Page 29 of Pick Yourself Up
Better to be safe.
Gray’s voice broke into her thoughts. “Do you want to check out the furniture under the tarps or keep exploring the house?”
She realized both the man and the dog were at the next doorway, watching her and waiting.
“Sorry. Got lost in thought. Let’s keep exploring. I’d love to get an overview first.”
And she’d rather keep her thoughts on the present, not the past.
Gray knew Amber had retreated into the past. Back to the incident at The Sidderlight. Her body stood rigid, and her flashlight stilled.
Something had triggered her worry, and he wanted to figure it out so he could stop it from happening again.
Boomer stopped with him at the door. The dog wouldn’t cross the threshold without Amber. Gray felt very much the same.
After those spectacular kisses outside the house, Gray figured he was even more in tune with Amber. She was fascinating and fun. He should be itching to work in his gardens, but he wasn’t. Following her through the large house and finding out more about her was far more interesting.
Amber shook off her thoughts and approached, brushing her fingers into the fur on Boomer’s head. It was something she did a lot, often unconsciously. Probably a reassurance that her friend was near and she was safe. Her dog was her touchstone, and he was glad she’d been smart enough to find a way to feel secure.
With the flashlights being their only source of lighting, the atmosphere was intimate. Dusty, but intimate. Like they were the only three in the world.
The main floor had four large rooms near the front. Without more light, it was impossible to see details, but they were probably living and dining spaces, possibly a library.
When Boomer led the way through a swinging door, they entered an even larger room. The spaces for the fridge and stove were empty, but it was obviously a kitchen.
“This is huge. It’s fantastic.” Amber’s voice reflected her excitement.
He loved her enthusiasm. “You can tell beyond the dust?”
She laughed. “Of course. There’s enough room to keep any cook or chef happy. They’ll love how many cupboards there are, and that long table will be a perfect prep space. There’s even enough room for a sous chef or assistant.”
He grinned. “I take it you know all that from working in hotels. Do you want to take over the cooking job once this place is running?”
Her laugh was self-deprecating. “Not a chance. I don’t mind cooking, but I don’t love it. And I’m nowhere near talented enough to cook for a B&B or an inn.”
The fact that she was planning the future in her head excited him. Renovating this building was going to take months. Or longer. There was a lot of space to fix up.
Renovating the farmhouse would keep her here. Running it would keep her here longer.
His gardens would do the same for him. With it being fall, he would be figuring out the disaster and prepping it for the spring. He’d get the basics in shape and plan a general layout. Then he’d work on the details over the winter.
That would give him time to help Amber prepare this space.
And plenty of time to spend with her.
For the first time in a while, the future excited him. He wanted this. Wanted to live on an apple farm and spend time in the gardens. Work to increase biodiversity and heal the earth. He wanted to grow flowers, create specialty gardens, and grow food to feed their group. And maybe even Amber’s future guests.
He’d have to expand the size of the future vegetable gardens with that in mind. There had to be a suitable space for berry bushes. They’d take a few years to grow before they produced, but fresh fruit aside from the apples would be a plus.
He had friends who would love this place. Friends who could contribute to the overall plan with their areas of interest.
Amber’s soft hand touched his arm. “Did we lose you?”
He patted her hand, loving the freedom to do that. “No, but you’ve got my head spinning, Amber. I’m seeing months and years down into the future here. I’ve got friends who might love to be here. Babs is a fabulous cook. Maybe chef. I’m not sure, but I’m sure he’d love this kitchen. And I’m wondering if the apples could be turned into juice and cider and vinegar. Alice is a brewmaster, and he’d probably have great ideas in that department.”
Amber laughed. “The callsigns you all use are hilarious. Babs and Alice?”
He grinned. “They kind of match with your brother Annie. Callsigns are weird, but we stop noticing that and they sound normal after a bit. Babs is Seth Walters. Alice is Nash Cooper.”
