“I forgot. I wanted to send you these,” she said, holding up her phone. “I thought Gina might like them.”
His phone pinged in his pocket. He took it out, smiling at the pictures she’d taken of Ryder and Toby. “These are great, Ellie. Thanks. Gina will love them.”
The thoughtful gesture had him rethinking his plan to stay and help out with the guest rooms. Ellie wasn’t only beautiful; she was also sweet and kind, and for a minute there, he wished he were a better man. A decent man who was worthy of her love.
She leaned in to him, pointing at the freshly painted Adirondack chair. “Didn’t he do a great job? I think he really enjoyed painting. He’s very creative.”
The sun glinted off her long, black hair, her light floral scent filling his nostrils and making it difficult for him to think straight. “Yeah, really great,” he said, his voice little more than a rough rasp.
Ellie stepped back. “Please tell me you’re not laughing because he’s creative.”
It was so far from a laugh that it wasn’t funny. “No, of course not. I think it’s great that he likes to paint.”
“Okay, good. Because I think we should encourage him to paint more. It’s a great therapeutic tool for kids dealing with trauma. In Ryder’s case, loss.”
She glanced at him. “Maybe it’s something you could do together.”
“I’ll stick to painting walls, thanks. I’m not creative. You are though,” he said, needing a distraction before she started talking about the loss he shared with Ryder. “I saw your paintings when we moved your stuff upstairs. They’re incredible, Ellie.” They were. She was a talented artist. “Do you still paint?”
“No. But I probably should. It’s a great way to relieve stress.”
“Probably a better way to deal with it than eating chocolate.” He grinned. “We found your chocolate bar stash in your room. We weren’t snooping. The nightstand drawer fell out when were moving it.”
“I’ll have to find a new hiding place. My grandfather will—” She broke off, her eyes narrowed on Joe, who was rounding the side of the inn. He took one look at Ellie and started to backtrack. “Oh no, you don’t. You and I have to have a chat, mister.”
“Now, Ellie my love, what would you have me do? Nate wanted a project to keep him busy.”
“Don’t throw me under the bus, Joe. This one’s on you.”
“You said it was a good idea when I brought it up to you.” Joe cocked his head. From the direction of the parking lot, the judge called his name. “We’ll talk about it later. We can’t be late for our reservation. You know how Zia Maria gets.”
“Nate’s going with you, so—”
“No, I’m not,” he said, despite knowing he should. “I ordered a lasagna, Joe. It’ll be ready to bring home when you leave. It’s paid for.”
“You told him it was a good idea?” Ellie asked when Joe disappeared from view.
“After he told me you okayed it, I did.” He reached around her to open the patio door. “I know the timing isn’t ideal, but look at how it opens up the dining room.”
“You’re right. It is brighter, and we could use a lounge area for guests.”
“Don’t forget the big-screen TV and the bar.”
She pressed a hand to her face and looked at him through her fingers. “Please tell me Grandpa didn’t eat my chocolate bars.”
Nate laughed. “No, but you’ll ruin your appetite for lasagna if you do.”
“Trust me, I won’t. By the time Sunday rolls around, I’ll probably have gained ten pounds.”
Keep your eyes on hers, he told himself, resisting the urge to do a visual tour of her body while contemplating where those ten extra pounds would go. Ellie wasn’t tall and lean; she was tall and curvy. And while Tiff dressed to flaunt her assets, Ellie didn’t, which Nate found more appealing. It was also distracting.
“I have a better way to get rid of your stress,” he said, and one of his favorite ways to deal with stress immediately popped into his head. He stifled a groan, thinking he should run after Joe and the judge and jump into the back of the truck. “Let’s map out which literary couple goes in which room, and we can brainstorm ideas for the decor that won’t cost much or take much time to do.”
“Really? Mr. I Don’t Do Romance wants to brainstorm romantic literary couples for the guest rooms? Nate, have you ever read a romantic novel or watched a romantic movie?”
“I bet I’ve watched more rom-coms than you.” He held up ten fingers at her raised eyebrow. “Five sisters and five nieces. That’s all they watch, and whenever I visit, they make me watch with them.”
“Okay, so have you read or watched Pride and Prejudice?” she asked as she walked through the dining room to the reception desk, leaning over to grab a pad of paper and two pens.
“Too easy. The version with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy was my sisters’ favorite. What else have you got?”
“How about The Princess Bride?” She picked up a bag of books from the chair.
“Seriously?” he said, taking the bag from her. “Who hasn’t watched the romantic adventures of Princess Buttercup and Westley?”
She laughed. “Me. It was Abby’s pick.”
“See, you need my help after all. What else?”
She glanced over her shoulder as she headed up the stairs. “Bridget Jones’s Diary.”
“I actually didn’t mind that one. I stayed awake for the entire movie. What was your favorite part?”
“When Bridget went to the non–costume party dressed as a Playboy Bunny.”
He laughed. “Same.”
“How about The Count of Monte Cristo?”
“Someone has good taste. I loved that movie.”
“Thank you. I loved the book and the movie. What about Outlander? Have you read any of the series?”
“No, but my sisters are addicted to it. I caught an episode with them and then refused to watch any more. There are just some things a guy can’t watch with his sisters, sex being one of them. But Abby being Abby, I’ve heard more about the show than I needed to. So I should be able to brainstorm ideas for Jamie and Claire’s room with you.”
“I’m impressed, but I doubt you’ll have watched this one: Beauty and the Beast.”
“You’re kidding, right? I’ve seen the movie so many times, I’ve got most of the songs memorized. I’ve even read that one. Bedtime stories,” he clarified in case she thought he’d read it for his own enjoyment.
“That’s all six guest rooms covered, then. I can’t decorate the seventh until Highland Falls’ Most Romantic Couple is announced, and I’ll be staying in the eighth guest room now.” She opened the door to the room a few down from his. “I’m thinking this one for Belle and the Beast. It’s bigger than the others.” She pointed to the wall behind the bed. “I thought I’d frame the bed with a wall of navy bookshelves.”
“That’d work.” Nate dumped the books on the bed. Taking the pad of paper and a pen from Ellie, he sketched out her vision for the bookshelves. “Something like this?”