Page 38 of A Place for Daydreams

“Uh oh.” Dean looked concerned. “Is he falling back into his workaholic habits?”

She shook her head, smiling. “No, he isn’t. It’s—well, he’s working on something for me.” Before Dean could ask her what that was, she took him by the shoulders and sat him down in one of the kitchen chairs. “Eat your food while it’s hot. You knowyou’re here so I can find out all about your life. Tell me how everything’s going.”

“That,” he said cheerfully as he started to dish food onto his plate, “sounds like an excuse to talk with my mouth full.”

She shook her head, laughing. “I’m being serious. You seem as though you have more energy than usual. Is that true? Is physical therapy going well?”

He nodded, and there was a light of joy in his eyes that make her heart beat faster with happiness for him. “Yeah, physical therapy is going really well. I have so much more energy than usual. I mean, yesterday I walked around a lot, and I got tired, but it really wasn’t too bad. I mean, that much hiking around would have tired me out in the past too. Maybe not as much, but it’s clear that my stamina is improving.”

“Dean, that’s fantastic! I’m so happy to hear that.” She was about to ask him more about why he went for such a long walk the day before, but at that moment Grayson stepped into the room.

“Hey, sweetheart.” Grayson hurried over to her and gave her a kiss on the lips. “Hey, Dean.” He smiled at Dean for a moment, but then he held out a notebook, showing Alexis what was written on the first page of it. “I’ve been analyzing numbers and I’ve come up with the prices for your jewelry. Based on market value and quality and the fact that your business is currently an unknown. I’ve also worked out what would be the most cost-effective way to order materials, and I’ve created a flow chart for increasing sales. The first thing you should do is create a website. I can help you with that.”

Alexis felt a rush of joy over everything Grayson was telling her, but she didn’t want to be rude by having a private conversation in front of Dean. “Thank you, sweetheart, that’s amazing. Can we talk about it more later, though?”

“Sure.” Grayson glanced at Dean with a grin. “Enjoy your lunch, Dean.”

“Thanks.” Dean smiled at him, although his eyebrows were lifted curiously. He was clearly wondering what Grayson was talking about. “Are you going to eat with us?”

“No, sorry.” Grayson shook his head. “I’m expecting a phone call from my mother in a few minutes, and I have to admit, I’ve really got the itch to keep working on all these figures. I want to work on other aspects of the business too, Alexis, like advertising and finding craft fairs—well, I’ll tell you later. You’ll see in no time that launching this venture is more than reasonable.” Grinning and clearly enthused, Grayson left the kitchen.

Alexis realized that her heart was beating faster with excitement. Everything that Grayson was talking about seemed too good to be true. She could hardly believe that she was about to start trying to sell her jewelry as part of a legitimate business. She felt nervous and uncertain, but also eager in a way that filled her with adrenaline. She was thankful that she had Grayson by her side to lead her through the tricky process of starting a business.

“What was that all about?” Dean asked curiously as soon as Grayson had walked out of the room.

“Well, the other day I was making jewelry during my lunch break at the pub.” She smiled as she remembered it. “I’ve just started picking up the hobby again. You remember I used to make jewelry sometimes?”

“Oh, yeah. I remember that pair of earrings you made for Grandma. They were really beautiful—they had those kind of sparkly, bigger purple beads and then the little strands of colored beads woven into a pattern.”

“Wow.” Alexis smiled at him, touched that he’d remembered the earrings in so much detail. “I remember those too—they were really fun to make.”

“And you’re really good at making jewelry. It’s one thing to just enjoy a hobby, and another to actually be very skilled at it. I think painting is fun, but I’m no good at it. You’re actually really good at making jewelry.”

“Thanks.” She smiled at him, feeling grateful for his support. “That means a lot to me, and I value your opinion.”

“As you should.” Her brother nodded sagely.

Alexis laughed. “So anyway, Grayson saw me making jewelry at the pub that day, and I guess he thinks that I can sell my creations for money. It seems like a wild idea to me, but Grayson’s obviously an experienced businessman, so it would be silly for me not to trust him. He’s been working out all the details. That’s what that was there.”

“All the dots are connecting.” Dean grinned. “Alexis, I love that! I think you’re going to have a lot of fun and start making a living doing what you love.”

“Well, the fun part is for sure.” She laughed. “We’ll see if any money ever comes of it.”

“You’ve got a good partner in there.” Dean jerked his thumb toward Grayson’s home office. “He clearly believes in you, and so do I.”

“Thank you.” She beamed at him. “I think it’s sweet that when Grayson saw me doing something that I love, it gave him so many ideas, you know? I love it when we can be creative for each other. Not just me and Grayson, but all of us. It’s one of the most beautiful things about love, I think.”

“Huh. That’s a nice thought.” Dean was quiet for a few moments, and Alexis became curious.

“Penny for your thoughts,” she said and took a bite of her spicy chicken fajita.

“Oh, well, I was thinking about a friend of mine. I mean, I’m sure what you just said applies to friendships too.”

“Yeah?” Alexis’s eyebrows lifted, and she realized she was talking with her mouth full. “What friendship?” Dean looked slightly bashful in a way that aroused her suspicions.

“Well, actually I’ve become pretty good friends with my physical therapist, Noelle,” he said, taking a hurried sip of his iced tea. “She got her car fixed at my shop, you know, and we’ve struck up a kind of friendship. She’s always a great person to be around, but seeing her in her element is really something. I mean, when she’s leading our PT sessions.” He looked thoughtful for a moment, and Alexis found herself practically squirming.

“So, you like her?” she asked after a few seconds.

---