Not Quite Over You
Page 20
“It’s time.” Grandpa Frank’s gaze sharpened. “I’m not naming you as my successor. I’m leaving it up to the board of directors.”
Drew grinned. “You are so going to piss off Mom.”
“That’s not why I’m doing it. You’ll have more power if the board votes you in.” He softened the words with an affectionate smile. “And we both know they will.”
“If they have any doubts, I’ll convince them I’m the right person for the job.”
“That’s my boy.”
Drew didn’t point out he was well into his thirties. To his grandfather, he would always be the first grandchild and he was good with that. The old man had been a steady, loving force in his life.
“If I get the opportunity to run the bank, I’ll make you proud. You have my word.”
His grandfather smiled at him. “You always do.”
* * *
SILVER TOLD HERSELF not to get too excited. That whatever she imagined for the Airstreams was one thing, but the meeting with the contractor was going to bring things back to reality. They didn’t have unlimited funds or space.
She and Drew had interviewed several contractors before picking Walter. The barrel-chested, bowlegged powerhouse of a man had built nearly every kind of structure there was in Happily Inc. He’d been intrigued by the limitations of their project and had offered a lot of good suggestions.
As Silver walked through the fenced-in lot behind Wynn’s graphics company, she couldn’t help the little shiver of anticipation that tickled her belly. Both trailers were stunning, she thought, nearly giggling with happiness. Shiny and full of possibilities.
She unlocked the trailers and walked into the larger one. Instead of scuffed flooring and torn upholstery, she envisioned a gleaming new refrigerator and custom shelves the right height for the plastic racks that held clean glasses. They could have liquor storage right in the middle, where they had quick access to whatever was being poured that night and more racks in the back to hold extra bottles.
She wanted counter space that could be locked in place when they were at a job and then folded away when it wasn’t needed. And more than anything, she wanted an ice machine.
She was still imagining the thrill of not having to haul ice when she spotted Drew walking toward the trailer. For a second her body went on alert and she had the most ridiculous urge to check her face in a mirror. What was up with that? She didn’t care what she looked like. She and Drew weren’t involved. They were business associates, nothing more.
He walked into the trailer and smiled at her. “Walter’s pulling in right now.” He paused. “What are you thinking about?”
“What do you mean?”
“You have an interesting expression.”
She hoped she wasn’t blushing and tried desperately to think of something to say. “Ah, fine. You caught me. I was fantasizing.”
“About an ice maker?”
“I know it’s not practical for the smaller trailer, but if we could have one here it would be so magical.”
“And to think some women dream of diamonds.”
“You can’t make ice with a diamond.”
They walked outside and shook hands with Walter. Silver had already laid out her sketches so the contractor could look them over. She’d noted dimensions as best she could. With some of the existing built-in cabinetry, she couldn’t access every corner.
Walter studied the drawings, walked into the two trailers, then came out and looked at the drawings again.
Finally he rocked back on his heels and cleared his throat. “The way I see it, we have three big issues. Space, weight and practicality. We have a limited amount of space to work in. Add to that, you’ve got to be able to set up and break down quickly. No point in designing something amazing if it takes two hours just to set up the bar.”
He pointed at the bigger trailer. “Next is weight. Airstreams are well built and can haul a lot, but you’re already committed to some heavy equipment. The refrigerator alone is one big girl. Add everything else and you’ll be testing the frame. We need to work with materials that are lightweight and strong. Easily cleanable, too, I’d guess. Last, practicality.”
He pointed to the existing door. “That’ll have to be what, twice as wide? Three times would be better. You want to have access to all your raw materials, so to speak. Clean up, inside and out, needs to be fast and efficient. No deep corners for dirt to hide out. You need to have restaurant-level cleanliness with minimal weight and no space. All on a budget.”
“Still interested?” Drew asked.
“I am. This is going to be a fun challenge. I’m going to make these two trailers everything they can be.”
“Do you think I could have an ice maker?” Silver asked hopefully.
Walter rubbed his chin. “Let me think. It’s going to be big and heavy. You won’t have any control over your water source so you’ll want one with a good filtration system, which means you’ll need it placed such that you can change filters and hook up anything from a faucet to a hose.”
He considered for a moment, then shrugged. “As long as you accept you’re giving up storage space for it, I don’t see why I couldn’t put one in.”
Silver had to consciously keep herself from dancing with excitement. “Walter, it’s possible I’m falling in love with you.”
He grinned. “I get that a lot. This is where I tell you that I’m happily married and the missus runs a tight ship.” He winked at her. “Not that I’m not flattered.” He turned back to the trailer. “I’ve been doing a lot of kitchen remodels lately. I look forward to the change.”
“And the stripper poles,” Drew added.
Silver sighed. “You told him about that?”
“He did,” Walter told her. “I was very impressed.”
* * *
NEARLY A WEEK LATER, Silver drove up to Drew’s house. She knew where he lived—like nearly everyone in town, she’d walked through the big houses on the golf course when they’d been under construction. But once she’d heard he’d bought one and the sold sign had gone up, she’d avoided the neighborhood.
Their conversation with Walter had gone better than they’d hoped, and the contractor had gone right to work on getting them quotes on materials along with a timetable. When Walter had sent the email with his bid, Drew had texted, suggesting they get together and talk about what they wanted to do. He’d invited her to dinner and before she could think things through, she’d accepted. A three-hour appointment with a new couple planning a wedding had kept her distracted all afternoon but as she headed up the hill toward Drew’s place, she found herself fighting nerves.
Stupid man, she thought in annoyance. There was no reason he should get to her. He was just her business partner. They were going to grow AlcoHaul together. Their past made a great story but it wasn’t relevant. Well, maybe a little relevant what with them having a daughter together. A daughter he technically knew about but didn’t actually know about. A daughter he would be meeting in a few weeks.
Tonight, she promised herself. She would tell him tonight. She was a mature, thoughtful woman who made good decisions. She wasn’t that eighteen-year-old girl too in love to think sensibly. Not anymore.
Silver’s mom had always been a fool for love, going from man to man her entire life, falling madly in love, sure that this time would be forever. She’d dragged Silver all over the country until at fifteen, Silver had begged to be allowed to go live with her uncle in Happily Inc. Her mother had been about to join her latest one-true-love on his fishing boat in Alaska, so had agreed. Silver had settled in easily, loving everything about the quirky town and appreciating how she wouldn’t have to worry about moving on in a few months.
Drew grinned. “You are so going to piss off Mom.”
“That’s not why I’m doing it. You’ll have more power if the board votes you in.” He softened the words with an affectionate smile. “And we both know they will.”
“If they have any doubts, I’ll convince them I’m the right person for the job.”
“That’s my boy.”
Drew didn’t point out he was well into his thirties. To his grandfather, he would always be the first grandchild and he was good with that. The old man had been a steady, loving force in his life.
“If I get the opportunity to run the bank, I’ll make you proud. You have my word.”
His grandfather smiled at him. “You always do.”
* * *
SILVER TOLD HERSELF not to get too excited. That whatever she imagined for the Airstreams was one thing, but the meeting with the contractor was going to bring things back to reality. They didn’t have unlimited funds or space.
She and Drew had interviewed several contractors before picking Walter. The barrel-chested, bowlegged powerhouse of a man had built nearly every kind of structure there was in Happily Inc. He’d been intrigued by the limitations of their project and had offered a lot of good suggestions.
As Silver walked through the fenced-in lot behind Wynn’s graphics company, she couldn’t help the little shiver of anticipation that tickled her belly. Both trailers were stunning, she thought, nearly giggling with happiness. Shiny and full of possibilities.
She unlocked the trailers and walked into the larger one. Instead of scuffed flooring and torn upholstery, she envisioned a gleaming new refrigerator and custom shelves the right height for the plastic racks that held clean glasses. They could have liquor storage right in the middle, where they had quick access to whatever was being poured that night and more racks in the back to hold extra bottles.
She wanted counter space that could be locked in place when they were at a job and then folded away when it wasn’t needed. And more than anything, she wanted an ice machine.
She was still imagining the thrill of not having to haul ice when she spotted Drew walking toward the trailer. For a second her body went on alert and she had the most ridiculous urge to check her face in a mirror. What was up with that? She didn’t care what she looked like. She and Drew weren’t involved. They were business associates, nothing more.
He walked into the trailer and smiled at her. “Walter’s pulling in right now.” He paused. “What are you thinking about?”
“What do you mean?”
“You have an interesting expression.”
She hoped she wasn’t blushing and tried desperately to think of something to say. “Ah, fine. You caught me. I was fantasizing.”
“About an ice maker?”
“I know it’s not practical for the smaller trailer, but if we could have one here it would be so magical.”
“And to think some women dream of diamonds.”
“You can’t make ice with a diamond.”
They walked outside and shook hands with Walter. Silver had already laid out her sketches so the contractor could look them over. She’d noted dimensions as best she could. With some of the existing built-in cabinetry, she couldn’t access every corner.
Walter studied the drawings, walked into the two trailers, then came out and looked at the drawings again.
Finally he rocked back on his heels and cleared his throat. “The way I see it, we have three big issues. Space, weight and practicality. We have a limited amount of space to work in. Add to that, you’ve got to be able to set up and break down quickly. No point in designing something amazing if it takes two hours just to set up the bar.”
He pointed at the bigger trailer. “Next is weight. Airstreams are well built and can haul a lot, but you’re already committed to some heavy equipment. The refrigerator alone is one big girl. Add everything else and you’ll be testing the frame. We need to work with materials that are lightweight and strong. Easily cleanable, too, I’d guess. Last, practicality.”
He pointed to the existing door. “That’ll have to be what, twice as wide? Three times would be better. You want to have access to all your raw materials, so to speak. Clean up, inside and out, needs to be fast and efficient. No deep corners for dirt to hide out. You need to have restaurant-level cleanliness with minimal weight and no space. All on a budget.”
“Still interested?” Drew asked.
“I am. This is going to be a fun challenge. I’m going to make these two trailers everything they can be.”
“Do you think I could have an ice maker?” Silver asked hopefully.
Walter rubbed his chin. “Let me think. It’s going to be big and heavy. You won’t have any control over your water source so you’ll want one with a good filtration system, which means you’ll need it placed such that you can change filters and hook up anything from a faucet to a hose.”
He considered for a moment, then shrugged. “As long as you accept you’re giving up storage space for it, I don’t see why I couldn’t put one in.”
Silver had to consciously keep herself from dancing with excitement. “Walter, it’s possible I’m falling in love with you.”
He grinned. “I get that a lot. This is where I tell you that I’m happily married and the missus runs a tight ship.” He winked at her. “Not that I’m not flattered.” He turned back to the trailer. “I’ve been doing a lot of kitchen remodels lately. I look forward to the change.”
“And the stripper poles,” Drew added.
Silver sighed. “You told him about that?”
“He did,” Walter told her. “I was very impressed.”
* * *
NEARLY A WEEK LATER, Silver drove up to Drew’s house. She knew where he lived—like nearly everyone in town, she’d walked through the big houses on the golf course when they’d been under construction. But once she’d heard he’d bought one and the sold sign had gone up, she’d avoided the neighborhood.
Their conversation with Walter had gone better than they’d hoped, and the contractor had gone right to work on getting them quotes on materials along with a timetable. When Walter had sent the email with his bid, Drew had texted, suggesting they get together and talk about what they wanted to do. He’d invited her to dinner and before she could think things through, she’d accepted. A three-hour appointment with a new couple planning a wedding had kept her distracted all afternoon but as she headed up the hill toward Drew’s place, she found herself fighting nerves.
Stupid man, she thought in annoyance. There was no reason he should get to her. He was just her business partner. They were going to grow AlcoHaul together. Their past made a great story but it wasn’t relevant. Well, maybe a little relevant what with them having a daughter together. A daughter he technically knew about but didn’t actually know about. A daughter he would be meeting in a few weeks.
Tonight, she promised herself. She would tell him tonight. She was a mature, thoughtful woman who made good decisions. She wasn’t that eighteen-year-old girl too in love to think sensibly. Not anymore.
Silver’s mom had always been a fool for love, going from man to man her entire life, falling madly in love, sure that this time would be forever. She’d dragged Silver all over the country until at fifteen, Silver had begged to be allowed to go live with her uncle in Happily Inc. Her mother had been about to join her latest one-true-love on his fishing boat in Alaska, so had agreed. Silver had settled in easily, loving everything about the quirky town and appreciating how she wouldn’t have to worry about moving on in a few months.
