Page 124 of The Thief

“Turn it!” Krys growled as they tried to wedge it through.

Luckily, Tak had built our doors taller and wider than average.

Melody bit into an apple where she was sitting cross-legged on the hearth. “Once again, something we could have had the delivery people do.”

“You need to lift them up,” Robyn pointed out. “We have floor protectors we need to put on the bottom.”

They turned over one couch while Robyn and Joy put furniture pads on the feet.

Hope studied the layout. Her long brown skirt floated at her ankles as she played with a ring on her finger. “We should buy a large area rug to protect the floor and bring this arrangement together.”

Virgil flopped onto the floor between the two sofas like a dead fish. “No, thanks. Rugs mean vacuuming, and I hate vacuuming. Those noisy contraptions are the devil’s music box.”

“Coming through!” Archer and Lucian carried in a plush recliner.

The motor to the furniture truck sounded.

Tak tossed his wallet to Montana. “Run out and tip them.”

Melody snorted. “For what? You didn’t let them do their job.”

Tak huffed out a breath and wiped the sweat from his brow. “I may be stubborn, but I’m not cheap.”

Arching her eyebrow, Hope said, “I’ll remember that the next time you buy me store-brand ice cream.”

He frowned. “Ice cream is all the same.”

“Then so is beef jerky,” she replied.

His eyebrow arched. Though Tak liked making his own jerky, everyone knew he had a favorite brand.

Archer and Lucian set the recliner down between the couches so it faced the fireplace.

“That one’s mine,” Lakota declared.

Melody chewed on her apple. “Then put it in the corner, facing the wall. You need a time-out for bad behavior.”

Offering her his hand, he said, “Come here, wife. You can punish me later.”

She gave him a playful smile and set down her apple.

Tak sat in the new recliner. “Ahhh.”

As I observed everyone’s positive reactions to the new furniture, I smiled at Joy. The sophistication of leather was suitable for guests, especially important ones that Tak might invite over to talk business.

Archer sank in the seat and stretched out his legs. “This is the life.”

Hope pointed to the large wall by the center hallway. “The TV should go there with the sectional.”

“Something cozy,” Melody added, her arms around Lakota’s waist.

Hope strolled past the art-room door to the empty corner. She stared at the blank wall and the mouth of the center hallway. “If the sectional goes here, I want fake trees all along the right so I’m not staring at a giant monstrosity of a television every time I walk through the house. I especially don’t want to see what movies some of you might be inclined to watch.”

Virgil drew up his knees from his spot on the floor. “I happen to love that monstrosity called a television. Now I can finally watch Love Boat reruns.” He grinned and twisted his head to look at me where I was sitting on the armrest. Virgil sang the first words of what I guessed were the theme song to that TV show.

“Don’t forget pillows,” Krys remarked. “Something I can smother him with.”

A private smile crossed Virgil’s expression before he sat up and looked at Bear. “When are you having your next cookout?”

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