fine.”
“Get you a refill there, Declan?”
“I’ll get it. I’m buying.”
“If that’s the case, get my girl here the good chardonnay. I’ll have what you’re having.”
“Look what the cat dragged.” Lena sent Remy a grin. “Hey, Effie. What’s everybody drinking tonight?”
“A glass of chardonnay for the lady. And two more Coronas,” Declan told her. “Then maybe you can call nine-one-one. My heart stops every time I look at you.”
“Your friend’s got himself a smooth way once he gets rolling, Remy.” Lena took a bottle of wine from the cooler.
“Those Harvard girls were putty in his hands.”
“We southern girls are too used to the heat to melt easy.” She poured wine, topped the beers with lime wedges.
“I do know you.” It bounced back in his memory. “I saw you, this morning, playing with your dog. Big black dog, near the pond.”
“Rufus.” It gave her a little jolt to realize he’d watched her. “He’s my grandmama’s dog. That’s her house back the bayou. I go out sometimes and stay with her if she’s feeling poorly. Or just lonely.”
“Come by the Hall next time you’re out. I’ll give you the tour.”
“Just might. I’ve never been inside.” She set a fresh bowl of pretzels on the bar. “Y’all want something from the kitchen?”
“We’ll think about that,” Remy said.
“Just let us know.” She swung around and through the back door.
“You gonna want to mop that drool off your chin, Dec.” Remy squeezed Declan’s shoulder. “It’s embarrassing.”
“Don’t tease him, Remy. A man doesn’t get a little worked up around Lena, he’s got some essential parts missing.”
“You definitely should run away with me,” Declan decided. “But meanwhile. Best wishes.” He nudged the gift bag in front of her.
“You bought me a present? Aren’t you the sweetest thing!” She tore into it with an enthusiasm that made Declan grin. And when she held up the frog, she stopped, stared. Then threw back her head and let out a hooting laugh. “It looks like Remy. Look here, honey, he’s got your smile.”
“I don’t see it.”
“I do. Dec did.” She swiveled on the stool and beamed up into Declan’s face. “I like you. I’m so glad I like you. I love this moron here so much I can hardly stand it, so I’d’ve pretended I liked you even if I didn’t. But I don’t have to pretend.”
“Oh now, don’t start watering up, Effie.” Remy dug out a handkerchief as she sniffled. “She does that when she’s happy. Night I asked her to marry me, she cried so much it took her ten minutes to say yes.”
He pulled her off the stool. “Come on, chère, you dance with me till you dry up again.”
Declan got back on the stool, picked up his beer and watched them circle the floor.
“They look good together,” Lena commented from behind him.
“Yeah. Yeah, they do. Interested in seeing how we look together?”
“You are persistent.” She let out a breath. “What kind of car you going to buy me?”
“Car?”
“You offered to buy me a drink, coffee, a car or a dog. I can buy my own drinks, and I like my own coffee. I gota dog, more or less. A car, too. But I don’t see why I shouldn’t have two cars. What car are you buying me?”
“Your choice.”
“I’ll let you know,” she replied, then moved down the bar once more.
4
H e worked solidly for three days. There was little, in Declan’s opinion, more satisfying than tearing something apart. Even putting it back together again didn’t reach into the gut with that same primal zing.
He gutted the kitchen, ripping out the center island, the counters and cabinets. He steamed off wallpaper and yanked up linoleum.
He was left with a shell of plaster and wood, and endless possibilities.
In the evenings he nursed his blisters and strained muscles, and pored through design books.
Every morning, before he started the day, he took his first cup of coffee out on the gallery and hoped for a
“Get you a refill there, Declan?”
“I’ll get it. I’m buying.”
“If that’s the case, get my girl here the good chardonnay. I’ll have what you’re having.”
“Look what the cat dragged.” Lena sent Remy a grin. “Hey, Effie. What’s everybody drinking tonight?”
“A glass of chardonnay for the lady. And two more Coronas,” Declan told her. “Then maybe you can call nine-one-one. My heart stops every time I look at you.”
“Your friend’s got himself a smooth way once he gets rolling, Remy.” Lena took a bottle of wine from the cooler.
“Those Harvard girls were putty in his hands.”
“We southern girls are too used to the heat to melt easy.” She poured wine, topped the beers with lime wedges.
“I do know you.” It bounced back in his memory. “I saw you, this morning, playing with your dog. Big black dog, near the pond.”
“Rufus.” It gave her a little jolt to realize he’d watched her. “He’s my grandmama’s dog. That’s her house back the bayou. I go out sometimes and stay with her if she’s feeling poorly. Or just lonely.”
“Come by the Hall next time you’re out. I’ll give you the tour.”
“Just might. I’ve never been inside.” She set a fresh bowl of pretzels on the bar. “Y’all want something from the kitchen?”
“We’ll think about that,” Remy said.
“Just let us know.” She swung around and through the back door.
“You gonna want to mop that drool off your chin, Dec.” Remy squeezed Declan’s shoulder. “It’s embarrassing.”
“Don’t tease him, Remy. A man doesn’t get a little worked up around Lena, he’s got some essential parts missing.”
“You definitely should run away with me,” Declan decided. “But meanwhile. Best wishes.” He nudged the gift bag in front of her.
“You bought me a present? Aren’t you the sweetest thing!” She tore into it with an enthusiasm that made Declan grin. And when she held up the frog, she stopped, stared. Then threw back her head and let out a hooting laugh. “It looks like Remy. Look here, honey, he’s got your smile.”
“I don’t see it.”
“I do. Dec did.” She swiveled on the stool and beamed up into Declan’s face. “I like you. I’m so glad I like you. I love this moron here so much I can hardly stand it, so I’d’ve pretended I liked you even if I didn’t. But I don’t have to pretend.”
“Oh now, don’t start watering up, Effie.” Remy dug out a handkerchief as she sniffled. “She does that when she’s happy. Night I asked her to marry me, she cried so much it took her ten minutes to say yes.”
He pulled her off the stool. “Come on, chère, you dance with me till you dry up again.”
Declan got back on the stool, picked up his beer and watched them circle the floor.
“They look good together,” Lena commented from behind him.
“Yeah. Yeah, they do. Interested in seeing how we look together?”
“You are persistent.” She let out a breath. “What kind of car you going to buy me?”
“Car?”
“You offered to buy me a drink, coffee, a car or a dog. I can buy my own drinks, and I like my own coffee. I gota dog, more or less. A car, too. But I don’t see why I shouldn’t have two cars. What car are you buying me?”
“Your choice.”
“I’ll let you know,” she replied, then moved down the bar once more.
4
H e worked solidly for three days. There was little, in Declan’s opinion, more satisfying than tearing something apart. Even putting it back together again didn’t reach into the gut with that same primal zing.
He gutted the kitchen, ripping out the center island, the counters and cabinets. He steamed off wallpaper and yanked up linoleum.
He was left with a shell of plaster and wood, and endless possibilities.
In the evenings he nursed his blisters and strained muscles, and pored through design books.
Every morning, before he started the day, he took his first cup of coffee out on the gallery and hoped for a
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