Page 67 of Guarded Secrets
She tapped her finger on her lip as she stared at the cabinets currently painted what he thought of as shit brown.
“To finish the idea, the top cabinets would be glass fronted and painted a light sage green, and then I’d have vintage-style light fixtures to bring it all together. Add your stainless appliances, and you get a modern farmhouse look that’s warm and welcoming as well as functional.”
“You’ve given your dream kitchen some thought.”
“I have. What type of flooring will you put in?”
“I’m thinking a porcelain tile that looks like wood.”
“Ooh, that’s a good choice. That’s what’s in the kitchen at the big house at Cider Mill Farm and it looks great.” She tilted her head. “About the kitchen, you’re the one who has to live with the design choices, so make sure you get what you like.”
“Even if it’s concrete countertops?”
“Even then. Now show me the rest.”
Piles of lumber and coils of wiring and extension cords snaked here and there. He’d almost reached for her hand to walk her through his project before he caught himself. Distance, he reminded himself. She could keep from tripping without his help.
“I like the windows you put in.”
He made an effort to focus. “That was one of the first things I did. They’re double-paned for energy efficiency. I put that to the test this past winter and my energy bill was considerably lower than the same time last year. They’ll pay for themselves.”
The living room was done except for flooring and paint. The walls had been primered, but that was it.
Keeley tapped on the paint sample card he’d taped to a wall. “I love this cream color. It would complement the sage green in the kitchen, and you could bring in more color with an area rug in a jewel color like burgundy or red, and maybe an earth brown couch.”
He pictured her ideas and decided they’d work. Like really work.
“What did you do with your grandparents’ furniture?”
“Kept a few pieces I liked but got rid of the rest. The style looked dated, and not in a good way. Lots of overly ornate pieces. I want simple, well-made furniture.”
He led her down the hall. She peeked into a half-done bathroom, and the first bedroom where he’d knocked out a wall to the adjoining bedroom to make a bigger room with a walk-in closet.
As with the other rooms, it was complete except for paint and flooring.
He’d thrown his sleeping bag in a corner. She poked her head into the other bedroom he intended to use as a home office, then led her to the open doorway at the end of the hall.
“The master bed and bath are the only finished rooms in the house.”
She stepped into the room. He could admit to being gratified by her audible gasp. “Oh, this room is beautiful. And you have a pewter bed frame. I love the lines. Is it vintage?”
“Guess so. It was one of the pieces of my grandparents’ I kept.”
“Wise man. It’s a classic design and gorgeous.” She ran her fingers over the metal. “Your ceiling fan complements the style.”
Since that had been the idea, he appreciated the comment.
She stepped into the bathroom and let out another gasp. He came up behind her. “This is a beautiful bathroom, Owen. Other than your misguided ideas about concrete countertops, you have good instincts for what goes together. And see? You used quartz here.” She smiled over her shoulder. “The tub itself is a work of art. I don’t usually take baths, but that tub looks inviting enough I think I might need to.”
“Tub’s here if you want.” The mental image of her naked in his bathtub, of her and him together and naked in his bathtub, had his blood heading straight south.
He wanted to reach for her, to pull her into his arms. To make use of the bed only feet away. He needed to get a grip.
He didn’t want things to be awkward, so he said, “Look, there’s only one bed. I’ve got my sleeping bag and will sleep in the other room. You can sleep here.”
Keeley was usually an open book with every emotion revealed on her face, but in this instance, he couldn’t read her. “Okay.”
He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. He hadn’t expected her immediate agreement, maybe because she wasn’t shy about expressing objections if she had any.
