Page 43 of Forever Home

“I know,” I reply, clearing my throat as I watch her move around. “I won’t keep you long. I just wanted to say that my skills in the kitchen have paid off. The World of Foods network has decided to pick me up and give me my own show.”

The smile that spreads across my face when talking about the opportunity I’ve been given should have made her smile. Or at least one would think. But instead, she simply glances at me. Taking a moment to consider what I said, before turning towards the kitchen island to plate eggs and toast onto the paper plates that sat waiting.

“That’s nice. Can you call your nieces and nephews down for me? They’re playing upstairs right now. I wanted to get the older kids out of the house first. The two younger kid’s bus will be picking up out front in about thirty minutes.”

The fact that she just completely ignored everything I said to once again worry about my nieces and nephews is disheartening. The least she could have done was to say that she was proud of me, or that it was exciting. But once again, that’s too much to ask when it comes to her.

A heavy weight fills my chest as I stare at her. Watching as she pays me no further attention, my eyes drifts towards the stairs and then the front door.

“I’ll be back in four months,” I say softly, stepping forward to kiss her cheek before backing away.

“Uh-huh. Have fun, dear.”

I turn without another word and make my way towards the front door. To think that I’d actually thought she would be excited, that she would care was foolish.

And my father… God knows where he is. Maybe at work, maybe fishing.

Growing up, he spent more time out of the house than at home, and the only time I ever really saw him excited was when I was playing football. But when I got hurt, it’s like he suddenly lost interest. I’ll never forget that day. The look in his eyes as he teared up staring down at me on the stretcher.

My future playing ball, completely gone.

Thankfully, my parents don’t live far from Mrs. Kendall’s house. Knox told me last night that he was going to be at the property bright and early, and honestly, I’m thankful for that. I desperately need something to preoccupy my mind with happier memories. Because lately, I don’t know if I’m coming or going.

The moment I pull my black SUV into the driveway, I spot Knox’s truck backed in and him at the bed unloading 4x4’s off into the garage that looks like Kylie has taken over as a makeshift art studio. A smile grows on my face as I step out and take in the chaos that is Kylie’s art.

“Jesus, she’s taken over.”

Knox furrows his brows for a moment, glancing over his shoulder before looking back at me with a smile. “Oh! Yeah, she’s still working on the house but in the meantime, she’s doing some other work in the garage while she’s here. Don’t let her know you’ve seen any of this though, she will lose her shit on me.”

Chuckling, I walk towards the back of his truck helping him grab the last of the materials, and placing them in the garage, before he shuts the garage door once more. As much as I would love to look through Kylie’s work, especially after hearing how good it is, I’m not one to pry.

She’s like my little sister, and I know from experience that if she wants to show you something, she will do it in her own time.

“Thanks for that,” Knox says to me, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. “Come through the front, I was able to get some of the wood samples that you were asking about.”

My ears perk at his statement. I’d asked him about his ability to get a custom butcher block for the kitchen island, and though he was unsure if he could, he obviously outdid himself. The moment I step into the kitchen I spot all the samples laying on the countertop. Most of the kitchen is already demolished and appliances are gone.

“Oh shit!” I exclaim, a smile stretching from ear to ear as I take in the dark maple butcher block sample. The staining and coloration are absolutely perfect. As a chef, I prefer butcher block while most other people may not. The hardwood isn’t only extremely durable, but it has a resistance to bacteria and helps to keep knives sharp.

And this sample is exactly the same type I have in my home back in New York.

“Where in the hell did you find this?” I ask, knowing full well I had to have mine imported from overseas “There’s no way you got a sample like this in a few days.”

The laughter that escapes Knox as he walks towards me with a shrug of his shoulders makes my smile grow wider. “A friend of a friend owes me a favor and happens to have enough on hand for what you need.”

“Seriously?”

He nods. “Yep. He said just say the word and it’s ours.”

“Fuck, send me the invoice. I want it. It will go great with the design Kylie helped with.”

“I’ll give him a call when he opens then,” Knox says, making his way towards a rolled set of blueprints laying on a work table. “On that note, we were able to finalize the blueprints. Your guy had this delivered at first light this morning. He was actually sitting outside waiting for me when I got here.”

I had asked my contact to get them done ASAP, but I expected a few days at least.

An hour later, I’ve told Knox all about the show and the two of us are busy knocking out the few remaining built-ins in the living room when the sound of the front door opening and closing reaches my ears.

“Hey, Jaxson, Knox,” Asher calls out, stepping into the living room. “You guys know you're supposed to be making the house better, right? Not making things worse,” he says teasingly.

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