Page 29 of A Place for Daydreams

“Sure.” He sat down and gave her an affectionate peck on the lips. “You’re so nice to me. I startle you and then you let me sit next to you anyway.”

She laughed. “It was a surprise. A very pleasant surprise.”

“I was thinking that maybe we could eat together, but the table looks pretty full already.”

“Oh, we still can. I’m only half done with my food, and you know I eat twice as slowly as you anyway.”

“Well, okay, but I don’t think there’s room on this table for anything else.” He gestured to all of her jewelry-making supplies with a smile.

“I was just having some fun,” she said, laughing a little. “It’s not like I need to finish this project right now.” She swept her beads and strings and her half-finished bracelet into the fanny pack. She left the two finished bracelets on the table, and Grayson picked one of them up eagerly.

“This looks fantastic, Alexis,” he said, gazing at it admiringly. “You made this?”

“I did.” She nodded, her stomach fluttering. His praise made her happy. “You really think it’s good?”

“It’s more than good. It’s skillfully made and originally designed. I remember how you used to make jewelry sometimes when we were living in L.A. You said once that it was your favorite hobby, and I could always see that. You always have so much joy on your face when you’re making jewelry.”

“I do?” She watched his face, noticing how proud of her he looked. Her heart stirred with gratitude that she had such a supportive husband. “I do really love it, but in these past few years I kind of forgot all about it. I didn’t forget how to make jewelry though.” She gestured to the bracelets she’d made. “It’s like riding a bike. My fingers remember what they’re doing as much as my brain still understands how to do it.”

“I think it’s more than that.” He turned the bracelet over in his hand, examining it closely. “Look at how you’ve managed to weave these different strands of beads together without exposing the string underneath, even when you make the strands turn at a sharp angle. It’s really well done. This is some genuinely impressive craftsmanship. And I’m not a woman, but I bet if we went out onto the sidewalk right now and showed this to all the women passing by, they would all tell you it’s absolutely gorgeous.”

She laughed. “Why can’t you just tell me it’s absolutely gorgeous?”

He shook his head ruefully. “Because I have no instinct for these things, so you can’t trust my word for it.” Warmth filled his expression as he added, “Besides, the only absolutely gorgeous thing in my eyes is you.”

She blew him a kiss, feeling her heart stir with joy at his compliment. “Well, thank you, but this is just for fun. I have some skill, I guess, but I’m an amateur. I’ll probably give everyone bracelets for Christmas or something as a way of getting rid of all the jewelry I just know I’m going to end up making.”

He shook his head, looking into her eyes.

“What, no bracelets for Christmas?” she teased. “You don’t want one?”

“I mean, go ahead and give out jewelry for Christmas if you want to. I’m sure everyone would be thrilled to get somethingyou made as a gift. But I’m serious.” He reached across the table and took her hand in his. “I’ve been noticing that you seemed a bit melancholy lately, as if you felt like something was missing. And I’ve been wondering how I can help you stop feeling that way, but it looks like you’ve reached a solution all by yourself.”

She squeezed his hand. “Thank you. I appreciate you looking out for me. You’re right, I have been feeling kind of restless. I realized it was because I missed having a creative outlet, and I think this hobby will be just the thing. I’m enjoying myself so much.”

“I think this can be more than a hobby, Alexis.”

For a few seconds, she blinked at her husband, not quite processing what he was saying. “What do you mean?” she asked finally.

“I think it’s really important for a person to have a job that they love.”

“But this is just a hobby, Grayson—I can’t sell my bracelets. I mean, at least not enough of them to make a living.”

“Maybe not a full living, not enough to cover a mortgage and cars and food and everything, but I think that your jewelry could bring in an income. And you’d be really happy doing it, and that’s what’s most important, I think. It’s better to have a job you love and less money than do a job you hate and be rolling in wealth. Trust me, I know.”

He made a playful grimace, referring to the extremely lucrative company he’d run before moving to Rosewood Beach to repair his relationship with Alexis.

“I was so busy and stressed that I wasn’t appreciating the truly good things in my life at all,” he continued. “Like my wife. I’m much happier here making less money and having the time to spend with you and do things that I truly enjoy.”

She smiled at him. “I’m so proud of you for making that decision. I was so afraid I was going to lose you back then. Our life together now feels like a dream come true.”

“And I think it can feel even more like a dream come true. What do you say to trying to turn your hobby into a job?”

“I—I don’t know,” she stammered. “I mean, it sounds incredible, but I don’t want to get my hopes up.”

“I understand, but all great accomplishments require risk. How about you let me show you what your options are? I can create a list of business strategies to show you the possibilities. How does that sound?”

She found herself laughing, both from joy and a kind of delighted amusement that her husband, the successful businessman, was so ready to take her little bracelets and turn them into a full-blown business operation. “Okay. Yes. Thank you, sweetheart.”

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