Page 85 of Designed for Disaster

I went to respond when the door creaked open, revealing Dee’s nurse. “Hello?”

“Oh, hi! Sorry to bother you. It’s Sofia, right? We crossed paths briefly on the day I first came by to meet Dee,” I said, smiling. “I’m?—”

“Natasha,” she said, pulling the door open wider. “Yes, I remember.” Her voice was carefully neutral, and I found myself wondering what she’d heard about me and about how things had ended with me and Trent. “I didn’t know Dee was expecting you today.”

I laughed uncertainly. “Actually, she’s not. It’s sort of a surprise. A ‘welcome home’ surprise.”

Sofia spotted the movers pushing the bookcase up the drive on a small rolling cart, and her face lit up with a grin. I smiled back, flooded with relief. “She’s gonna love it,” Sofia assured me. “Come in.”

“Thanks,” I said, stepping into the foyer, grateful for the heat pumping through Dee’s house.

“Dee’s just finishing up breakfast. Let me go tell her you’re here.”

I nodded, turning to wait for the movers while Sofia rushed off to summon Dee. When the guys reached the porch, I watched them lift the bookcase, holding my breath. I had every confidence in the quality of my craftsmanship, but I still winced as they made their way up the slippery steps and across the porch. I’d feel so much better once the piece was on solid ground and I could check to make sure none of the glass had cracked.

“In here,” I said, leading the guys into the nearby sitting room. They placed the bookcase down, and I did a quick inspection, making sure there’d been no damage on the drive over. Letting the bookcase leave the safety of my workshop felt like parting with a child. But while part of me was sorry to see it go, I was more than happy to know it had arrived in one piece. “Looks good,” I said. “I just have to check with the homeowner to see where she wants it.”

The driver nodded. “We’re just gonna go put the cart away and close up the truck. Then we’ll position the piece and get you to sign the rest of the contract.”

“Thanks,” I said. It meant a lot to me that they’d been extra careful. When they were done here today, I’d definitely be tipping them well. And looking them up again when the next pieces were ready for delivery.

They hurried off into the cold, and I closed the front door behind them.

“What is it?” I heard Dee say from somewhere down the hall.

“Come and see for yourself,” Sofia said, coaxing Dee along. Sofia appeared in the doorway to the sitting room a moment later, giving me a smile and a wink. Then Dee turned up wearing a black turtleneck, her pearls, and a string of oxygen tubing. She looked a little more worn down than the last time I’d seen her—paler, slower, her hands shaking—but her face broke out into a brilliant grin the moment she laid eyes on me.

“Natasha!” Dee said, pleasantly surprised. “Now there’s a sight I’ve missed.” Dee held her arms out, and I went to her, giving her a big hug. She tightened her arms, her grip stronger than I’d expected. “It’s so good to see you, honey!”

My chest ached at her sweet words. I pulled back. “It’s really good to see you too. Jimmy said you were feeling a bit better.”

“Fit as a fiddle,” she sang.

Sofia gave her a look.

Dee huffed grumpily. “A fiddle with a few loose strings,” she amended. “But seeing you has my spirits soaring.”

“Well, hopefully this will lift them up even higher,” I said, stepping aside so she could see the bookcase.

Dee gasped. “What is all of this?”

“A little ‘welcome home’ present,” I said.

Dee took the glasses strung around her neck and slipped them on to better inspect my work. A bout of nerves twisted in my gut. Part of me still couldn’t believe I was designing furniture for Deana Saunders.

“Oh my!” Dee gushed as she hobbled into the room, dragging her oxygen cylinder around the shelf to take in every inch. Sofia trailed along behind her, ensuring she didn’t trip. “Isn’t it wonderful, Sofia?”

“Gorgeous,” Sofia agreed. “I love the doors.”

“This is from the church?” Dee said, running her hands along the stained glass.

I nodded. “And there’s more where that came from. So I can make sure your other pieces match.”

There was a knock on the front door, and the movers returned, poking their heads into the sitting room. “Any thoughts on where you’d like it?” one of them asked.

Dee clapped her hands together. “Up to the library, please. Against the far wall. There’s a perfect little nook.”

“I’ll show them,” Sofia offered, leading the movers ahead while I hung back with Dee. We took it slower, Dee getting winded on the stairs. By the time we reached the library, she had to stop and lean against the doorframe.

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