Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 95264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
“More or less.”
“So? Delays?” he pushes.
“Nothing major.” John looks to me to elaborate.
I roll my eyes. “The bathroom faucets are on back order, so I’m going to swap them out for comparable ones. They’ll be here next Thursday.” There are so many moving pieces and decisions in this development game. I’m enjoying it, but I won’t admit it to Garrett.
He smirks. “See? Was that so hard?”
“No. But do you know what is so hard?”
“Have a great weekend, John.” Garrett waves, effectively cutting me off from delivering the rest of my lewd and inappropriate comment.
The general contractor saunters toward the back where the vehicles are parked, chuckling.
Garrett throws an arm over my shoulders, pulling me into his side. “You’re such a pain in my ass.”
“I know.”
We stand in silence on the sidewalk for a long moment, regarding the For Lease sign in Murphy’s window. Beyond the glass is nothing but an empty space and seven decades of memories.
With Lowes opening across town last fall, Ned’s little business took an even bigger hit, and he decided it was time to shutter the doors for good. He didn’t seem too distraught about the decision, though. I think he’d been mulling it for some time. It could have been because he was already making other plans, ones that involved Vicki.
He sold his building to Garrett in March. We had the grand closing celebration a month ago. Now Ned spends most of his time visiting with Vicki at Bonny Acres. I wouldn’t be surprised if his house is on the market soon and he finds himself a suite there as well.
Maybe they’ll get one together.
I lean my head against Garrett’s chest. “Your place or mine?”
“I’m in the mood for the city this weekend.”
“You know what? Same.” We’re spending more time in New York as Garrett gears up for another, much bigger project. We see Joe and Sara often, which has been a treat, watching her pregnant belly grow with my niece. It’s beginning to feel as much like home to me as Scarlet’s, and given I overheard her and Shane talking about selling both places and buying something bigger, I think my days in my claimed room behind the kitchen are coming to an end soon.
But that’s okay. I’m ready to move on.
Garrett tightens his arm around me. “Besides, you don’t even have a place, squatter.”
“Don’t you start with that too. And, hey, you were squatting up there for a few months.” I point to the window above where Dieter’s used to be.
“Barely.” He scoffs, leading me down the laneway toward the back parking lot—a much smaller one now, and riddled with potholes from months of construction, waiting to be regraded and paved. “I stopped at Todd’s on the way here to grab steaks for tonight.”
“Bacon-wrapped?”
“Naturally.”
“Gosh, you’re so well trained.”
“He says hi.”
I haven’t been by the shop in weeks, but I heard through Dottie that Todd hired on more staff to handle the busy grilling season. It looks like the move across town was a smart one.
Garrett waves at Morgan and a couple standing near one of the back doors.
“Who’re they?”
“New tenants in one of the commercial spaces. Here to check it out.”
“Already? Nice!” Morgan has taken over much of the rental management for the area—a busy full-time role that has her considering a move to Polson Falls to reduce her daily commute from Philly. “What’s the business?”
Garrett frowns in thought. “Bubble tea shop.”