Draw Me Close (15 page)

“So I feel like her shower was our special girl time and this should just be crazy, grown-up fun. You know what I mean?” Callie asked.

“Okay,” Lindsey said. She was a little apprehensive about hearing what Callie's ideas were. She had been known to really love a good time. Lindsey wasn't so much the nightclub type. But this wasn't about her, either. “What did you have in mind?”

“Welll … don't freak out. But what would you think about doing a coed bachelor and bachelorette party?”

“That sounds fun.” But immediately Lindsey felt panicked. Bachelorette party meant a night out. Coed meant with boys. So Derek would definitely be there. “Where were you thinking we would do this?”

“Well, one of my best customers at the bakery is the head of PR for that big new casino in Mayville. I was going to ask her about getting a few rooms. See if she could get us a deal. What do you think? It would be close, all-inclusive, so we could drink and not worry. There is a club inside, gambling, food, swimming pools.” Callie's grin was wide and hopeful.

“It does sound fun. Who were you thinking of inviting?” Lindsey picked at a piece of tofu on her plate.

“Well. Obviously Mike and Anne, me and Bennett. Maybe Brooke and Alex. Of course Eric and whoever he's dating. Maybe Emma if she's free. Oh and of course, uh, Derek. And you.”

“So instead of coed bachelorette party, you really mean couples.”

“No! I said Emma. You and Derek don't have to hang out if you don't want to,” Callie said. She tilted her head to the side. “Although it kind of sounds like you might not mind. You know, since you've gotten used to being around one another.”

“Even if we were fine hanging out, you guys will go back to your rooms for the night and then it will be awkward.” And Lindsey didn't want to admit it, but she couldn't afford to get herself a room on her own.

“It will not be awkward. If you want, Derek and Mike can get a room and we girls can get our own.”

“Oh yeah, that will go over like a lead balloon with your horny boyfriends,” Lindsey said.

“True.” Callie scrunched up her lips. “But if they have to take a cold shower for one night then that's what they'll do. Lindsey, I don't want you to worry about this. We'll all be there.”

She had to go along with the plan. How could she not? The scariest part was that she was mostly afraid she might enjoy herself. And if at the end of the night she had to drive herself home then she'd do it. “You're right, it's fine. It
is
a good idea.”

Callie grinned. “Yeah? I promise the party will be fun.”

“I know it will be. I'm excited.”

“Yay! Me, too.” Callie pulled out her phone and opened the calendar app. “Might as well get it down.”

Lindsey pulled her planner out of her bag. She was a paper-and-pen kind of girl. They settled on a date and each jotted down a few planning notes.

“Perfect. Why don't I check in with everyone else and make sure that date is good, although I can't imagine there would be any problems. If Anne has Claire … or Derek has Tanner, we can just help them figure something out.”

Lindsey nodded, taking a sip of her tea. She was just going to have to accept it. Derek was once again a part of her life. It was up to her to make sure that she was in control this time.

*   *   *

Lindsey sat up straight and swept a lock of hair from her eyes with the back of her arm. Her hands were covered in stain, and her body ached, but the kitchen floor was done. She suddenly felt giddy about the progress they'd made over the past week and a half of working together.

Glancing across the room, she laughed when she caught sight of Derek. There was stain on his face, his forearms, and in his hair.

“What?” he asked.

“You're just a little dirty. That's all.”

“I was hoping you might like me a little dirty,” he said with a wink.

She rolled her eyes. “Rule one.”

“Ah please.” He laughed. “That's all in good fun. When I flirt with you, babe, you'll know it.”

Lindsey shook her head. He'd been doing that more often the past few days. Slowly unleashing his powerful charm on her.

Occasional conversation had started up between them but mainly on safe topics. Anne and Mike, movies, the house. A few times she'd caught herself before saying something that began with the phrase “remember that one time when.” She definitely didn't need them traveling down memory lane together. In fact, she'd straight-out made it a rule that it was forbidden between them.

Lindsey laid down her paintbrush and reached for her bottle of water before taking a long drink. It was nearly five o'clock, which meant they should probably start cleaning up. She wasn't sure what his plans were this evening—and she wasn't going to ask—but she was certain he wouldn't want to work through the evening.

Derek headed for the hall and then she heard him call out from the bathroom. “Jesus, you weren't kidding. I'm a mess.”

She chuckled to herself and then glanced around at the now fully stained kitchen floor. They had worked hard today. Especially Derek. Her ability to paint wood floors was a little ineffectual considering she couldn't bend over and hold her weight up with her bad arm. She'd had to sit on her knees and lean to the side, doing small little strokes with her paintbrush

Derek on the other hand had strapped on giant knee pads and gone at it like a madman. She might have stolen a few glances at his butt when he was facing away from her. Any woman in her position would have done the same.

The doorbell rang, surprising Lindsey. She figured it might possibly be Anne and Mike coming out to see how things were going. It would be exciting for them to get a glimpse of all the progress they'd made during the past week.

“I got it,” Derek called over his shoulder. She could hear his work boots clomping down the hallway, his voice low as he spoke with another male. When he didn't return right away she began to grow suspicious. Slowly Lindsey grabbed onto a window ledge and hauled herself up to a standing position. She backed herself into the dining area so as not to step on the wet stain and nearly collided with Derek holding a pizza box and a case of beer.

“You hungry?” he asked with an eyebrow raised. “I hope so because it's already a done deal.”

“You didn't have to do that. It's nearly five and I figured you'd want to get home. Or that you'd have plans.”

He looked wary and stepped back a little. “Right now
you
are my plans. Did you have somewhere to go tonight?”

“No.” She shook her head, feeling guilty for assuming he'd want to rush off and relieved that he didn't. Why was she always determined to assume the worst about him? She eyed the pizza box. “Is that from Pie Mia's?”

“It is.” Derek grinned. He walked over and set the pizza and beer down on the floor next to what appeared to be a folded-up blanket that she'd never noticed before. “Hope you don't mind eating picnic style. I figured we've been on the floor all day. Why stop now?”

Lindsey couldn't hold back the smile on her face as she walked over to where he stood fluffing out the blanket and laying it on the dining room floor. Once he had it arranged he held out a hand to her. She took it, allowing him to hold some of her weight as she lowered herself to the floor. He sat down beside her.

“What kind of pizza did you get?” she inquired. “Did you plan this?”

“You ask too many questions. But I will answer the first one. Someone might have informed me that you have a particular favorite flavor at Mia's.” He gave her a crooked smile as he opened the box and turned it to face her.

Lindsey gasped in delight when she saw the goat cheese, chicken, and caramelized onion pizza she and her friends loved. “That is definitely my favorite!”

Derek chuckled. “I'm glad you're happy. I have to admit, never in a million years did I think I'd be ordering pizza with goat cheese on it.”

“Oh, it's so good. You'll have to try it.”

“Eh, I don't know about that,” he said on a laugh.

“I see your favorite pizza is the heart attack special.” One half of the pie was her favorite and the other was a concoction of every meat available and topped with strips of bacon.

“At least I'll go down happy. Good pizza, good company, and a good day's work.”

He handed her an opened beer and then held his own out toward her. She clinked her bottle against his. “To sore backs tomorrow,” she said.

“No kidding. And sore knees.”

“You had knee pads on,” she said as she grabbed her first slice of pizza.

“Babe, nothing is gonna stop the pain of being on your knees for six hours. Not at my age.”

She stopped short for a moment, partly because he'd used that endearment again, and partly because she suddenly felt bad. He'd worked incredibly hard the past few days when he didn't have to. None of this was his responsibility. Contractors hired crews to do these kinds of tasks. On top of that, it was taking him away from his more important jobs in the city.

He must have sensed her worry. Derek leaned forward and looked her square in the eye. “Linds, I'd do it all again. For you. Understand me?”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

“Now eat up.”

They ate in silence for a while until he finally swiped the crumbs from his hands and leaned back to rest on his palms. “So tell me how you got involved with this blog.”

Lindsey swallowed. “Well, Anne created it, as I'm sure you know. Started it years ago. After a while she added Callie. She posts recipes and such. At some point Anne and I met at the opening of a little craft shop downtown. I was there because … obviously I like crafty things. She was there because she likes crafty things. We started talking, e-mailing, I followed the blog, she followed my Etsy shop, and eventually she asked me to be a contributor.”

“Etsy shop?”

“It's an online retail space where people can sell handmade items. I repurpose found objects, unusable antiques. And then I sell them.”

“Repurpose. So, like, a trash-to-treasure kind of thing.”

“Well … sort of. And I am impressed to hear you say that phrase. But more of … finding a new way for something to be useful. Like taking an old broken ladder and turning it into a lamp base.”

“You've done that?”

“Yeah, I do that kind of stuff all the time.” Lindsey pulled her phone out of her pocket and opened her Etsy app. She'd become pretty good at one-handed phone typing. She scooted closer to Derek and showed him the screen. “These are a few of the items I have up now.”

He leaned in toward her, their heads close, and looked at the screen. Reaching out, he began to scroll through a few photos. “What's that? A jewelry holder?”

She laughed at his confusion. “Basically. It's made from reclaimed barn wood, chicken wire, and found wrought-iron brackets. I've sold twenty just like it this year. I also do some custom work in addition to interior design, but repurposed art is sort of my thing.”

“So you're one of those people that pull over and take things off peoples' curbs on trash day?”

She laughed. “I've been known to do that, yes.”

Derek laughed. “Nice. Lindsey Morales, professional trash digger.”

“Shush,” she said with a smile as he continued to look at her phone.

“Wow. Fireplace mantel, bookshelves, light fixtures.” He scrolled further down the page in silence and then looked over at her. “I'm really impressed, Linds. And not at all surprised.”

His words pleased her way more than they should. In fact, she was feeling so warm and fuzzy at the moment she scooted away from him before she did something stupid. She was certain that she caught disappointment flash over his expression.

“Thank you.”

“Where do you make all of this at?”

“Um, here or there. Right now I don't really have a place since I'm staying with Mel and Brett. Condos aren't really conducive to major craft projects. But I do small projects on their porch. It's been kind of a bummer not being able to have the space to work how I want.” And why was she opening up to him like this?

“What kind of space would you like to work in?”

“Big, lots of fresh air. Room for storage. A space to spray paint.”

He nodded. “You need a studio.”

“Yeah, well, studio space doesn't come cheap. Plus, larger pieces like furniture can't be hauled up and down stairs or inside easily. That's why the garage at my last place was awesome.”

“You do furniture also?” He looked surprised.

“I do. In fact, I'm about to get started on a piece for the island. It's kind of a surprise for Anne.”

“I wondered what your plan was for that.”

“Well, for the past few weeks I've been on the hunt for the perfect piece of furniture. Something old I can paint to match our color palette. Maybe a distressed cranberry or teal. Then I plan to install a thick butcher-block countertop.”

“That's quite a project.”

“Yeah, but I've done it before. I have a little booth down in the West Bottoms. In fact, this coming weekend is a First Friday so I thought I'd head down and search for something while I checked out my space.”

Every first weekend of the month, her favorite area to look for deals—the West Bottoms in downtown Kansas City—was filled with antiques booths and shops. There was such an amazing creative energy down there and she never missed a first weekend. Her booth there was located in a bigger retail space that allowed artisans to rent. Lindsey had a good feeling that's where she'd find just the right piece for Anne's island.

Derek reached for his beer and then hesitated. “So this Friday, huh? You want some company? I'd love to see some more of your work.”

Lindsey froze, uncertain what to say. She couldn't ignore the little voice inside of her saying,
Too much too fast.
This was supposed to be a no-big-deal friendship. But another part of her—the one that needed a firm talking-to—was thrilled by the thought of spending a day with Derek in one her favorite places. Showing off her work. She knew they had different tastes—he always preferred a more modern style and clean lines—but he'd just said really nice things about her small projects.