Page 43 of One Touch

“Can you please talk to him? Try to get along—for me?”

I offered a small smile as my stomach swirled. “Of course. He and I will work something out.”

Duke pulled into the long, darkened driveway to the farmhouse. I was more determined than ever to figure out what the hell was really going on between Beckett and me. There was something brewing between us that I couldn’t fully explain, but I was determined to peel back the layers of our complicatedsituationshipand get to the bottom of it.

Like the dutiful brother he was, Duke waited until I was up the steps and had unlocked the front door before offering a wave and heading home.

Duke didn’t want me riding Beckett’s ass, but I was pretty sure riding his dick wasn’t an option either.

Unless ...

With renewed giddy anticipation, I brushed my teeth and headed to bed, ready to see just how many buttons I could push before Beckett Miller finally pushed back.

* * *

On Thursdaythe crew flew into a fervor when I dropped the bomb that I wanted to make a few changes to the original design plans. New wiring was underway for the entirely updated layout to the kitchen. With the center wall removed, the space was already more open and airy. Beckett had caved and agreed that the additional windows helped brighten the space.

Add one point for Kate.

Beckett had barely grumbled two words to me, but he was going to have to toughen up, because despite the simmering tension between us, we needed to make forward progress, and I had an idea that was perfect.

His back was to me, and he was checking something off his metal clipboard when I walked up. “Okay, so don’t be mad.”

His back stiffened, and he slowly turned to face me.

I offered a bright smile. “I have an idea.”

He immediately sighed and dropped his hands at his sides.

I raised my palms. “Hear me out ...” I walked in a wide circle around him. “What if”—I stepped through the small doorway from the kitchen to the large mudroom at the back of the house—“we borrow half of this space for a walk-in pantry?”

I clamped my fists together and planted them under my chin, infusing hope into the look I gave him.

His nostrils flared.

I stepped farther into the space. “It’s just a matter of opening this doorway and adding a wall to separate it from the back entrance. This area is huge and doesn’t really make sense. Why have this huge mudroom taking up a perfectly good back entrance? A smaller entryway is plenty for Tootie to shuck off her boots and awalk-inpantry?” I blew air between my lips and casually swatted that air between us. “Come on. A simple build for you and the crew.”

Instead of obsessing over the dance I’d shared with him, I’d chosen to fall down a Pinterest rabbit hole instead.

“Let me guess. You saw it on Pinterest.”

A laugh shot out of me. “What? No.”

Beckett looked back down at his clipboard, then glanced around me into the large back entryway. “Does Tootie know about this?”

Excitement danced through me. “She enthusiastically gave the green light.”

A delicious muscle ticced in his jaw. “I suppose the space could be more efficient, and a large pantry would modernize it.” He looked through the paperwork on his clipboard again. “But we’re not cutting this area off.”

His eyes scanned the large area and went slightly unfocused, as they often did when he was designing in his head. “The back entryway will open up to here.” He gestured with his hands, and the corded muscles of his forearms flexed and danced. “Instead of a walk-in pantry eating up that space, we can borrow from the back bedroom closet to get a better footprint. That way, everything flows—one room into the next. I’m thinking, in order to transition the spaces, instead of hardwood, we do exposed Chicago brick for the utility space. Rustic and durable.”

Beckett painted a gorgeous picture of a functional, modern farmhouse. It was absolutely perfect.

“That’s how we’ll do it.” He made a few notes on his clipboard, and irritation crept up my spine at the finality in his tone.

“Why do you always have to do things your way?”

He glanced up at me and scoffed before looking back over his notes. “Because, Princess, my way is usually the right way.”

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