Page 13 of Call It Home

I lifted an eyebrow. “That’s observant. I have to always remind Bristol and she’s known me forever.”

The corner of his lip quirked upward. “If you were a car engine, she’d notice.”

I spluttered into my drink. “You’re not wrong there.”

Without speaking, he headed toward the sliding glass doors and returned a few minutes later with several split logs and sticks, which he arranged in the fireplace. I settled onto the couch and admired how confident he appeared as he went about making a fire. When it fully caught, he added an additional log, then settled onto a chair across from the couch.

It definitely wasn’t a luxuriously appointed cabin, and yet it still felt homey, especially with the fire. There was a brown outdoor carpet on the wood floor. Two solid-looking chairs with slatted sides and backs sat across from the couch. Thick, cream-colored cushions made them look comfortable. It was nothing fussy, just clean and simple lines.

I liked it, especially the craftsmanship of the chairs. But my mind immediately changed the carpet to something with more color. It added some throw pillows that would pull out one or more colors of the carpet and some potted plants to add some life. It also threw in some small extra touches, such as a blanket and some woven rattan trays and shallow baskets on the walls.

As if he read my mind, he said, “I’m sure the designer in you would do something more in here, but this is all I need.”

“I’m not here to judge. Although, I am curious if you made those rocking chairs out front. Or those chairs.” I pointed to the one he was sitting on.

He stretched out his long legs, resting his feet on the coffee table. “I did. And the bookshelf in the corner, and the kitchen cabinets, for that matter. But you already guessed all that, didn’t you? And you say you’re not judging, but you want me to help you build things that will be judged. So, tell me, how would this”—he waved a hand in a circle—“be evaluated on this show you want to be part of? I don’t imagine it’s what you’d have in one of your luxurious homes.”

“Guess we’re getting straight to business,” I mumbled into my glass.

“You already admitted you weren’t just in the neighborhood.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at his bluntness. “Not sure you’re in anyone’s neighborhood.” I reached out to put my drink on the table, but there were no coasters, so I awkwardly drew my hand back.

Mac chuckled and made a show of putting his glass on the coffee table. “Go ahead. I promise, the finish is more than durable.”

I ran my free hand down the smooth finish of the arm of my chair, then looked at him. He was watching my hand, but his eyes shifted to mine when I spoke his name. “Mac, I’m sure you’ve been told this, but your craftsmanship is superb. And before you say anything, I’m not just saying that to butter you up to help me. Please, tell me you have others to sell. I know clients who would love these, and at a premium price at that.”

His face flushed. I wasn’t sure if he was embarrassed by my possibly overly enthusiastic inquiry or if he was pleased with the endorsement.

“Thanks. I sell a piece here and there, but no, I don’t have the space to store anything or the time to take them anywhere to sell.”

Ideas of craft fairs and websites fired in my head, but I tamped them down. It wasn’t my business, literally or figuratively. But I was curious about something. “Where do you build these?”

He pointed past the screened wall. “There’s an old barn out there that I ran some electricity to. That’s one of the things I like about this property. I can be out there any time of the day or night and not disturb anyone.”

I nodded. As peaceful as it felt this evening, I was pretty sure the isolation would drive me nuts after a few hours. I was always on the go, visiting clients, in meetings, or hanging out with friends and family. The times I was alone were few, but when I had them, I indulged myself. I relaxed and gave myself a facial or took a long, hot soak in my giant tub. But I couldn’t imagine having that much downtime every day.

“Back to the subject at hand,” he prompted. “Tell me why you think I should partner with you.”

My eyes widened at his question, causing him to smirk. “As I said, I know you know what you’re doing in construction, so I know things will get done right the first time. And you’re obviously a skilled carpenter, which is a tremendous asset when you can’t take the time to find a specific piece.”

Mac shook his head. “You already explained why you want me. I want to know why you want to do the show in the first place.”

I started to give him the same answer I gave Chase. While it was true, I figured if I was going to ask Mac to do something obviously uncomfortable to him, I owed it to him to share more.

“Sterling Construction is everything to me. It was always the plan that I’d work alongside my grandfather. He loved to tell people I was going to do great things and move the company forward.” I looked at Mac, who seemed to be listening with genuine interest. “And he always said it with such conviction, such pride, you know? I couldn’t wait to get my degrees and work with him, learning the business and contributing to it.”

I paused to take a long sip of the tea, hoping the liquid would wash down the lump in my throat. “I miss him. Terribly. And I’m afraid he’d be disappointed in me right now.”

“I doubt it,” Mac interjected. “But keep going.”

I sucked in a deep breath to tell Mac the rest. There was something about the way he listened without judging—at least so far—that I felt he might understand. “We’re not getting the same number of jobs that we used to get. Everyone only sees me as a pretty face who doesn’t know the ins and outs of the business. And maybe I don’t knoweverything, but Idoknow what I’m doing.”

“And you think going public like this will help the reputation of not only the company, but you,” Mac finished.

“Yes.” I breathed a sigh of relief that he understood.

He sat quietly for what felt like several minutes before he caught my gaze again. “It’s not a guarantee. It could end up backfiring if you don’t win.”

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