Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
F rankie showered, dressed, and raced downstairs for coffee, her laptop under her arm, her phone tucked into the wide waistband of her leggings.
She had so much to do, she didn’t know where to start. It was overwhelming in the best possible way. Mostly, she had all of those emails to answer, but before she did that, she needed to research logo design to see how other businesses set things up. What they charged and all of that. She also planned on adding some new products to her shop.
She had to dig into payment options, too. She needed to know how to integrate them and she still hadn’t invoiced Lucas.
Which brought her to the matter of her pricing. Not for the shop items, but for the work she did. Her custom illustrations, the logos, the pet portraits, anything like that.
Could she charge more? Not a lot, but maybe an additional ten or twenty percent? She knew she was cheaper than a lot of other illustrators, because she’d been meaning to increase her prices for about a year.
Funny how quickly time got away from you. Life just never stopped.
She also needed to talk to Lucas, but it wasn’t going to be the kind of conversation she’d originally anticipated. She had to talk to her sister, too. That definitely needed to happen. If Frankie was going to stay, she needed to get some things mapped out.
She looked around the empty kitchen. Where was Harper? Frankie knew Willa was still asleep. It was a perfect day for it. Gloomy, rainy, and gray. Not exactly beach or pool weather, but good for working, which she needed to do.
Could Harper really still be in bed? Archie would have needed to pee by now, but his leash was on the counter in its usual spot.
Frankie got a pot of coffee started, then went to listen at Harper’s closed bedroom door. She couldn’t tell if Harper and Archie were in there or not.
She went out onto the back deck. The air carried the heavy scent of fresh earth, the way it did when a good rain had gotten underway. She looked out over the backyard. No sign of Harper and Archie out there and the curtains were drawn on the doors that led from the back deck into the master bedroom. They must still be sleeping.
Her stomach rumbled. She went back in, doing her best not to make too much noise as she puttered around. If Harper wanted to sleep in, good for her. Frankie didn’t want to be the one who woke her up.
She got a cup out for coffee, then had a look in the fridge. They were pretty well stocked up from their recent grocery trip. She grabbed a yogurt. It wasn’t much but it would hold her for a bit. Once she fixed her coffee, she planned to go into the office with her laptop and work.
When everyone was up, they could have breakfast together.
By the time she finished the yogurt, the coffee was ready. She tossed the empty container, fixed her coffee, then carried it and her laptop into the office.
She put everything down on the desk and was about to sit when a sudden impulse made her go back out into the hall and look through the door at the end. It led to a covered walkway that went across to the guest house.
If she moved here, she might very well be living in that guest house. The urge grew inside her to see what it looked like. It couldn’t hurt. She knew where the keys were. Harper had pointed them out once. They were in the kitchen in a drawer next to the utensils. The junk drawer, essentially.
Frankie went back and got them.
Rain drifted across the walkway, but it was pretty light. A little water wasn’t going to keep her from having a peek. The guest house windows were covered with sheers, preventing her from seeing in. She unlocked the door and stepped inside.
She smiled. The place was beautiful. The air was a little stale. Probably from being closed up for so long. No telling when someone had been in here last. The décor matched the main house, lots of white with touches of turquoise, deep cobalt blue, coral, and dark wood.
A big painting of a mermaid graced one wall, a large-screen television took up most of the other. The feeling was light and airy, but solid and cozy at the same time.
She stood in the living room. There was a three-cushion couch and a recliner with a small coffee table. Atop it sat a blue glass bowl filled with shells and sea glass with a battery operated candle sunk down in the center. A light fixture made of driftwood hung over it.
The living room adjoined a decent-sized kitchen with dark blue cabinets and sparkling white quartz countertops. Lots of windows meant lots of natural light, which she loved. Next to the main living area was a little vestibule with three more doors. The first led to a small room with a twin bed. Small, but still nicer than Frankie’s apartment.
The bathroom was behind the middle door. It was bright and clean and beautifully done. Lots of crisp white tile on the walls. The vanity had two sinks, the shower was a walk-in with a bench. The glass enclosure around the shower was frosted with a pattern of waves, giving it a little privacy.
She went to the last door and opened it, letting out a soft gasp. Another bedroom, with a sumptuous queen bed decked in white linens. The headboard was woven rattan, matching the dresser and a chair in one corner. There was a stunning view out to the water. The room was twice the size of the first bedroom and had a French door on the side that led to another balcony.
Could she see herself living here? Yes. A thousand times, yes.
She’d make the small bedroom her studio. She could put a desk across from the bed. It would be plenty of room and— She laughed at herself.
Nothing had been decided yet, but she was already moving in.
No doubt she was getting ahead of herself. But it was fun to dream. And she hadn’t dreamed like this in years. She walked to the big windows and looked out. Could that really be her view?
She took a deep inhale. Maybe. But there was a lot that had to happen before this dream became a reality and she had to get started on that.
She took another quick look around the kitchen just to see if it was fully equipped, which it was, then locked up and went back to the office.
Her coffee had cooled off, but she didn’t care. She got to work adding three new T-shirts and coffee mugs to her shop, and two sets of new notecards. Then she did some research on logo designers and how they set up the terms of their businesses.
She had two pages of notes and tons of ideas when she heard sounds coming from the kitchen. She grabbed her coffee cup and got up to see who it was. She found Willa and Harper getting coffee. Archie was eating breakfast.
Frankie settled into a seat at the counter. “Morning, sleepyheads. Good day for staying in bed, huh?”
Harper looked over. “Which, apparently, you didn’t. You seem chipper this morning. What’s up?”
Frankie grinned as she shrugged. “Can’t a person be in a good mood?”
“Mom.” Willa hoisted herself onto a seat at the counter beside her mother, then held her coffee mug in both hands to drink. “You were in tears last night. You can’t blame us for wondering.”
“True. But things are looking different this morning.” Try as she might, Frankie couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “Yesterday, when Lucas did his live broadcast from Thieves’ Island, he mentioned me. Gave me a shoutout or whatever it’s called. And it definitely worked. I have a list of emails to respond to and at least one person he referred who wants a logo done.”
“That’s great,” Harper said. “No wonder you’re in such a good mood.”
Frankie nodded. “Not only that, but I sold a bunch of stuff from my shop. I’ve already added some new products. It’s given me some real hope. Made me feel like…like maybe I could do things differently with my life.”
“Mom, that’s awesome. Are you thinking about staying, then? And not breaking up with Lucas?”
“I am thinking about moving here. And I am definitely not breaking up with Lucas.” She looked at Harper. “I understand all of this hinges on you, though. Have you thought any more about making this your home?”
“I have, but it’s just been thinking. I haven’t made a decision yet. It’s a lot to consider.”
“I know.” Frankie nodded. “Trust me. Actually quitting my job scares the daylights out of me. But I can’t keep that job and be here.”
Harper stirred her coffee. “Did you see the email from Buck?”
“No, not yet. I’ve been working on my shop all morning.”
“Came in late last night.” Harper sipped her coffee. “He wants to meet us. And I really want to meet him.”
Frankie thought a moment. She was firmly on this path of wanting to change her life. Of wanting to find happiness again. Would meeting Buck help her do that? She didn’t know. Meeting Sharlene certainly hadn’t. “I’ll have to read the email first.”