Page 11 of Keeping My Wife
“I know. Not the same, but still. You know Mom will lose it.”
“I’ll talk to Maxie and see what this entails.”
“Good. That’s all I ask. El will be happy you’re helping her out. She’s worried about her.”
Gus still hadn’t told me why she was selling off the furniture. I stewed about it as I installed the pieces I’d worked on the night before. After the deal had been struck in the pantry, I’d been restless as fuck.
But my sleepless night had turned into something pretty special.
“Damn, son.”
I turned at the sound of Sully’s voice.
“Pretty nice, huh?” I smoothed my hand over the freshly varnished trim I’d just nailed in. I’d also made little easels for the books she wanted to display along the top.
He came all the way into the room and did a 360º spin. “Mrs. Nelson is going to kiss you.”
I laughed. “Maybe I’ll let her.” I tucked one of my wood varnish pencils into my pocket. “What are you doing here?”
“Just doing the final walk through so we can button up this reno.”
“Oh, cool. I didn’t realize we were done.”
“Yep. Just your little finishing touches and we’re out of here. Gus is all packed up. Do you want to go back with him or me?”
“Doesn’t matter to me.”
Sully was about to say something when Mrs. Nelson came in. She put her hands to her mouth. “Gosh. It’s even more amazing than I was expecting.” She ran a shaking hand over the shelf. “I never thought I’d have a room like this.”
“I hope it’s what you wanted.”
“More.” She grabbed onto me and hugged me. The scent of flour and gardenias nearly knocked me over. “I can’t believe you plucked this right out of my brain.”
I patted her back. “I’m glad you love it.”
“I can’t wait to put all my books on the shelves. How am I going to pick what to put on this one?” She touched the crown molding with the butterflies carved in the corners. “Your work is stunning.”
“It was inspired by one of the covers I saw in your piles. Looked like a special book.”
“It is.” She clasped her hands together under her chin. “Oh, I have a gift for you!”
“For me?”
She hooked her arm around mine and drew me out of the room.
I glanced over my shoulder at Sully who laughed and shook his head. “I’ll grab your tools.”
“I am beyond pleased. My friend Michelle is so jealous. She said she’s saving up to hire you. Her daughter just graduated college so she’s ready to attack her bedroom and make it a reading room just like mine.”
“You have our card.”
“I do.” She beamed up at me.
I followed her down the stairs and the scent of fresh bread made my stomach roar.
“This is my secondary obsession.” She patted a little glass with something bubbling in it. “This is Adrienne.”
I peered at the jar with the rubber band around it. “What did you do to her?”
