6. Sarah

6

SARAH

After a few days of texting, Vic finally invited me to the lake house for a tour. We had gone back and forth with style inspiration and some vague ideas. But without seeing the place myself, there was only so much I could offer.

I blasted the air conditioning in my minivan, hoping it would keep my light makeup from running in the late spring warmth.

My stomach flipped as I turned down Winford Valley Road. The steep hill was hard for the van to handle.

As the hunk of metal chugged along, I bit my lip, praying the engine would hold out.

Luckily, I reached the wrought-iron fence just as the car was starting to thud. Before I could type anything into the keycode panel, the gate swung open with a low, mechanized hum.

"I guess she's expecting me." I shrugged as I pulled into the driveway.

A line of trees covered the first few hundred feet of the driveway, blocking the view beyond the fence from outsiders. But once the minivan rolled past the treeline, my mouth dropped open.

"Holy shit."

Before me, a dreamy landscape unfolded. The picturesque, farm-style house sat perfectly on the shore of a lightly ebbing lake. The water glimmered as the late spring sun met its surface. Even the old, worn-down windows of the house seemed to reflect that sparkle.

The view was so stunning I had to remind myself to keep my eyes on the drive. Spotting Robin's work truck at the top of the hill, I pulled up next to it and put the car in park. By the time I turned off the engine and collected my bags, Victoria was stepping out onto the front porch.

The way she waved down at my car, everything about her radiated grace.

I swallowed my nerves, forcing the lump in my throat back down into my chest. This is a business meeting, and I'm a competent business woman. But as soon as I opened the car door, a reflexive apology escaped my lips. "Sorry, I'm late!"

Vic looked down at me, a sly smile taking over her face. "It's easy to be on time when you live at the destination."

"True." I secured my purse to my shoulder and walked up the creaking porch steps.

Victoria stretched out her hand. "Welcome to the lake house."

Gripping her soft palm, I smiled. "Thanks for having me."

Even from the porch, I could tell how much work the place needed. The sagging of the roof was enough to make my stomach drop, like the whole thing might just cave in with a wrong glance.

Once we crossed the threshold, Vic lifted a finger to stop me. Reaching to a table by the front, she passed me a bright orange hardhat.

Vic winked. "Don't want to get in trouble with the county."

Reluctantly, Sarah put the hat on her head. "I don't think it goes with my outfit."

Before the words even left my mouth, Vic's eyes were scanning my body. "And yet, you're making it work."

I felt a flush of red hit my cheeks, nerves suddenly taking over my entire body. "Thanks." I met her eyes, the amber burning with the reflection of the warm sun. What is wrong with me right now? Am I just terribly touch starved?

Trying to get a hold of myself, I clasped my hands together. "Are you going to show me what we're working with, or not?"

Victoria smirked. "Follow me." She launched into a tour, guiding me from room to room. If she hadn't been so put together generally, I would have guessed that she'd rehearsed the entire thing. It felt like there wasn't a single detail she would miss.

As we walked through the site, I could already see the number Robin had done on the place. Every inch of drywall had been pulled from the studs, leaving behind thick wood beams and dangling electrical boxes. Sun seeped through the gaps between each post, soaking the entire floor in a golden glow.

"My dream is for the living room table to line up with the dock. When you sit on the couch, I want it to feel like you could just wander out to the water." Victoria gazed out of the windows.

I nodded. "You have such a clear vision. I'm not entirely sure what good I'll be for you."

Victoria walked closer, notes of citrus and leather wafting off of her. My body tingled as the rich scent of her cologne filled my nose.

"Well, I need you to double check me. And to help me find the perfect pieces." Vic smiled down, her heels giving her a few inches on me.

Feeling a lump growing in my throat, I knew I needed to toughen up. Vic didn't need to know about this apparent weak spot I was apparently developing so quickly. Instead, I looked up, letting my blue eyes meet her hazel. "I can definitely do that."

Vic broke the moment with a deep breath. "There is one other thing that I need your help with."

"Robin needs a beat down?" I teased.

"Not yet," Vic laughed as she guided me into a gutted room. The sound struck a chord in me, filling my chest with warmth.

Gesturing to the open space in the room's center, she explained, "But I do need a dining room table."

I raised my eyebrows at her. "And that's the one thing you don't have a vision for?"

She scoffed at me, a light chuckle rising from her chest. "I do, Ms. Greenwood. But I believe you have an in with a local carpenter whose work I admire. Brianne Shaw?"

Stopping myself from laughing, I stammered for words. "Bri? How do you know about her?"

"So you do know her?" An eager smile played at Vic's cheeks.

I shrugged. "Yeah, we've been really close friends for a long time. But how do you know her?"

Or were we? It was a partial lie. But to get a client what they wanted, a little omission wasn't a huge deal.

Victoria leaned against a stud, letting the wood take her weight. "I saw one of her pieces at a gallery in New York. It must have been a decade ago. But I never stopped thinking about it. And then the lake house came on the market. And I knew Shaw had disappeared somewhere into the Hudson Valley."

"So you've been following her?" Narrowing my eyes, I watched Vic get flustered.

"I wouldn't go that far." Victoria rolled her eyes. "No, I just think it might be kismet."

I turned toward the window, shaking my head. "Unfortunately, Bri stopped doing carpentry work. But if you need some firewood, she's your girl."

Vic crossed the room, reaching me in a matter of seconds. She squared her shoulders with mine. Lowering her head, Victoria let her hands rest on my soft biceps. "And this is why I need your help. Convince her to make me a custom dining table, and I'll make it worth both of your time."

I opened my mouth to fight her. "Victoria…"

She raised her finger, letting it gently rest against my lips. "I beg you not to give me bad news."

The moment her finger met my lips, a jolt of electricity pulsed through my body.

Before I could reply, she smiled at me. "I hired you because you know people around here, and you're damn good at your job. Do me a favor, just ask her if she'll do it, and show her this." She pulled a folded envelope from her trouser pocket and passed it to me.

I opened it and gawked at the number written in the contract. "Fuck."

"It's a hard offer to refuse." Vic smirked.

"No kidding."

Victoria took in a deep breath. "Hopefully, it's proof to both of you that I'm willing to pay for the things I really want. No price is too high. Whatever she asks, I'll answer it."

I couldn't stop my eyebrow from raising. Surely it was an exaggeration. But with a figure like that on the table… maybe it wasn't.