“I was going to give you my truck, but given your, ah, height restriction, I decided this was the best option.”
Without thinking, I cupped his cheek. “Thank you.”
He smiled, warmth and kindness spilling from his eyes. He turned his face, pressing a kiss to my palm.
“Sure, Liv. Anytime.”
I watched him hurry to the driver’s side.
Somehow, I knew he meant those words.
“That puts us three days behind schedule.”
I looked at Ben Campbell, trying to be patient. “I realize. There isn’t anything else I can do. These cupboards are the wrong style and color. They screwed up the order and are express shipping the correct one.” I dug deep, trying to find my patience. “Surely, we can work on something else and come back to the cupboards in three days?”
He grunted, flipping through his file. “The tiles arrived for the master bath. I guess I can switch around some guys to work there and start the framing for the laundry room downstairs. But I need those cabinets ASAP.”
“They assured me they would be on the truck and here by ten a.m.”
“And the fixtures?”
“Will arrive tomorrow.”
He huffed a sigh. “Fine.” He snapped the file closed. “I guess it’s all we can do.” He crossed his arms. “You can talk to Mrs. Miller. I’ve dealt with her enough today.”
This was a rare job for us. Usually, BAM bought a place, Van and his crew did the demo and rebuild, I decorated it, and it was sold. This time, a client was involved in the flip and had her own ideas of what she wanted. It was proving to be difficult on many levels. She was demanding and exact. Bentley had assured me he would never allow this to happen again, but in the meantime, we had to finish the project.
“I’ll call her right away.”
His tense expression loosened. “Sorry, Liv. I was out of line earlier. She was here when the cupboards and fixtures showed up and went off on us big-time. She ranted for a good fifteen minutes. Nothing I said worked, and I lost my cool.”
“I know,” I soothed. “She is very difficult at times. I’ll talk to her, and we’ll get back on track.”
He huffed a sigh. “Okay. I’ll go and rearrange the guys.”
He left and I pulled out my phone, dialing Mrs. Miller. Once I spoke with her, I could go home and relieve Van of his babysitting duties.
I was shocked by his offer—not only that he made it, but the fact that he seemed excited at the thought of spending some time with Sammy. I had tried dating a few times since she was born but found, to my disappointment, the men I went out with either stopped calling once they knew I had a child or were content to say hi then whisk me away, not at all interested in Sammy. After one particularly disastrous experience, I decided that part of my life was over until Sammy had grown. She was my priority.
Van was different. That much was obvious, yet I was still nervous about what could happen between us. If anything.
After a conversation of soothing and promising, I requested an Uber. Mrs. Miller had been surprisingly understanding, assuring me she knew how hard we were working and “glitches happen.”
“I’m so glad I have you and Mr. Campbell to deal with the details,” she gushed. “You’re both so amazing!”
I had pulled my phone away from my ear, convinced I was being punked. Her next words made the picture a little clearer.
“Your boss, Mr. Morrison, also called. He told me of the lengths you are going to in order to make sure I got exactly what I wanted. He told me you and Campbell are his best and I was in great hands. He even gave me his number in case I needed it in an emergency. I love the personal attention.”
I was going to have to speak to Van. Although I appreciated his kind words, he didn’t have to smooth over angry clients for me. That was my job, not his, even if this was an odd situation for us to deal with.
I dealt with some emails and messages on the car ride home. When I arrived, I hurried up the stairs, knowing I had to get dinner for Sammy, follow up with the cabinet people, and finish the design I had been working on. I also wanted to go over and check on my mom, to make sure she was all right. I sighed, already weary. It was going to be a long night.
I opened the apartment door, two things hitting me. Something smelled wonderful, making my stomach growl. The second was the sound of laughter coming from the back of the apartment where Sammy’s room was located.
I set down my bag and wandered down the hall, pausing in the doorway. I had figured Van would bring Sammy home, give her some cheese and crackers, and let her play. Maybe put in a movie. I had told him where everything was located.
I didn’t expect this.
They were sitting in her room, her in a small chair, holding up her teapot, asking if Van wanted more tea. Between them, her tea set was arranged on the table, many of her stuffed animals gathered around it. As usual, she was dressed up while having a tea party. A hat, gloves, and one of her princess dresses.
Van sat on the floor, his legs crossed, a few animals on his lap. A blue boa was draped around his neck, and a tiara sat askew on his head, the plastic gems glittering in the light. He held out his cup, his pinkie extended, no doubt having been schooled in proper tea party etiquette by Sammy, murmuring his thanks for more “tea.”
Sammy filled his cup with water and held out the plate of Oreos. I frowned. I never bought Oreos.
“More cookies, Prince Van? I made them myself.”
Prince Van?
He lifted his chin royally and accepted a cookie. “They are delicious. You must give me the recipe. I’ll have my cook at the castle make them.”
Never had I wished for a camera more than I did at that moment. Unable to contain myself, I giggled. They both turned to the door, excited to see me home. Sammy clapped her hands, demanding I join them.
I expected embarrassment from Van, but he simply tossed his boa around his neck and indicated the floor beside him with a wide grin.
“Liv, you’re home. Join us for tea? Sammy has made the most divine cookies.”
How could I resist?
Van
Liv had a lot of responsibilities, and as I was discovering, she carried a huge load on her shoulders all of the time. She was always friendly and polite, but her real smiles were rare. The ones which lit up her eyes and curled her lips into a perfect bow. I had determined on Saturday I loved Liv’s real smile. I especially loved being the one to make her smile.
Seeing her reaction to the accessories Sammy insisted I had to wear made it all worthwhile. Liv’s golden eyes were lit with amusement, her expression filled with levity. The giggles that escaped her mouth were endearing. She glowed.
She was so beautiful.
“I like the tiara,” she deadpanned. “And the boa suits you.”
“It’s blue because he’s a boy, Mommy. Van said he couldn’t wear a fancy hat because he isn’t a girl, so I let him borrow my tiara and he says that made him a prince.”
“I see.” Liv cut her gaze in my direction. “Funny, I don’t remember having Oreos in the cupboard.”
I grinned unabashedly. “You didn’t. We got them at the store.”
“We made supper, Mommy!”
Liv looked surprised. “You did?”