Page 58 of In Search of a Husband
For a moment, it felt as if it should have always been this way, with her by his side. But their paths had never crossed, so he shook off the feeling and proceeded inside.
“First, I need help with paperwork,” he said. “For proper licensing there are more requirements, and the logbooks are a mess. And I was stuck refinishing floors yesterday instead of sortin’ all this out.”
He brought her through the kitchen and into the small office he had set up for himself in the larder. Sacks of flour and sugar were stacked high on the shelf above the cabinet he used as a makeshift desk. And piled high were the logbooks and correspondence about the distillery’s licensing.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, glancing toward Kate who stood in the doorway.
“It’s a mess, Gabriel.”
“I need the inn reopened in time for the festival in three weeks. The distillery will take longer.”
“You’ve no staff, yet. The rooms smell like smoke. Is the inn even structurally sound?” she asked, counting on her long fingers.
The look on his face must have been answer enough because she grabbed some paper, folded it, then snatched a pencil from the tabletop. “We need a list. Give me a tour and I will write everything down.”
The panic that had gnawed at his chest since returning lessened a sliver.
“The kitchen will need to be stocked, the plates and glasses need to be inventoried, a menu needs to be decided, and then we need to hire a staff. Wait, before the menu, a budget would be best so I can search out reputable vendors.”
He braced himself for her disbelief at his plan. It was ridiculous to sort all that out in time. But it was necessary to bring in income again as winter approached.
Kate spun around and walked out of the kitchen, proceeding into the empty inn hall and bar.
“We drank most of what was here at the bar after Tavish’s funeral.” He cleared his throat, placing his hands on his waist and walking around the empty room. “The bar will need to be restocked, and the tables and chairs examined because many wobble.”
They then proceeded upstairs and toured each room, making note of linens needed and what should be cleaned and sorted for a guest’s stay.
Finally, Kate plopped down on the edge of a bed and laughed. “Goodness, is that all, Gabriel?”
He was certain he would dream of her tonight. He laughed instead and glanced around. “It isna so bad.”
“Hardly.”
She stood up and walked over to him, staring up with admiration in her eyes. He had never been looked at in that way before. Repairing the inn in time for the festival was as daft a plan as he was for trying to convince himself he didn’t want this woman.
“I apologize for last evening,” she said again. “And I will see that you have new boots.”
“I dinna need new boots, Kate.”
The truth of it was, if this gamble of his paid off, he would have more money than he knew what to do with. The truth was that he preferred the finer things in life, the luxury he had afforded himself by the way he handled business. He wanted the best.
And some small part of him wished to spoil Kate endlessly. He wished to see her in fine dresses, and feed her the most luscious foods, and sleep with her in the softest beds. He wished to worship her. Curse that marquess who treated her as he had, and damn London for its rules.
“You’re quiet,” she whispered. “You’re thinking, and I’ve learned that can be good or bad.”
He clenched his hands at his waist so as not to touch her.
She reached up and patted his cheek with a grin. “Best time to start is now.” Kate floated out of the room while humming to herself, and Gabriel closed his eyes, certain he had just condemned himself.
CHAPTER 16
Three days later,Kate was elbow deep in a bread recipe when Gabriel strolled into the kitchen at the inn. Storm clouds brewed outside. She had spent the morning cleaning and sorting the tables, and Gabriel and Finn worked on painting the last of the rooms upstairs and the final repairs to the beams in the basement.
The smoke odor finally faded with help of the simmer pot she had in the hearth. The air was perfumed with cinnamon and apples and rosemary.
Gabriel brushed back his hair, his skin glistening from hours of work.
“I moved the office,” she said, nodding, “and the windows have been scrubbed, and everything dusted and washed down.”
