11. abbi
ABBI
As soon as I open the door into the house, the delicious smell of barbecue fills my nose.
It’s been so long since Nix cooked one of his famous barbecues.
It’s such a simple meal, but oh so delicious.
My stomach rumbles in response, so I press my hand across it to keep the hunger pangs at bay.
I toe off my shoes and hang my coat on the hook near the door of the mudroom.
The house is warm and inviting, a far cry from how it’s been the last few years when I’ve been the first person home and more recently, the only person home if Prue decides to stay at Luke’s place which happens more often than it doesn’t.
But Nix has been home before me for weeks now, and as much as I appreciate him making our marriage a priority, I worry about what he’s giving up to do so.
I make my way into the kitchen, finding it empty.
Pulling open the warming drawer, I find the barbecued meat and a potato dish waiting for us.
I take a deep breath, savoring the delicious scents, and then close the drawer.
A bottle of wine sits open on the counter with two glasses, but Nix is nowhere to be found.
Maybe he’s out back. He’s been spending all of his free time working on the backyard, primarily the fire pit.
I spot him at the half-finished fire pit with an unfamiliar man.
He must be the owner of the truck parked out front.
I quickly grab my coat, jam my feet into my shoes, and head out back to join them.
Nix looks like he’s explaining what he wants as the man nods, but when he spots me walking toward them, his eyes light up the way they used to.
He steps away and comes toward me. My heart soars that he stopped what he was doing to greet me.
It’s such a simple thing, but it means the world to me, especially when there was such a long period when he couldn’t be bothered.
He leans in and kisses my cheek. “How was your day?”
I grin up at him. “Good, busy. What’s happening out here?”
He takes my hand, leading me toward the fire pit and our guest. “I want you to meet the carpenter Gabe recommended. Remember, I told you how he worked on his parents’ home, building a ramp for his mom after she had a stroke.”
I nod and smile at the gentleman. “I remember. He did the work for free, right?”
“Yeah. He does that for elderly people as a way of giving back to the community. I know how important giving back to the community is for you, so I thought he’d be the perfect choice.”
I press my hand to my stomach as it swoops down to my knees with Nix’s thoughtfulness and consideration of my priorities.
This is the Nix I married. The man I fell in love with so long ago.
He’s been missing for a long time, but slowly over the last few weeks, he’s been showing me the man I married.
“He definitely sounds like someone we should work with.”
We stop in front of the man who’s a little taller than Nix. His blue eyes stand out against his olive complexion and dark hair. “Abbi. I’d like you to meet Theo Drivas.”
Theo holds out his hand, and I slide mine against his, noting the calluses, as we greet each other. “Hi, Theo.”
“Hi, nice to meet you, Abbi. You have a lot of space to work with here,” he tells me as he looks around our backyard with keen interest.
I nod. “That we do. Nix didn’t want our neighbors breathing down our necks, so here we are.
” I shrug. I hated the idea of having so much space around us, but the longer we’ve lived here, the more used to it I’ve become.
I thought it would be isolating, but it’s actually nice to have space away from the busyness of the city.
And now, with Nix finally prioritizing our backyard, it will be the perfect escape.
“I was just explaining what we would like done, and he has some great ideas to make things a little unique,” Nix tells me, his voice carrying his excitement. He must really like his ideas, or he thinks I’ll love them.
Theo explains his plans, showing me images of his previous work and telling me which parts he’ll use where.
I’m blown away by the beautiful designs he creates from timber.
He’ll definitely add a touch of class to our backyard.
“I was just explaining to your husband that you don’t want anything closed in over the fire pit, or the smoke will get trapped and it won’t be comfortable. ”
I nod. “That makes sense.”
“That’s why I think something like this would work best around the edge of the space rather than over the pit itself.” He flicks through some images and turns his phone back to me.
“Oh, I really like that, Theo. It’ll be perfect.”
He grins at me, almost knocking me on my ass. He’s a handsome man. Scrolling through his phone, he shows me a new image. “And maybe something like this for the area around the hot tub?”
I point at the screen showing a gorgeous multi-level deck with a sunken hot tub. “I don’t suppose you make those gorgeous rocking chairs?”
He smiles at me, his eyes twinkling. “I sure do. They’re a specialty of mine. The most comfortable rocking chairs available. Just ask my wife.” He leans in close as if to share a secret. “She often naps in hers,” he whispers loudly, and I chuckle.
“Show her your outdoor tables, Theo,” Nix tells the man, then looks at me. “They’re hexagonal.” He raises his eyebrows, smirking at me. He knows how much I love things that are simple in design, but a little different from the norm.
Theo flicks through the photos on his phone, then holds it out to me.
“I can make any shape, but I have a special place in my heart for this particular design. My stepson often helps me build these tables and the rocking chairs.” He looks between me and Nix.
“And if you don’t mind, he’ll probably come along and help if I need to work on the weekend. ”
“Oh, wow, that’s amazing. How old is he?” I ask.
“Lachlan’s ten and only recently discovered he has a talent for working with timber,” Theo explains, a hint of pride pushing back his shoulders. “He’s a great kid. You won’t even know he’s here.”
I glance at Nix when he takes my hand in his. “We’d be happy to have Lachlan here.”
“Fantastic. I’ll probably begin work on the pergola over the fire pit first so you can start to grow a creeper over it.
I have a contact for a landscape architect I’ve worked with on a few projects.
She can help you access any advanced plants you’ll need.
Her name’s Rose Phillips. Just let me know if you’d like her details. ”
“Thanks, that would be helpful,” I say. “I’ve been worried about the garden looking too new for Prue’s wedding, so advanced plants would help to reduce that.”
“Great. I’ll text you her details.” He fidgets on his phone, then Nix’s phone beeps with an incoming message. “I’ll wait to hear from you, but I should be able to start late next week.”
I like the way this guy works. He’s efficient, friendly, and obviously does beautiful work without being pushy. He’d be perfect.
We walk him around to the front of our house and wave goodbye as he climbs into his truck.
“He seems like a great guy.”
Nix wraps his arm around my waist and turns us back toward our backyard. “He has been one of the most professional tradesmen I’ve dealt with so far. He responds quickly to my messages, and he even arrived early for our appointment today.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “Wow. That’s rare.”
“Absolutely.” He leans down and presses a light kiss to my lips, sending tingles racing through my blood. “And his work is top-notch.”
“It’s breathtaking. I think he could make our backyard something truly special.” I look at our house and an image of Nix and me sitting on matching rocking chairs, watching our grandchildren investigate the various areas of our garden takes shape. It’s so real it almost steals my breath.
“I cooked us a barbecue for dinner tonight,” Nix tells me, pulling me from my vision.
I smile up at him. “I know. I could smell it as soon as I walked inside.” My stomach growls and Nix chuckles. “I may have peeked in the warmer.”
“Come on, let me feed you, and you can tell me about your day.” He tugs me inside and takes my coat, hanging it on the hook in the mudroom, then pulls out a chair and directs me to sit.
This is the husband I missed so much. I never thought we’d have this again.
That he’d put us first. That he’d even want to.
After years of feeling abandoned, I’d forgotten what it was like to feel like a couple.
He hands me a glass of wine and toasts his glass to mine.
“To making our backyard the oasis we always wanted it to be.” We tap our glasses together and take a small drink, keeping our gaze on each other.
“Are you going to let Theo know we’d like him to complete the work out back?”
Nix nods. “If you’re happy with him, I’ll text him later. Give him plenty of time to order the materials so he can get started.”
“You do that, and I’ll get in touch with Rose.
” I don’t want Nix to feel like he has to do everything, and it would be nice to work on the project together.
I haven’t been able to help so far because I was avoiding him while he was digging the hole, and the stones he’s laying in the pit are too heavy for me.
But I’d like to take some of the load. “Can you also ask Theo if he’ll make us some of those gorgeous rocking chairs?
Maybe two for out front and two out the back. ”
His features soften, and he reaches for my hand. “Does that mean you still picture us growing old together, Abs?”