Something so Grand Page 8

  “Still,” he tested Vivian’s resolve.

  She blew off his argument. “Stagers charge a percentage. It’s why you haven’t done it yet. Let me get your house ready to sell.”

  “Deal.” He leaned forward and shook her hand. “I’ll head over to finance and have them write this up. If you two want to go across the street to the coffee shop, I’ll have the guys get the truck ready with these add-ons. Don’t worry about Seth; Luke will have him working hard about now.”

  After Mitch left, I turned to Vivian and didn’t know where to start.

  “Don’t look so shocked. You’re the one that’s going to be doing most of the heavy lifting on this deal. It’ll take six hours, and you get everything you need to make your business ultra-successful now.”

  I felt something well up in my chest. No one had looked out for my interests in a long, long time. I was convinced no one ever would again. “Thank you.”

  “You’re very welcome, Natalie. I’m glad I could help,” she said sincerely.

  I wasn’t sure which Vivian I found more attractive: the teasing scamp she appeared to be during breaks on the jobsite or the earnest, supportive woman who wanted the best for me.

  13 Natalie

  Vivian and I spent three hours yesterday and the same today to finish the work on Mitch’s house. It hadn’t been that involved, a little bit of spackle and painting, then a lot of furniture rearrangement. Certainly not enough to justify all the extras on my truck, but Mitch seemed happy with the deal and Vivian thrived in her element. It made me think she’d been dying to get her hands on his cluttered house for a while. The sneaky lady.

  “Feel good to have that behind you?” Vivian asked from the passenger seat of my glamorous new truck.

  I wondered how she was able to read my mind. It bothered me to have a debt hanging over my head. Mitch had given away thousands in accessories. The urge to pay that back started as soon as I drove off his lot.

  “Worth it, though, right?” Her eyes twinkled in the lights penetrating the cab. “It’s a nice truck. Roomy and I love the leather.”

  “Thank you again for helping me get it. I’d be paying off the loan for another two years without your help.” Maybe three. I got a little nauseous thinking about making car payments again after so long, but it was necessary.

  “I’m glad you were able to get what you wanted. I have a feeling you don’t always treat yourself, am I right?”

  The dim interior camouflaged my blush, but she probably knew she’d made me blush. She seemed to be able to do that a lot.

  “What was your first car?” she asked.

  “A big tank that was older than I was. Lasted me four years.”

  “Nice. Did your parents buy it?”

  My parents didn’t even know I’d gotten it and wouldn’t have cared if they had, but we were having too nice a time to say something like that. “No.”

  “Mine let me use their old car. When my brother was old enough to drive, he said he wouldn’t be caught dead in that Volvo station wagon. He worked all kinds of jobs until he saved up half of what he needed, then basically told my parents it was their duty to put up the other half to protect his reputation. And don’t you know, it actually worked.”

  I chuckled. That was probably how all parents should react. I wouldn’t know, but it sounded like something understanding parents would do.

  “I’m starving. You want to stop for dinner, or did you have plans tonight?”

  My heart skipped once at the prospect of spending more time with her. It was just a spontaneous meal after work, but I wouldn’t pass up the chance to do something non work related. “Sure.”

  She directed me to park a block from Wagner Park. I recognized the restaurant she pointed out as one I’d tried with Seth before. It was a nice spot with affordable good food. Those weren’t always easy to find in a resort town.

  “The trout here is divine if you like fish,” she told me as we approached the door.

  I stepped ahead and opened it for her. She flashed a quick smile when she noticed the gesture. I felt the smile as if it were my own. God, I liked her. As a friend, definitely, but I was attracted to her as well. Who wouldn’t be? It was a fruitless attraction, but it didn’t stop me from mooning a bit.

  The hostess led us to a table near the back. I was trying to figure out if it would be overkill to pull out her chair before taking mine when I heard a loud gasp from the left.

  “What the hell is she doing here?” A voice I hadn’t heard in four years spoke up.

  My heart dropped, dread filling my stomach. I felt my head turn toward the voice. My parents were sitting in a booth not far away. My nephew was with them, his expression a cross between excited and confused. He’d been spared the drama for most of his life. Even at Brad’s funeral when my parents had tried to force Claire to make me leave, he hadn’t been nearby to witness it.

  “Is she living here?” my mother demanded of Seth. She raised angry eyes at Claire, who was exiting the bathroom.

  Claire stopped mid-stride at the glare. Her mouth nudged open when she caught sight of me. Her shoulders fell, matching my posture. She’d been stuck in the middle, just like Brad for many years.

  “You moved our grandson near that…that…near her?” my father cut in. “Tell me she has no contact with him.”

  “What’s going on?” Vivian whispered at my side. Thankfully, ours were the only two tables occupied in this section. No one else was staring at us. Yet.

  “Oh, for God’s sake! Carrying on like that right in front of the boy. I’m disappointed in you, Claire. I would have thought you’d want to protect your son.”

  “That’s uncalled for, Bradley,” Claire spoke up, taking a step in my direction. It looked like she wouldn’t be riding the boundary anymore. That felt good, but I was still too mortified to speak.

  “Really?” my dad asked. “To want to protect my grandson from the likes of her?”

  Claire shook her head and looked hopelessly at me. With their stunt at her husband’s funeral, she’d stopped trying to kiss their asses. But she couldn’t deny them access to their grandson, either.

  “What’s wrong with Aunt Nat?” Seth’s eyes narrowed. He loved his grandparents, but he didn’t like them badmouthing an aunt, who’d recently become his greatest ally in all things parental.

  I didn’t want to stick around for their sure tirade. They’d compiled a list of my faults many years ago and were just waiting for the opportunity to taint Seth’s view. “I’m sorry, Viv. Do you mind if we go?”

  “Don’t leave,” Seth said to me then looked at his grandfather. “Don’t make her leave.”

  “No big deal, Seth. I’ll see you later,” I said hastily. I glanced at Vivian to make sure she would follow and headed toward the door.

  “Wait, Natalie,” I heard Claire call out but didn’t wait. I needed to get out of there. Away from those people who made me remember things I’d rather forget.

  I didn’t realize that I’d been holding my breath until I got outside. The cold air slapped me in the face and restarted my breathing. If I’d been alone, I would have bent over and clutched my thighs to suck in more air. God, why did I let them have this effect on me? After all these years, they shouldn’t matter to me. I stopped mattering to them when I was sixteen.

  A hand landed on my back, rubbing softly. I looked up and found Vivian standing close to me. Her beautiful eyes held a questioning look, but she didn’t ask. Her hand shifted to grab my arm and tug, pulling us away from the front window of the restaurant. She looked curious but calm and not at all embarrassed by almost being seated then immediately leaving the restaurant.

  “My parents,” I said by way of explanation. She didn’t ask, and I liked her even more because of it. “They aren’t fans of mine.”

  Her eyes clouded with concern. She wanted to ask more, but she didn’t.

  “I’m sorry, Natalie. They just showed up to surprise Seth.” Claire joined us on the sidewalk. “I’d fo
rgotten how…” She let her thought trail off. What could she really say? She was stuck in the middle of parents-in-law who were disgusted by their daughter and a late husband who loved and stuck up for his sister.

  “It’s not your fault. Tell Seth not to worry about it.”

  “Hi, I’m Vivian, you must be Claire,” Vivian spoke up, taking Claire’s hand. “Natalie’s mentioned how glad she is to have you and your son living in town now.”

  Claire smiled at her. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “We’ll have to plan a proper get-together soon. My nephews adore your son.”

  Claire laughed, having heard about our snowmobiling adventure. “Definitely.” She looked back at me. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, thanks. Get back inside. Seth will be getting an earful.”

  She squeezed my shoulder and headed back into the restaurant. I felt less despair, but not exactly myself.

  Vivian’s hand looped through my elbow and rested on my forearm. She smiled down at me and led us around the corner. She opened the door of a diner filled with locals and young skiers. “I like this place just as much.”

  Before I knew it, she had us seated and ordered for both of us. I knew she was good at taking control on the jobsite, but this was something to see. It was also a welcome diversion.

  “You’re gay and your parents don’t approve?” she finally asked.

  “I am and they don’t.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I would have done if my parents freaked when I came out and didn’t accept me as I am.” She shook her head, probably envisioning that.

  I should have felt a tingle of excitement that she’d confirmed she played for my team, but there was still only shame. I couldn’t believe I was related to them. I couldn’t believe they could think the way they did, let alone say those things out loud.

  “When was the last time you saw them?”

  “At my brother’s funeral when they tried to have me banned.”

  Her eyes popped wide. “Jesus.”

  “Yep.”

  “When did this start?”

  I hadn’t told the story in more than twenty years. It wasn’t something I brought up. Not even to women I’d dated, but Vivian was different. She felt closer somehow. I knew she wasn’t. We weren’t dating. We were still just beginning a friendship outside of our work relationship, but I felt drawn to her.

  “You don’t have to say.” Her eyes belied her statement.

  “I was sixteen and came home from school one day to find my bags packed. One of their friends had told them I’d kissed his daughter. She’d actually kissed me, but her dad blamed me for seducing her and told my parents.”

  “Your bags were packed?”

  “They gave me a choice.”

  Her brow furrowed. “Stop kissing their friends’ daughters, or we’ll send you to grandma’s for a while?”

  “Go to a church group that specialized in ‘fixing’ gay teens or never come back.”

  “Oh, Natalie.” Her hand reached out and grasped mine, squeezing and not letting go.

  “I was two weeks from finishing tenth grade.” And humiliated then stunned. It had been my first kiss. Most mothers would have loved hearing about their daughter’s first kiss. Mine was horrified and treated me as if I’d become a dangerous animal overnight.

  “What did you do?”

  “I made excuses to spend nights at friends’ homes and went to school like normal. I guess I thought they’d calm down, maybe realize that they didn’t need to go to such extremes.” I shook my head, remembering how naïve I’d been. “But it didn’t happen. Every time I tried contacting them I was treated to another earful about my repulsive actions.”

  Vivian reached her other hand across the table to squeeze my arm. “So, you…?”

  “Called Brad. He was a sophomore at the U in Boulder. He tried talking to them for me. When that didn’t work, he came to pick me up and helped me find a cheap room in a house near campus.” The memory of that first sublet room still caused shivers. I’d become a neat freak because of the disgusting roommates in that house, but it had been affordable for my limited savings. “I spent the summer studying for my GED, waiting tables at night, and working construction cleanup during the day. It took a year before I was hired on as a carpenter, but I’d learned pretty much all the trades by then.”

  “You’re impressive, Natalie. Truly.”

  I could see she meant it. She wasn’t just saying something she thought I would want to hear or that someone might say. She was actually impressed that I’d done okay on my own.

  I squeezed her hand to acknowledge her compliment. I figured she’d pull away after, but she kept hold of mine. It was warm and steady and comforting. I liked it a little too much, but after encountering my parents, I could let myself rely on her steady presence for a while. I’d think about how good her hand felt some other time.

  14 Vivian

  Natalie and Miguel were finishing the custom shelving in what would become Glory’s walk-in closet. I’d looked in when I first arrived to say hello and make sure everything was progressing. My true purpose today was to pin Tamiko down on wallpaper and rug choices for their bedroom. But Tamiko was busy preparing lunch, so I’d wandered back upstairs to watch for a bit.

  Everything about their actions made me smile. They worked well together. I’d seen long-time dance partners who didn’t move as well. Not only that, but what they were doing widened my smile. We weren’t supposed to have enough room in the budget for the cedar shelving, cabinets, and drawers in their closets, but Natalie’s bid came in at half the cost of Cal’s. I’d worried that she was undercutting to keep us happy, but she assured me it was what she’d submitted to Cal originally. He’d doubled the amount. Her bid made Lena very happy and me ecstatic. I’d already cut my fee to virtually nothing so that Lena could get what she most needed for her grandparents. With Natalie’s bid, I could get all she asked for and my standard discounted fee for friends and family.

  “Does it match your drawing, designer lady?” Miguel asked when he caught me watching. He kept things light even when the work got really hard.

  Natalie turned at his question. She hadn’t known I was here. That, too, made me smile. She really was impressive. After hearing how she’d raised herself and made it completely on her own, I was even more glad she now had her own business. A woman that impressive couldn’t languish under Cal’s thumb anymore.

  “You got Tamiko to make a decision that fast?” she asked.

  “She’s making lunch. I’m not about to disturb a master chef.” I stepped inside the closet. The scent of cedar hit me. It competed with drywall compound and fresh paint, but the cedar would be lovely once the room was finished.

  “I had an idea about the safety rails in the downstairs bath,” Natalie said.

  I felt distaste crawl across my expression. I’d done a few age-in-place designs before. The safety products always ruined the finished look, but they were necessary. Samantha and I had spent a good deal of time searching the internet for anything that would look less chrome and grabby. So far, no luck.

  “Owen can work up a rail that runs the length of the shower. If we used teak, it’ll weather the shower for years.”

  I nodded, her idea already sparking more of mine. “He could match the tile design in a carving. Your cutouts would have to be redone.” She frowned, not jumping ahead like I had. “The upper grab bars need to be placed at an angle. If they framed the notches you’ve made for shower products, they’ll look natural, not there for safety. I like it if you don’t mind redoing the cutouts and Owen doesn’t mind carving handles.”

  “We can ask him at lunch. He’s busy finishing his desk.”

  “Has he left the garage since he got here?” I joked. Owen seemed happy to stay in that garage all day and night. He was completely in his element working with wood.

  My cell rang. I checked the display and excused myself to answer. “Hey, Samantha.”

  “T
hey won’t deliver the bed,” she informed me as her greeting.

  “Why?” I knew exactly what she was talking about without having to ask. I’d special ordered Tamiko and Owen’s orthopedic bed and had it set for delivery next week.

  “They’ve discontinued deliveries.”

  “Why would they do that?”

  “Completely, no more deliveries, nada, zilch. How they plan to stay in business, I don’t know.”

  I swore. We didn’t need this headache. We needed that bed.

  “You said it.”

  “Did you check online?” I already knew the answer because Samantha was that good.

  “Called, too. They haven’t changed their fulfillment time.”

  The online stores had a much longer timeline, which was why we ordered from the store in Denver. “We can’t wait four months. They’ll need a bed to sleep in.”

  “I know.”

  I swore again. I didn’t want Owen and Tamiko’s new home to be filled with used furniture until we could finally get the stuff in. Samantha and I were meticulous about delivery dates. If it wouldn’t work out, I wouldn’t add it to the design. “Can we get a moving company to do it? Maybe rent a truck and drive it ourselves?”

  Natalie and Miguel had stopped working so I wouldn’t have to raise my voice over the noise. Both frowned. I covered the mouthpiece and told them about the special order orthopedic bed not being delivered.

  I was already counting how much we’d go over budget to get this bed delivered when Natalie said, “Take my truck.”

  I furrowed my brow, not quite understanding. She couldn’t really be offering to let me drive her brand new truck five hundred miles just to pick up a bed. “Hold on a second, Sammi,” I said into the phone and gave Natalie my full attention.

  “If you wait two days, you could give Owen and Tamiko a ride back to the airport and have company half the way,” she added.

  “You’re offering to let me drive your beautiful new truck to Denver where hundreds of rock chips and door dings await? Does it even have a hundred miles on it yet?”