hands in the air. “All right, I’ll behave.”
“I’d appreciate that.” Maggie nodded toward him, and Rick understood she was referring to him and his brothers when she said, “I’ve my hands full at the moment as it is.”
“Fair enough.” Robert nodded toward the bedroom set. “If you’ve picked out some furniture, we’ll grab the truck and bring it around and give you a hand with it.”
“We’ve this and some pieces for the parlor, too,” Kevin said. “And that would be great, as we didn’t think to arrange for one of the trucks.” Kevin shrugged. “After we get Maggie’s things moved, we’ll be glad to return the favor. Are you staying in the apartment building over on Elm?”
David shook his head. “No, we had enough of apartment living up north.”
“We needed to be able to breathe,” Robert said. “The good weather’s coming and I want to get my hands in the soil.”
Rick had almost forgotten how he and Robert used to spend time together working up the flower beds and vegetable patches for their folks. Landscaping had actually been his first business venture. “I’ve missed that, too.” He turned to Maggie. “We can have a look at what’s around your inn and put in some gardens, if you like. Robert and I had a pretty good summer gardening business going when we were kids.”
“Great! That’s one area for sure where I’ll need a lot of help.”
“No green thumb?” David asked.
“I do have a bit of a one. But I’ve never actually had outdoor garden space—just window boxes. Then, too, I have no idea what grows in this climate.”
Rick couldn’t resist. He gently took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “You’ll find, love, that almost anything will grow here in Lusty if it’s given the right kind of attention.”
He managed to keep a straight face as the double entendre registered. His cousins and brothers felt no such impulse, laughing so hard he wondered they didn’t embarrass themselves.
Maggie tilted her head and said, “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”
“Good.” Rick smiled. All this time trying to learn how to develop my interpersonal skills, and all I ever really needed was Maggie.
It was a good thought to let settle in his mind for a time.
Chapter 5
Maggie had never seen anything like it.
Before they’d had all the parlor furniture loaded up in the truck David and Robert Jessop had brought, more people began to arrive at the warehouse and pitch in.
Another truck pulled up—this one driven by Henry Kendall—and the men loaded it, too.
“I’d have thought you’d be off taking a honeymoon,” Maggie said to him.
“We’ll take one later. We had a bit of a tussle choosing our wedding date and went ahead and booked a few charters when we couldn’t make up our minds. We thought we’d clear a week in June and go away somewhere then.”
Maggie certainly understood how business concerns could overtake personal agendas. That had pretty much been the story of her life from the moment she took over running her mother’s—and then her—hotel.
When they arrived back at the inn, she supervised the placing of the chairs, tables, and bookshelves in the parlor. She did notice when the brothers Benedict left with the Drs. Jessop. She thought they must have really rushed, because it seemed like barely an hour had passed and they were back.
Rearranging the parlor consumed her. At one point, she turned around to find Richard waiting to catch her attention. “Maggie, do you prefer looking out of your window from your bed or having the window above you?” he asked.
An interesting question, one she’d never thought of before. Back home, she’d loved looking out at the ocean first thing in the morning.
It was the first time she realized just how different life was going to be for her inland. Of course, she answered without thinking. “There’s no ocean here, so it really doesn’t matter.”
Richard looked at her for a moment.
“I’d appreciate that.” Maggie nodded toward him, and Rick understood she was referring to him and his brothers when she said, “I’ve my hands full at the moment as it is.”
“Fair enough.” Robert nodded toward the bedroom set. “If you’ve picked out some furniture, we’ll grab the truck and bring it around and give you a hand with it.”
“We’ve this and some pieces for the parlor, too,” Kevin said. “And that would be great, as we didn’t think to arrange for one of the trucks.” Kevin shrugged. “After we get Maggie’s things moved, we’ll be glad to return the favor. Are you staying in the apartment building over on Elm?”
David shook his head. “No, we had enough of apartment living up north.”
“We needed to be able to breathe,” Robert said. “The good weather’s coming and I want to get my hands in the soil.”
Rick had almost forgotten how he and Robert used to spend time together working up the flower beds and vegetable patches for their folks. Landscaping had actually been his first business venture. “I’ve missed that, too.” He turned to Maggie. “We can have a look at what’s around your inn and put in some gardens, if you like. Robert and I had a pretty good summer gardening business going when we were kids.”
“Great! That’s one area for sure where I’ll need a lot of help.”
“No green thumb?” David asked.
“I do have a bit of a one. But I’ve never actually had outdoor garden space—just window boxes. Then, too, I have no idea what grows in this climate.”
Rick couldn’t resist. He gently took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “You’ll find, love, that almost anything will grow here in Lusty if it’s given the right kind of attention.”
He managed to keep a straight face as the double entendre registered. His cousins and brothers felt no such impulse, laughing so hard he wondered they didn’t embarrass themselves.
Maggie tilted her head and said, “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”
“Good.” Rick smiled. All this time trying to learn how to develop my interpersonal skills, and all I ever really needed was Maggie.
It was a good thought to let settle in his mind for a time.
Chapter 5
Maggie had never seen anything like it.
Before they’d had all the parlor furniture loaded up in the truck David and Robert Jessop had brought, more people began to arrive at the warehouse and pitch in.
Another truck pulled up—this one driven by Henry Kendall—and the men loaded it, too.
“I’d have thought you’d be off taking a honeymoon,” Maggie said to him.
“We’ll take one later. We had a bit of a tussle choosing our wedding date and went ahead and booked a few charters when we couldn’t make up our minds. We thought we’d clear a week in June and go away somewhere then.”
Maggie certainly understood how business concerns could overtake personal agendas. That had pretty much been the story of her life from the moment she took over running her mother’s—and then her—hotel.
When they arrived back at the inn, she supervised the placing of the chairs, tables, and bookshelves in the parlor. She did notice when the brothers Benedict left with the Drs. Jessop. She thought they must have really rushed, because it seemed like barely an hour had passed and they were back.
Rearranging the parlor consumed her. At one point, she turned around to find Richard waiting to catch her attention. “Maggie, do you prefer looking out of your window from your bed or having the window above you?” he asked.
An interesting question, one she’d never thought of before. Back home, she’d loved looking out at the ocean first thing in the morning.
It was the first time she realized just how different life was going to be for her inland. Of course, she answered without thinking. “There’s no ocean here, so it really doesn’t matter.”
Richard looked at her for a moment.
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