Walking over to him, she hugged him. “You know that’s not completely true, but I’m sure it feels that way.” Pulling back, she kissed him on the cheek. “Which bathroom was it?”
“The one next to your mother’s room,” he said wearily. “But it’s over the dining room so that’s going to make a big mess in there. I think Jake and the crew are going to be quite busy for a while.”
That part relieved her because she’d have some time to freshen up, but…she gasped.
“What? What’s the matter?” Pops asked, concern etched into his features.
“Is the water shut off on the entire house?”
Laughing softly, he patted her arm. “No. Half the house is shut off so if you’d like to shower or anything, you can use the bathrooms on the main floor. The one that adjoins the blue bedroom should be just fine for you.” Then he smiled at her, cupped her cheek. “Got big plans for tonight?”
Mallory’s thoughts instantly went to her conversation over lunch. This was her opportunity to tell Pops exactly what was going on. It was just the two of them and while she knew she had nothing to fear – Pops loved Jake like one of his own – she still couldn’t make herself say anything. “Um…I’m not sure yet. But getting everything done out here has made me kind of sweaty so…”
“How about you show me the rooftop deck and then we go back inside together?”
“I’d like that a lot.” Together, they went outside and she guided him up the wooden steps that led to the roof of the boathouse. It had a spectacular view and was now furnished with a large wicker sectional covered in navy blue cushions, a matching coffee table, and a bar area with stools.
“I would have loved to add a pergola up here or something to offer a little covering, but for now, I think this is perfect. Can you imagine how nice it will be to sit up here on the Fourth and watch the fireworks?” she asked, feeling at peace as she looked out at the Sound.
Standing beside her, he took in the view as well. “Always loved sitting up here with your great-grandmother. We’d hold hands, enjoy some sweet tea, and watch the sunsets.” Gently grasping Mallory’s hand in his, he gave it a squeeze. “Those are the moments that matter most in life. Remember that.”
And before she could respond, he released her hand and was slowly making his way back down the steps. Mallory hung back for a moment, feeling oddly emotional. It had been a long time since she’d thought about her great-grandmother. Mallory was only five when she passed away. It struck her how – even fifteen years later – her death still affected Pops so deeply. It made her heart ache for him.
Quietly, she made her way down the steps and caught up with him as he was walking up the pier. Linking her arm with his, they walked back up to the house together – commenting on the magnolia trees and how there used to be a swing on one of them before moving on to talk about the garden and how it needed a little work.
It was the kind of conversation that was both comfortable and comforting. It was the kind of conversation she knew that someday she would miss and it made her cling to him and listen to his words just a little bit more – hold his hand just a little bit tighter.
“Someday I won’t be here to oversee all of this. Someone else will have to take care of the weeds and make sure the flowers bloom.” As he spoke, Pops reached over and pulled a couple of those weeds. “I always wanted to put a little sitting area in here. Some benches where you could sit and enjoy it all.” He sighed. “Never got around to it. Maybe this summer we can.”
Mallory nodded, already planning on making that her next project.
She was supposed to find a job in town for the summer – that had been her plan – but somehow she kept finding things to do around here. It was something she loved and knew how much it all meant to Pops, but her bank account would certainly love having money in it to get her through the fall semester too.
But now wasn’t the time to bring that up. She was used to living frugally and she was far from broke. The extra padding, though, would have been great.
Off in the distance, they could hear the sounds of hammers and saws and they both looked up at the house and sighed.
They were always in sync like that.
“Might as well get back in there,” he said, brushing the dirt from his hands. “Lord knows if they’re making things better or worse.”
Unable to help herself, she laughed. “Pops, you trained most of those guys yourself. You know they’re doing a good job. Just remember that you have to make a big mess before you see the results.” She grinned when he looked at her with wide eyes. “What? You taught me that!”
Then he grinned and hugged her close. “Yes, I did,” he said gruffly. They walked up the deck stairs to the sliding doors that led into the house and almost ran right into Jake.
“Hey,” he said easily, smiling at them both. “I was just looking for you.”
“Me or Mallory?” Pops asked with a sly wink and Mallory had to suppress a groan. Maybe he knew more than she thought he did.
Jake looked only mildly uncomfortable. “You,” he said with a slight grin. “The drywall’s all been stripped and we’re letting things dry out. The plumber’s got another hour or so here and I’ll be back early tomorrow with a crew to make sure everything’s dry before we start putting everything back together.”
Pops nodded. “Sounds good, sounds good.” He paused. “So you’re calling it a day then?”
“Yes, Sir.”
Another nod. “Got any plans tonight?”
Mallory held her breath and waited to hear how he responded.
“As a matter of fact, I do,” Jake said, his smile now easy and relaxed. His dimples showing.
“That right?” Zeke asked. “I hope it involves a pretty girl.”
If she wasn’t mistaken, Jake blushed. “It does,” he said confidently.
“Good for you!” And after giving Mallory a hug and shaking Jake’s hand, Pops made his way into the house, leaving the two of them alone on the deck.
Once the door slid shut behind them, Jake smiled at her. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.”
Taking one of her hands in his, he caressed it. “So, what were you thinking of for tonight? Want to go grab some dinner?”
Smiling shyly, Mallory stepped in a little closer. “I thought maybe a sunset picnic down in the boathouse. It’s all finished.”
“Oh yeah?” he asked, grinning.
Nodding, she responded with, “Yeah.”
“So…I’m gonna head home and shower and change. What time should I be back?”
Mmm…he was definitely dirty and sweaty but somehow it looked really good on him. So good that she was almost tempted to say neither of them needed to shower and should just go down to the boathouse and…
There was a shower there…
No! She yelled at herself. You planned this all week! Do it right!
“I need to do the same so how about…two hours?”
Now he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her the way she’d been hoping for all day, the kind that always left her wanting more. When he raised his head, he smiled. “I needed that to help get me through. Two hours is a long time.” He paused as his gaze scanned her face. “Anything I can bring?”