Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
A grin pulled on his lips. “You got the driver to pull into a fast-food place?”
I lifted one shoulder. “I was hungry.”
He chuckled. “Okay, then.”
I ate another cracker, chewing slowly.
“So, you dislike vegetarians.”
He laughed. “No. To each his own. I dislike fish intensely. But I don’t hate the fisherman. And I know many feel the same about beef.” He narrowed his eyes. “How do you feel about fish?”
I chuckled. “I eat it on occasion, but it’s not my favorite.” I finished the last cracker. “So, I’m here because…?”
“Bottom line, we need more income to supplement what we bring in now. Rachel thought the idea of adding a tourist element was a good one. I wasn’t big on it, but when I looked at the numbers, it made sense. The profit was good compared to the outlay, and it can happen quickly. She was the one who got in touch with you.”
“It could work very well for you. I haven’t seen much of the place, but I was going to go for a walk in the morning and scope it out. Start sketching more ideas. I had planned on sitting with Rachel over designs and the filming, but I guess for now, you’ll have to put up with me.”
He rubbed his eyes. “Does your crew arrive later?”
I shook my head. “No film crew. I do it all myself. I help with the design, the setup. The vision. Your show will feature all the renos from start to finish and promote the business.”
“All yourself?” he asked, looking surprised. “I’m impressed. Again.”
“I prefer the control.”
“So what do you need from me?”
“I know you’re busy. Rachel told me you run the show, which is why it was always the two of us talking. I can bring you up to speed fast. Show you my thoughts. I’ll oversee it all. But I need some ideas from you on the things your guests will be part of. The overnight camping. The dinner under the stars. What they’ll experience as a ‘hand’ here.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Ideas, as in telling you or you experiencing them?”
“Experience is best.”
I saw the indecision on his face. Heard the weariness in his voice. I had a feeling he was juggling so many balls in the air, he had no idea how to handle anything else. Rachel being gone with her hurt fiancé was simply another ball for him to manage.
I leaned forward. “I’ll make this as easy as possible on you, Luke. I promise. I won’t get in the way, and I’ll try not to add to your list. Once Rachel is back, I’ll deal with her.”
He sighed and nodded. “Okay, then, let’s do this.”
I held out my hand. “Tomorrow, we start fresh, yes?”
He eyed my hand with trepidation, and I laughed. “Friends, Luke. I promise.”
He wrapped his large hand around mine, his touch surprisingly gentle. “Friends. And tomorrow.”
I tried not to notice how his gaze lingered on my face. How warm my hand felt in his. How sexy he was across the table from me in his T-shirt and bulging muscles. How handsome he was when he was simply being Luke.
I failed totally. But I shook his hand, trying to keep my voice calm.
“Tomorrow.”
I left Luke in the kitchen, and I got ready for bed, washing my face and slipping on a tank and shorts. The room was warm, but I couldn’t get the window to open, so I would have to make do until the morning. It was a nice bedroom, the wide wooden floors like silk under my feet. It was painted a pretty shade of blue with white wainscoting on the bottom half of the walls. The old-fashioned bed was high off the floor, the iron headboard gleaming in the light. The furniture was antique, and so was the throw rug that graced the polished wooden floor. A club chair was in the corner, complete with cushions and a table with a nice light to read by. The windows were big, and the view I had seen earlier was spectacular. Wide-open fields, cows grazing, wheat dancing in the breeze in the distance. I could hardly wait to get out and explore in the morning.
It was still early, so I opened my Kindle and read for a while, but with the door closed, the room became stuffier. I got up and pulled on the windows, but they both remained stuck. I opened the door, hearing nothing but silence. I crept to the kitchen and poured a glass of water, amazed at the difference in the temperature of the rooms. It was so much cooler out of the bedroom. I opened a couple of drawers, hoping to find a screwdriver or something I could use to help loosen the windows, but I came up empty-handed. I slid the drawer shut, then recalled the back room I had peeked in earlier. It looked like a storeroom of sorts. A hodgepodge of odds and ends. I bet I could find something to help loosen the window.