Read Online His By Design by Karen Ann Dell - Free Book Online Page A

thought.
    Jeff and his dad arrived right on time the next morning, bearing the usual gifts of pastry and extra coffee. He hoped they would thaw the somewhat chilly air that had settled in yesterday afternoon after he’d refused Zoe’s offer of pizza for lunch.
    The door was unlocked and he assumed Zoe was in the back room. Finding it empty, he called up the stairs. “Zoe? You up there?
    “Yes. I’m trying to decide what tile I want to get for the bathroom. Can you come up for a second?”
    “Uh, sure.” He handed the bag of pastry to his dad with a shrug and took two coffees up to Zoe’s apartment. He was starting to think of it that way now that the rooms were roughed in.
    He found her standing by the windows at the front of the building, the morning sun highlighting her delicate cheekbones and striking gleaming highlights in her dark-brown hair. She wasn’t dressed for work, but wore khaki slacks and a bulky oatmeal sweater that only accentuated her fragile bone structure. He handed her a cup.
    “Tile?” he questioned.
    “No, not really. I just wanted to ask you a favor, but not in front of your dad, in case you decided to say no.”
    He couldn’t imagine any favor she could ask that he’d refuse, unless it was to stop dreaming of her every night. That would be a deal-breaker.
    “Shoot.” He sipped his coffee.
    “Well, two favors, actually. First, can you two get along without my help for a few hours today? I realize I’m not giving you any notice but this came up rather suddenly.”
    Relief poured through him at the thought she would be out of the building while he and his dad did the potentially dangerous installation of the skylights. The idea that he might not be able to get along without her help made him want to smile, but he wisely kept that response to himself.
    “Not a problem. Dad and I have quite a bit to do to finish up the plumbing and . . . stuff. We’ll struggle along without you. When will you be back?”
    “I’m not sure, but probably after lunch. Which brings me to favor number two.” She hesitated.
    “Come on, let’s have it. It can’t be that big a deal.”
    “Amanda, my accountant, is taking me to Cambridge to look at an antique store that is going out of business. The owner is selling off the store furnishings as well.”
    Again she hesitated.
    “I know you offered to build some display cases for me. And I’m sure you would do a beautiful job. But if there are vintage wooden display cases that this guy is getting rid of, and they’re in reasonable condition, I’d like to use them downstairs.” She rushed on. “They would have such a craftsman-like vibe that I think they would add some of the ambiance I’m looking for. They wouldn’t be as spiffy as yours, I know but—”
    It dawned on him that she was worried about hurting his feelings over some damned cabinetry. He pressed his finger against her lips to stop the flow of words. Normally he’d have assured her that was no problem. But any bit of guilt he could make her feel, the smallest amount of sympathy he could generate, would be one more reason she would agree to hang ‘his’ paintings.
    “I understand.” He spread his hands and kept his voice neutral. “You should do what you think is best for the gallery you’re creating, and if having antique display cases floats your boat, then so be it. We’ll save money on the lumber I would have used for them, so that should help defray the cost of the ones you buy.”
    “Yes, Amanda will like that.” She smiled. “So what I’m going to need is a way to get whatever I buy, if I buy anything at all, from Cambridge to here.”
    Aha, so this was the favor she thought his dad might turn down. Using his van to bring the cases here. Great, another bit of indebtedness would get chalked up in his column. “No problem. I’m sure we can borrow my dad’s van for a couple of hours tomorrow before he leaves for home.”
    “Oh thank you!” Zoe threw her arms around him