sweater from a table and then locked the door behind them. Scott slowed his pace to match her limp as they walked to the car. He didn’t mind the pace. It gave him the chance to study her. He couldn’t believe how much the clothes had changed her. She’d always seemed so simple before, all freckles and sunshine. Now she made him think of something warm and spicy, like a mulled wine. The thought made him smile.
As he helped her into his truck, she shared some new ideas she had for the house, in particular, a stained glass window by a local artist.
“Her name is Zoe Wyndham. She actually lived at Heart’s Haven. She married and moved to Manhattan, but Country Creations still showcases some of her stained-glass pieces. They have a window with crème-colored lilies that looks almost exactly like the globes in your foyer.”
“Sounds great but where would I put a stained glass window?”
“Above the first landing, right across from the door.”
Scott paused, his hand on the ignition.
“I know. I know,” Suzy held up a hand. “Knock a hole in the wall you just repaired. I’m not saying you should do it. I only want you to see the piece and tell me if you think it would be as beautiful as I think it would.”
He turned the switch on the truck. “You’ve been right about everything so far. Besides, looking doesn’t cost anything but time, and we have plenty of that today.”
As soon as they opened the door of Country Creations, Scott understood why Suzy loved the place so much. The scents of cinnamon and pumpkin flowed over them. Glass items, figurines, and knickknacks were stacked on every possible space. Scott felt closed in, kind of like a bull in a china shop, but he followed dutifully behind Suzy. They’d only gone halfway down the aisle when she stopped.
“Look at this.” She held up a baseball-sized ceramic pumpkin. Different sizes were displayed on the shelf. “Someday, when I have a foyer as lovely as yours, I’m going to have a pumpkin collection and put it out every fall.”
“OK.” Skepticism was heavy in his tone.
Suzy looked back at him and flashed the bright, cheerful, familiar smile he was accustomed to seeing.
“It will look fabulous. Come on. I’ll show you.” She led him to the back of the room where various styles of pumpkins were stacked in an ordered fashion: ceramic pumpkins, metal frames in copper with delicate etched leaves, glass pumpkins, and ones made of wicker and stalks. Some even had lights woven over the frames. The look was colorful and bright and would no doubt look perfect stacked along the walls of his foyer. He could even imagine the delicate little glass pumpkins with colorful leaves on his oak table.
When he told Suzy his thoughts, her face lit up even more…if that was possible.
“I thought so, too, but I didn’t want to say anything. It is your house.”
“But you’re my personal interior designer so you’re welcome to speak out any time.”
A little frown passed over her features, and he wondered what he’d said wrong. Before he could ask, she gestured to a room at the back of the store.
“Since we seem to be on the same page, let me show you the stained glass piece.”
As soon as he saw the rectangular window with delicate crème-colored lilies and the intricate vines weaving around them, he knew exactly what Suzy had meant. Zoe Wyndham produced beautiful work, and with the morning sunshine flowing through the piece, straight onto the oak he’d just refinished, it would be perfect. In fact, as he looked around at more of the artist’s pieces, he realized they were well-suited to his grandmother’s house. The glass windows would bring a touch of grandeur to the old Victorian lady. He tried to think of places for other windows and asked Suzy’s opinion. When they’d picked out four pieces total, Suzy shook her head.
“It’s a grand idea, but I think four pieces would be too pricy for anyone’s pocketbook. Come on. Let’s go look at
As he helped her into his truck, she shared some new ideas she had for the house, in particular, a stained glass window by a local artist.
“Her name is Zoe Wyndham. She actually lived at Heart’s Haven. She married and moved to Manhattan, but Country Creations still showcases some of her stained-glass pieces. They have a window with crème-colored lilies that looks almost exactly like the globes in your foyer.”
“Sounds great but where would I put a stained glass window?”
“Above the first landing, right across from the door.”
Scott paused, his hand on the ignition.
“I know. I know,” Suzy held up a hand. “Knock a hole in the wall you just repaired. I’m not saying you should do it. I only want you to see the piece and tell me if you think it would be as beautiful as I think it would.”
He turned the switch on the truck. “You’ve been right about everything so far. Besides, looking doesn’t cost anything but time, and we have plenty of that today.”
As soon as they opened the door of Country Creations, Scott understood why Suzy loved the place so much. The scents of cinnamon and pumpkin flowed over them. Glass items, figurines, and knickknacks were stacked on every possible space. Scott felt closed in, kind of like a bull in a china shop, but he followed dutifully behind Suzy. They’d only gone halfway down the aisle when she stopped.
“Look at this.” She held up a baseball-sized ceramic pumpkin. Different sizes were displayed on the shelf. “Someday, when I have a foyer as lovely as yours, I’m going to have a pumpkin collection and put it out every fall.”
“OK.” Skepticism was heavy in his tone.
Suzy looked back at him and flashed the bright, cheerful, familiar smile he was accustomed to seeing.
“It will look fabulous. Come on. I’ll show you.” She led him to the back of the room where various styles of pumpkins were stacked in an ordered fashion: ceramic pumpkins, metal frames in copper with delicate etched leaves, glass pumpkins, and ones made of wicker and stalks. Some even had lights woven over the frames. The look was colorful and bright and would no doubt look perfect stacked along the walls of his foyer. He could even imagine the delicate little glass pumpkins with colorful leaves on his oak table.
When he told Suzy his thoughts, her face lit up even more…if that was possible.
“I thought so, too, but I didn’t want to say anything. It is your house.”
“But you’re my personal interior designer so you’re welcome to speak out any time.”
A little frown passed over her features, and he wondered what he’d said wrong. Before he could ask, she gestured to a room at the back of the store.
“Since we seem to be on the same page, let me show you the stained glass piece.”
As soon as he saw the rectangular window with delicate crème-colored lilies and the intricate vines weaving around them, he knew exactly what Suzy had meant. Zoe Wyndham produced beautiful work, and with the morning sunshine flowing through the piece, straight onto the oak he’d just refinished, it would be perfect. In fact, as he looked around at more of the artist’s pieces, he realized they were well-suited to his grandmother’s house. The glass windows would bring a touch of grandeur to the old Victorian lady. He tried to think of places for other windows and asked Suzy’s opinion. When they’d picked out four pieces total, Suzy shook her head.
“It’s a grand idea, but I think four pieces would be too pricy for anyone’s pocketbook. Come on. Let’s go look at
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