Chapter Nine #2
“I do.” It was inspired by spending a lot of time thinking about Miami, though she didn’t want to share that and get into a whole discussion about it.
“A layered shot that looks like sand, water and sky. Like the ocean, to kick off their summer weekends by the sea. I just need to know how many women.”
He nodded, looking impressed. “Ten is what she said. I charge a fee for private events on top of the bill. You take care of them for the night so I don’t have to think about them and I’ll split the fee portion with you. And you and Mattie split the tips, of course.”
“It’s a deal.”
Lucy would have done it for free, but she kept that to herself.
With her job secured, her paperwork done and a fun party where she could really show off her talents on the horizon, she sailed through the rest of the shift. She didn’t even mind the increase in whispers and furtive glances when the dinner crowd filled the place.
She couldn’t wait to get home and tell Nick.
* * *
Lucy’s first shift at the Keel seemed like a good time to finish off the second bedroom, so Nick left work early and roped Gray into leaving with him.
When they pulled into the driveway, he was slightly surprised her car wasn’t there, though.
Billy Loring had a big personality, and he wasn’t sure it would vibe with Lucy’s.
Also, she was going to be the center of attention, surrounded by sideways glances and whispers, and it wouldn’t have shocked him to find her on the couch, under the blankets.
He’d figured there was a fifty-fifty chance she wouldn’t make it the full shift.
“It must be awkward, having a woman you barely know sleeping on the couch every night,” Gray said as he took his tools into the smaller bedroom.
“Not really. She’s easy to get along with.” He was going to say more—about how he enjoyed her company and looked forward to coming home at night to see her—but he shut his mouth.
“Glad to hear it, though I’m surprised you didn’t give her the bed and sleep on the couch. That would be a very you thing to do.”
“I tried, actually. But since I have a job and she didn’t, she said I needed a better night’s sleep.”
Gray nodded. “Then let’s get this room done so she can get some sleep, too.”
It took them two hours to hang the ceiling fan light and smoke detector, and then install the outlet and switch covers on the electrical boxes Gray had installed earlier in the process.
After giving the room a thorough cleaning, it took them two trips to bring back the furnishings being stored in a neighbor’s barn.
His brother helped him reassemble the bed frame, which was the same maple as the rest of the furniture in the cottage. It was all heavy and possibly older than him, but a quality it would cost a fortune to replace nowadays.
“I can help you bring in the dresser and nightstand,” Gray said after checking the time on his phone. “But then I’ll have to run. Cory signed tonight and he’s looking to drown his sorrows.”
“Damn.”
Cory Weston had been Gray’s best friend since kindergarten, and he’d been going through a tough divorce that nobody in Wayward Harbor had seen coming. Rumor had it he’d cheated on Brooke, though Nick had never asked Gray to confirm or deny it.
“How’s he doing?” he asked as they walked out to the truck to get the dresser.
“Not great. Pretty wrecked, actually.”
“And Brooke?”
Gray sighed. “I don’t know. I’ve been giving her space, you know?”
It had to be messy for his brother, Nick thought.
Gray and Brooke had dated for a long time in high school, but their relationship hadn’t survived Gray going off the rails after their dad died.
Things had been rocky when she started dating his best friend, but after some time passed, Gray had chosen his friendship with Cory over nursing a grudge.
But, though he’d never say it aloud, Nick thought Gray had always stayed a little bit in love with his best friend’s wife.
“You guys need a driver?” Nick asked once the stuff he needed Gray for was done.
“We’re just going to hang at his place, but I appreciate the offer.”
Nick nodded, turning to pick up the curtain rod left to hang so his brother wouldn’t see the disappointment on his face. He had too much to get done here to justify spending the evening at the Keel, but it would have been a good excuse to see Lucy.
“Thanks for the help.”
“Anytime. Fair warning, tomorrow morning might be a little rough,” Gray said as he grabbed his bucket of tools from the corner.
Nick chuckled. “Take the time you need. Nobody wants you running a nail gun with a hangover.”
Once his brother was gone, Nick threw on some music and got to work putting the finishing touches on the room.
He hung the curtains first, and then rummaged around for bedding.
Some of it got moved to make room for Lucy’s clothes in the linen closet, but he’d let her move those to the dresser.
He found some cozy flannel sheets and a warm quilt.
Then he draped two fleece throws at the end of the bed so she’d be able to nest.
After moving the bags and boxes from the living room into a corner of the bedroom, he grabbed a knit blanket from her couch pile and draped it over the armchair they’d set in the corner next to the dresser.
Once that was done, he went to the kitchen and opened the box Gray had brought with him from the house, where it was delivered. By the time he’d unpacked the gift and set it up on her bedside table, he was starving.
Throwing some chicken breasts on the grill was easy enough, and Lucy could easily throw it on bread or a make a salad if she didn’t grab anything at work.
Eating alone didn’t feel great, though. He’d loved it for the few nights between Helen leaving and Lucy showing up. Supper with his brothers always meant talking about work, and sometimes he needed a break from the pressure. Especially if he was trying to enjoy a burger.
But he liked sharing meals with Lucy. They talked about anything and everything but work.
Books. Movies. Television shows. Music. Their favorite amusement park rides.
Who got the most scars learning to ride a bicycle.
Their conversations went off on random tangents, almost all of which ended with laughter.
Even turning the television on while he ate didn’t help. Scripted banter and laugh tracks couldn’t replace Lucy, so he ate quickly and cleaned up after himself. Then he worked on tearing apart the old back deck until he heard her car pull into the driveway.
He went through the back door seconds before Lucy walked through the front door, getting inside just in time to watch her face light up when she saw him.
“How’d it go?” he asked, as if the huge smile wasn’t answer enough.
“It was awesome. Mattie and Sasha are both very cool, and Billy—well, he wants me to come back, so I assume he liked me well enough.”