the soreness in her arms, a sense of satisfaction washed over her as she recalled the completed room. She couldn’t help but wonder if Nash would take notice of her efforts.
She quickly got dressed and grabbed a cup of coffee. She stood at the sink while eating a piece of toast with strawberry preserves on it. A woman at the market said that a local woman made the preserves and that they were tasty. The woman did not exaggerate. The preserves were awesome. She debated a second piece of toast, but instead poured yet another cup of coffee, glanced around the kitchen to make sure everything was picked up, and walked out into the living room.
A knock sounded, and she hurried over to open the door. Nash stood there with a toolbox in hand and a friendly smile. “Morning.”
“Morning.” She glanced behind him to see his truck and another one in the driveway.
“I’ve got painters that are going to start on the outside. I’ll start inside if that’s okay with you.”
“Yes, come in.” She stepped aside to let him pass.
He glanced over at the bookcase. “You working on refinishing those?”
“I am.”
He nodded. “They’ll look nice. You know how to refinish them?”
“I do.” She was determined to show him that she did know how to do a lot of repairs and fixing things up.
“I’ll head back to the hall bathroom and work on that plumbing, then.” He headed down the hallway, but she saw him pause at the doorway of the back bedroom and look inside. Surely he remembered it had been covered in that horrible, fading wallpaper when he’d been here last week…
Hours later, Nash came into the living room as she stood on a ladder putting a finish on an upper shelf. “You’ve got quite a lot done in here today.”
She paused, holding the rag with the finish on it. “It is starting to look nice, isn’t it?”
“And you got all that wallpaper down in the back bedroom. Not sure how you finished all that since I was just here a few days ago. That’s quite a project.”
Pleasure seeped through her that he’d acknowledged her hard work. “I’m going to paint the room a pale yellow. Just need to get some color cards and bring them back here to see what I might like.”
“I’ve got a set in the truck. Want me to go get them?”
“That would be nice.” She carefully climbed down the ladder.
Nash headed outside, and she heard him talking to the men working outside. He soon returned with a deck of color cards. “Want some help choosing the shade?”
“Sure, never hurts to have another set of eyes on the choices.” She followed him down the hall to the bedroom.
“Let’s open these blinds to let in some natural light.” Nash headed over to a window.
“I’m getting rid of those blinds, anyway. They’re faded and in pretty terrible shape. I want some nice wooden ones.” If she could figure that into her budget. But she didn’t tell Nash that.
The light streamed into the room, and she held up the colors on the wall. First in the sunlight, and then in the corners. “I kind of like this one called Butter Cream. But this morning sunshine is nice too.” She laughed. “I swear the paint companies must do market research into finding the most compelling names for their paints.”
“I bet they do.” He nodded. “I don’t think you could go wrong with either of them. Nice, neutral pale yellows. It will brighten up the room.”
“That’s what I’m hoping.” She stared at the two colors. “I can’t decide.”
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll pick up two sample sizes of the colors. You can paint some on the wall and decide.”
“That sounds like a good idea.” She handed the cards back to him. “Would you like to take a break and have some sweet tea?”
He glanced out the doorway toward the hall bathroom, then turned back to her and smiled. “Sure, can’t see why not.”
They headed to the kitchen, and she poured them large glasses of tea. They sat at the table and he stretched his long legs out. “Good tea. Looks like you know how to make it properly.”
“I had a good friend from Georgia and I served her iced tea once. She practically spat it out. She insisted on teaching me how to make it properly. I admit, her way beats mine. Made it her way ever since.”
“Almost as good as my momma’s.” He winked. “But don’t tell her I said so. She thinks no one makes tea anywhere near as good as hers.”
Jenna smiled, enjoying the easy conversation. “Your secret is safe with me. I wouldn’t dare challenge your momma’s sweet tea supremacy.”
He chuckled. “Wise decision. She’s fiercely protective of her culinary reputation.”
“I can only imagine.” Jenna took another sip, savoring the perfect balance of sweetness and tea, just like her friend had taught her. “So, how long have you been in the construction business?”
“Officially, about ten to fifteen years now. But I grew up around it, helping my dad out on jobs since I was old enough to hold a hammer.” His eyes crinkled at the corners as he reminisced. “I guess you could say it’s in my blood.”
“That must be nice. Having a family trade to carry on.”
“It is, but it’s not without its challenges. Trying to live up to my old man’s reputation can be tough sometimes. But I do enjoy my job. Love working with my hands. Meeting people. I enjoy seeing a house come alive as I work on it.” He leaned back in his chair. “How about you? What do you do when you’re not busy fixing up cottages? You said you used to be an investigative reporter. Why’d you give it up?”
His question caught her off guard. “I… Uh… It was a grueling pace. And stressful. And I just… grew tired of it.” She looked at him, not ready to share the whole story. “But this life here on the island agrees with me. I haven’t felt this capable and content in a long time.”
He nodded. “Sometimes we just need a fresh start.”
Luckily, he didn’t ask any more questions because she wasn’t ready to give answers. She just knew she wanted to get as far away from investigative reporting as possible. And it seemed like she had. This life in Magnolia was a welcome change.
“Anyway, you picked a good spot for it.” A pensive look crossed his features. “There’s something about this place that just feels… healing.”
“I’m starting to see that.” Jenna glanced around the kitchen, taking in the progress she’d made. “It’s a lot of work, but it already feels more like home.”
“You’ve done an impressive job so far.” Nash raised his glass in a mock toast. “To new beginnings and sweet tea.”
She laughed, clinking her glass against his. “I’ll drink to that.”
As they sipped their tea, the conversation flowed easily, ranging from local gossip to their favorite spots on the island. Jenna found herself drawn to Nash’s warmth and humor, the way he seemed genuinely interested in her thoughts and opinions.
“You know, I never pegged you for a bookworm,” he teased, gesturing to the stack of novels on the counter.
Jenna feigned offense. “Hey, don’t let the power tools fool you. I’ve got layers.”
“Clearly.” Nash grinned. “So, what’s your favorite genre?”
“Mystery, hands down. There’s something satisfying about piecing together the clues and solving the puzzle.”
“Ah, so you’re a regular Nancy Drew.” His eyes sparkled with mirth.
“More like a Jessica Fletcher, but I’ll take the compliment.” She smirked.
They continued to chat, the minutes slipping by unnoticed. It wasn’t until Nash glanced at his watch that the spell was broken.
“I should probably get back to work.” He stood, stretching his arms above his head. “Those pipes won’t fix themselves.”
Jenna felt a twinge of disappointment, but nodded in understanding. “Of course. Thanks for taking a break with me.”
“Anytime.” Nash’s smile was warm and genuine.
He headed out of the kitchen and she picked up the glasses, rinsed them, and set them in the dishwasher. A wave of contentment washed over her. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was just where she was supposed to be.