Chapter Twenty-Four
Another thirty minutes later, Wren was acting crazy, continuously grabbing stuff off the shelves at the home store. When they’d walked inside and she’d ordered him to bring along another cart, he thought she’d been kidding.
She’d zeroed in on comforters first, finding a beautiful quilt, its colors similar to the area rug on the floor in the master.
It was even patterned with dragonflies, which Jeff got a kick out of, since that was a recurring theme with the woodwork throughout the house.
“The vintage quilts that you’ve purchased should really be hung on the walls as part of your decorating scheme,” she said absentmindedly, throwing items haphazardly into both carts.
“Okay,” he muttered, watching her zip through the store, even grabbing several throw pillows along the way.
“What you could use is a cedar chest in the master to store extra bedding for the winter,” she said. “We should do some antique shopping sometime together since I might be around for a while.”
He nodded as she continued throwing items in the cart, finally pursing her lips. “We’re going to need one more cart. You’ll need some liners for the dresser drawers—maybe some sachets for your closets so they don’t smell musty. I peeked in the room that you’ve been sleeping in, and I’d like to get some bedding for that room too.”
“I’m still using the quilt I had as a teenager,” he admitted, appearing sheepish.
Laughing, she winked at him. “Everything’s on me, by the way. It’s the least I can do. Plus, you haven’t been letting me pay for any of our meals.”
Ready to protest, he recognized the look of stubbornness on her face and decided to give in.
As they headed home another forty-five minutes later, Jeff made a suggestion. “Instead of stopping to eat, how would you feel about having something on the grill at my place? I never expected you to want to buy all this stuff. Why don’t I make dinner while you do your thing with the quilts and throw pillows? Otherwise, I’d have to unload the truck and pile everything up for when you come back.”
“Sure,” she said. “Maybe we can even go for a quick swim before you drive me back to the Inn.”
“Great. We sure didn’t spend much time in the store, considering all the stuff you bought.”
“That’s good, because I should be back at the Inn at the exact same time I told Jake, so at least I won’t have to message him.”
After they returned to the house, Jeff and Wren carried all the purchases upstairs.
“Help me put on the mattress covers first, and then you can go downstairs while I get everything put in its place,” she said. “I’d like for you to be surprised.”
He grinned. “Alright. I guess I’ll have to have a beer while I’m waiting. Want one yourself? I’ve got some wine spritzers too that one of my sisters left.”
She grinned. “What flavor?”
“Cherry, I believe.”
“I’ll take one of those. You can get it for me while I’m pulling stuff out of its packaging. Did you say I can use anything I’d like from your furniture stash in the bedroom?”
“I did,” he replied. “How long do you suppose it’ll take you?”
“Not too long. Forty-five minutes to an hour to sort out both rooms, I suppose. I’m pretty good at this stuff. I’ve lived in several different homes, and each has a totally different look.”
“I’ll take your word on that,” he agreed, feeling slightly taken aback. He kept forgetting who she was. Multiple homes, all worth millions, he supposed.
And so was she.
Sipping his beer, he stepped outside to start the grill near the half-completed deck that overlooked the lake another twenty minutes later. The sunset was pretty spectacular tonight. He’d be glad when he had the time to finish the sunroom, but he’d already brought out the wrought iron patio set that he’d purchased last year so he could sit outside. Hopefully, he’d be able to at least continue working on the deck while Wren was staying here.
Jeff was definitely in over his head when it came to his feelings for her, he decided, resting some bacon wrapped filets on the grill another twenty minutes later once the charcoal was hot. Luckily, he’d forgotten to throw them in the freezer last night after arriving home. He’d bought some lettuce along with a couple kinds of salad dressings, since he’d noticed Wren seemed fond of the ranch at the Tap.
He'd more or less decided just to go along with whatever happened between them, although he’d have to be prepared for her eventual departure. Jeff was pretty sure that whatever he tried to do to avoid it, his heart wouldn’t remain unscathed.
Right as he was getting ready to take the steaks off the grill, she appeared in the doorway.
“They sure smell good,” she said, stepping outside to join him.
“Would you like to eat out here? I bought some corn from the vegetable stand yesterday since I was driving my truck, and I put together some salad.”
“Sure. Have you got paper plates?”
“I do, but we might just as well use the real thing since I’ve only invested in basic stoneware anyway,” he said, smiling.
“That makes sense, since you’re the only one living here,” she said, walking back into the house with him to assist with the food.
“Plus, my mother keeps threatening to start handing over some of our ancestors’ stuff, which includes a lot of china, so she’s probably going to follow through fairly soon since the restoration is nearly finished. She says it’s stupid that everything’s tucked away since all of us have homes of our own. Plus she’s so busy at her salon, that she never seems to have much free time. She’d rather we do the entertaining.”
“Your mom was always so nice to me,” Wren admitted. “I was envious of Kelly when we used to work together, modeling.”
He paused, reaching up into the cupboard for their plates. “It’s funny how my mom didn’t mention that she knew you either,” he finally said dryly.
“I heard you had a crush on me,” she answered, grinning.
No use being shy, he decided, staring into her eyes. “Always.”
She blinked.
Another twenty minutes later, they’d finished eating. Jeff had set out a citronella candle earlier, and for the most part, it kept the mosquitoes away.
“When I start working on the sunroom again, I’ll have the area sprayed by the local company to help keep the bugs away,” he said. “Although it doesn’t always work as well as promoted.”
“Have they put cameras out here yet?” she asked.
“Nothing will be hooked up until tomorrow morning,” he said. “They had to order a few custom items. For one thing, I wasn’t going to just allow them to drill into the cabinetry and add the video screens beneath.”
“Is that what those painted boards are for above your French Doors, and even above the doors in the master?” she asked.
“Yes. They’re hinged. I figure there’s no use having those video screens visible in every single room. But the hinges will allow me to pull the cameras down and view them if something should concern me.”
“That I can understand. I have a room exclusively built for security off of my kitchen in LA. When I have gatherings, I have a few security people sitting in there, otherwise, I like to forget about it all since everything is recorded anyway.”
After all the dirty dishes were loaded in the dishwasher, Wren rubbed her hands together in obvious anticipation. “Are you ready for the big reveal?”
“Sure,” he answered, grinning as he followed her up the staircase.
She opened the master bedroom door, and with a sweeping motion of her hand, sent him inside.
“Holy crap,” he muttered.
The quilt looked beautiful on the bed, while the comforter she’d purchased had been covered by a solid deep blue turquoise coverlet that had been folded down at the end of the bed.
“That’s to be used in the winter months,” she said, noticing the direction of his gaze.
“The lamps fit right in, don’t they?” he murmured, noticing she’d bought some kind of sheer coverings, held up by thin decorative rods. “I like what you’ve done with the windows. Everything looks so elegant.”
“The fabric is lightweight, so the rods are held up with special tape that won’t mar the woodwork,” she said.
Jeff nodded, still amazed by the transformation. There was a tray atop the vanity with some type of soft lighting highlighting the vanity surface from behind the mirror. She’d even added a few items from his stash of knick-knacks to the fireplace mantle.
“I even dressed up the bathroom a little,” she murmured. “I’ve only been here a few days, but I’ve noticed that there’s an awful lot of dragonfly décor available in the stores around here.”
Peeking inside, he noticed the hand towels she must have purchased tonight that were layered over the towels he’d bought himself.
“It’s the folklore associated with Dragonfly Pointe,” he admitted, giving her a side glance. “Supposedly kissing at Dragonfly Pointe means everlasting love.”
“Really?” She winked. “Good to know. Go check out your room.”
He walked down the hallway, peeking inside. “Geez. It looks totally different.”
“I thought it could eventually serve as your guest room,” she admitted. “Neutral shades of blues and greens. Only a touch of floral with the vines.”
He laughed. “I actually don’t mind. The reason I’m so into antiques is because I grew up having to tag along with my mother and Danielle Loughlin, who must have gone to every auction in the state. Jake and my dad came along most of the time too. With the help of an interior designer, Danny’s purchases have been used as décor throughout the Inn and even in the cabins. She and Jake keep a whole warehouse full of furniture so they can switch things up every few years.”
“The rooms are definitely some of the most beautifully decorated I’ve ever seen. And I should know, with all my travels.”
He nodded, noticing her gaze had turned heated.
“Well,” she said. “Let’s go for a quick swim before you have to drive me back.”
“Okay,” he answered gruffly. “I’d like that. I haven’t gone for a moonlight swim in a while.”