Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Lifting her head, she decided she didn’t love the fit, unscrewed it just a bit, and redrilled. I could hear the seamless sound of the screw going in flush the second time.
“There we go,” she cooed, and then put in the next screw. “How’s it look?”
That question, clearly, was for her father.
“It looks great. The medallion is really nice too.”
“Uncle Aaron had it flown in from Venice for me.”
“I would expect nothing less,” he said with a sigh. “May I ask why you’re installing an octopus on the ceiling?”
“Oh sure. I’m going to hang twenty light strands from it because the root lights I really wanted needed to be installed by a professional. I mean, it would have been so pretty, but I thought, when we decide to move at some point, other people might not want it to look like they’re living underground, you know?”
I glanced at Dane.
“I’ve seen those fixtures, and while they’re lovely, she’s right. In this space, with the coffered ceiling, you’d need to do a larger area, and that’s a lot of electrical work. Even a single piece, with the appropriate scaffolding, would be cost prohibitive, and really, they’re made to be accent pieces, not lights you live by, so it would be a tad too dark in here to get anything done outside of watching television.”
“That was my thought too,” Hannah agreed. “No study sessions, no parties, the downside was just too much. The lighting in here has to be functional.”
“Perhaps you could get a smaller installation and put it in a bathroom for when the other lights are off to add some ambiance.”
“Ooooh, that’s a good idea,” she said happily.
“And so now?” Sam asked, sounding pained as he stared up at her. She had on yoga pants and a sports bra, and I thought how it made sense that she wasn’t wearing any shoes, just her bare feet on Jake’s shoulders, as were his on Wick’s. Jake was in workout clothes as well, and I had to wonder if they had just gotten home from the gym when Hannah said, “Hey, let’s put up the fixture now since I’m thinking about it.”
“Are you guys going to go and work out after this?”
“We were supposed to go for a run before dinner,” Hannah answered. “But now I’m thinking Jake might just want to chill.”
“I can’t speak for Jake, but I’ll be done for the evening after this,” Wick grumbled.
“I second that,” Jake whined.
“Okay,” Hannah announced, “I’m happy with how this looks. The drill is coming down, and I need the lights to come up.”
Terrifying to watch Jake take his hand off Hannah’s ankle and reach for the drill, which she passed him. Just as scary for Wick to let go of Jake’s as he was passed the drill that Harper took from his boyfriend and placed on the couch.
“Why don’t we do the lights another time?” Aja asked hopefully. “It’s Valentine’s Day. Don’t you have plans?”
“That’s absurd, she’s already up there,” Dane told his wife.
“I’m going to murder you,” she said tightly.
“On Valentine’s Day?” He sounded like he was daring her. “Really?”
“You loathe Valentine’s Day,” she reminded him.
It was, in fact, the holiday that Dane Harcourt hated the most, with St. Patrick’s Day running a close second. He still had memories of being pinched for not wearing green as a child, even though he’d never owned anything in that shade ever. Dane had been a precocious child. No one was surprised to hear this.
“And yet, you have never not had roses as well as soft, warm, comfy pajamas on this day.”
She grunted. “This is true. Your pajama game is on point. Perhaps I’ll wait until tomorrow to kill you.”
“Now you’re just making things up,” he said dismissively.
“I’m with Uncle Dane,” Hannah told Aja. “Valentine’s Day is really just the worst. And I’m not one of those people who lie about it and secretly hope for a gift. No. Not at all. I liked it when I was little and Pa got us chocolate-covered strawberries and made cupcakes for my class. But I never enjoyed getting all the cards in class from kids who I knew hated me.”
“No one hated you,” I assured her.
“Daphne Hodges in the third grade,” she countered, spoken like someone still holding a grudge.
I had to think a moment. “Oh yeah, okay. I remember her. You’re right, Daphne didn’t like you one bit,” I amended. “But she was a pill.”
“She didn’t like cupcakes either.”
“Who doesn’t like cupcakes?” I asked Aja.
“Oh, I certainly have no idea.”
“Me and Jake did Valentine’s Day once the first time we were together,” Hannah told her aunt just as Harper lifted the first strand of lights up to her using what appeared to be a garment hook, the kind people in clothing stores used to get down hangers that were over their heads. “It was lame, and I ended up getting in trouble with some criminals for pointing out that they were selling fake bags.”