major milestone. She'd set out to rebuild her life and career, and her home was a symbol of her success in achieving both. The home had been in disarray when she bought it, but aside from the bathroom that needed a complete remodel, the rest of the home simply needed a good cleaning and a coat of paint to restore its beauty. Although Daniel called her home stark because it lacked photos and decorations, Tess felt the architecture of the home all the decor it needed. Besides, the only photos she had, she'd burned when she made her break from her old life.
She put a pinch of fish food in Buster's bowl, filled her tea kettle with water, and set it on the Wedgewood stove as she turned on the burner. Hopefully a cup of tea would settle her stomach and a couple of pain relievers would stop the pounding in her head.
"Feeling better?"
She wasn't sure if she was relieved or annoyed to discover Jack Valentine standing in her kitchen doorway. It took a minute for the previous night to come back to her. Asa was dead and Jack had camped out on her couch. Well camped wasn't the right word. He didn't look wrinkled or rumpled enough to have camped. Even the stubble from his overnight growth of beard looked manicured. He could have stepped from the pages of GQ instead of her living room.
He leaned against the door frame looking way too comfortable in her home. “You don’t look better.”
“Thanks for sharing.”
He reached out to take her arm."Lay down. I'll make the tea."
"How about you leave?"
"You're not a morning person are you?"
Tess would have argued the point except that he was right. Even when she was feeling well and didn't have her past staring down at her, she wasn't a morning person. But she did feel bad and lying down seemed like a good idea. She let him lead her to the couch. He picked up the folded blanket from the back of the couch. Unfurling it, he laid it over her.
"How do you manage to be so well coiffed and perky?" she asked.
He gave her quick grin.
"Do you have any faults?"
"I don't take orders well." he said.
"Oh yeah. Why are you still here?"
"Let me get your tea. Do you want some toast too?"
She frowned. "No."
She could hear him in her kitchen. She would never admit it to him, but it was kind of nice to be waited on. Within a few minutes he returned with her tea. He sat on her coffee table as she maneuvered herself up to a sitting position.
"I didn't know chocolate tea existed," he said handing her the cup.
"I have to special order it."
“Does it taste as good as it smells?”
“You're welcome to make yourself some, since it appears you plan to stay awhile.”
“Nah,” he said with a wave of his hand, “I wouldn't want to overstay my welcome.”
She rolled her eyes and then turned her attention to her tea.
"How long have you been here, in this house?" he asked.
"About a year."
"It's a nice home. Good structure. Did you do the bathroom?"
"Yes." Tess found herself anxious to hear his assessment of her home. She told herself his opinion mattered only because she knew he had experience in home renovation.
"It looks great. You matched the original architecture of the home."
"I'm glad you like it."
"But where's your stuff?"
"Huh?" The pleased feeling dissipated. She scanned her living room. She had everything a living room needed. A couch, chair, coffee table. She even had one of her few indulgences in a chaise chair she loved to read in. What else did a living room need? "What stuff?"
"Where are your pictures and doo dads?”
“Doo dads? Did you just use the word doodads?”
“Yes, doo dads as in figurines, vases, framed pictures… you know things that decorate your living space and make a house a home.”
“One person’s doo dad is another person’s clutter." Tess handed her cup back to him and reclined on the couch.
“You definitely don’t have to worry about clutter.” He looked around her living room and then back to her. “You don’t have a single decorative
She put a pinch of fish food in Buster's bowl, filled her tea kettle with water, and set it on the Wedgewood stove as she turned on the burner. Hopefully a cup of tea would settle her stomach and a couple of pain relievers would stop the pounding in her head.
"Feeling better?"
She wasn't sure if she was relieved or annoyed to discover Jack Valentine standing in her kitchen doorway. It took a minute for the previous night to come back to her. Asa was dead and Jack had camped out on her couch. Well camped wasn't the right word. He didn't look wrinkled or rumpled enough to have camped. Even the stubble from his overnight growth of beard looked manicured. He could have stepped from the pages of GQ instead of her living room.
He leaned against the door frame looking way too comfortable in her home. “You don’t look better.”
“Thanks for sharing.”
He reached out to take her arm."Lay down. I'll make the tea."
"How about you leave?"
"You're not a morning person are you?"
Tess would have argued the point except that he was right. Even when she was feeling well and didn't have her past staring down at her, she wasn't a morning person. But she did feel bad and lying down seemed like a good idea. She let him lead her to the couch. He picked up the folded blanket from the back of the couch. Unfurling it, he laid it over her.
"How do you manage to be so well coiffed and perky?" she asked.
He gave her quick grin.
"Do you have any faults?"
"I don't take orders well." he said.
"Oh yeah. Why are you still here?"
"Let me get your tea. Do you want some toast too?"
She frowned. "No."
She could hear him in her kitchen. She would never admit it to him, but it was kind of nice to be waited on. Within a few minutes he returned with her tea. He sat on her coffee table as she maneuvered herself up to a sitting position.
"I didn't know chocolate tea existed," he said handing her the cup.
"I have to special order it."
“Does it taste as good as it smells?”
“You're welcome to make yourself some, since it appears you plan to stay awhile.”
“Nah,” he said with a wave of his hand, “I wouldn't want to overstay my welcome.”
She rolled her eyes and then turned her attention to her tea.
"How long have you been here, in this house?" he asked.
"About a year."
"It's a nice home. Good structure. Did you do the bathroom?"
"Yes." Tess found herself anxious to hear his assessment of her home. She told herself his opinion mattered only because she knew he had experience in home renovation.
"It looks great. You matched the original architecture of the home."
"I'm glad you like it."
"But where's your stuff?"
"Huh?" The pleased feeling dissipated. She scanned her living room. She had everything a living room needed. A couch, chair, coffee table. She even had one of her few indulgences in a chaise chair she loved to read in. What else did a living room need? "What stuff?"
"Where are your pictures and doo dads?”
“Doo dads? Did you just use the word doodads?”
“Yes, doo dads as in figurines, vases, framed pictures… you know things that decorate your living space and make a house a home.”
“One person’s doo dad is another person’s clutter." Tess handed her cup back to him and reclined on the couch.
“You definitely don’t have to worry about clutter.” He looked around her living room and then back to her. “You don’t have a single decorative
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