Page 34 of The Summer We Started Over

“Why are carpenters always so hot?” Eddie whispered to Barrett as they went down the back steps to greet the men.

Before Barrett could reply, Jeff said, “Hello, ladies. I’ve convinced Paul to help me. I know you want to get this bookstore started ASAP.”

“Thanks, Jeff.” Eddie tried to be casual even though she almost couldn’t look at him. He made her feel bewitched. “Hi, Paul. I’m Eddie and this is my sister, Barrett.”

Paul nodded. His eyes rested on Barrett. “Hey. Barrett, I think I’ve seen you at some beach parties now and then in the summer.”

“Me, too,” Barrett said, blushing. “I mean, I think I’ve seen you there.”

Duke barked and wagged his tail.

Barrett reached down to pat the dog. “This is Duke. He’s our watchdog, as you can see.”

“Hey, Duke.” Jeff stroked Duke’s fur. “Sorry, but we’re on the clock here. We’ve got more jobs than we can handle.”

The guys walked off. The women stood watching as they unloaded the lumber from the truck.

“Look,” Eddie whispered. She nodded her head toward the fenced field.

The horse was standing nearby, watching everything.

Barrett cooed. “Aw, that’s sweet, to see her be curious. Maybe she likes those men.”

“MaybeIlike those men,” Eddie said, only half-joking.

Jeff came toward them, a laptop in his hand. “I’ve made a preliminary sketch of what the book bins should look like.” He stood between the sisters, holding the open laptop so they could see his drawing. “They’ll be thirty-nine inches tall, sort of general waist level. Books are generally about seven inches wide and eleven inches high, so if you want eight bins, we’ll make thin plywood dividers, and build the overall cabinet forty-five inches wide. Does that sound okay to you?”

“I guess.” Eddie looked over at Barrett. “We have only a general idea of what we want, but that sounds okay.”

“It’s not going to take us long to build four or five of these,” Jeff told them. “If you want them stained, Paul said he could do it in the evenings. How are you doing with sorting books?”

“We’ve got several bags full…and we’ve only started. We can sort more today, right, Barrett?”

Barrett nodded. “I’ve got to get to my shop, but I’ll work here for an hour or two.”

As Jeff turned toward the barn, he said over his shoulder, “I brought some cardboard boxes for you to carry the books in. I’ll drop them on the porch. We’ll help you carry them out when you’re ready.”

“Great!” Eddie headed toward the house.

Barrett was turning to follow her sister when Paul asked, “What kind of shop are you opening?”

His question was serious. She studied his face. He wasn’t flirting. He was asking for information. She realized that Paul was anislandguy, and she wanted his approval. “It’s a kind of gift shop. I’ve called it Nantucket Blues. It’s in the little mall next to Aunt Leah’s Fudge.”

Paul grinned. “So you sell bluefish?”

“Right.” Barrett smiled back. “No. No fish. Sweaters made by Louisa Sheppard. Framed photos of the island by Barbara Robinson. Some island jewelry by local artisans.”

Paul crossed his arms over his rather magnificent chest. “Do you have a quarterboard?”

Barrett shrugged. “I couldn’t afford that. I made a wooden sign, painted it dark blue, and stenciled the store’s name in pale blue. The Historic District Commission has approved it.”

“I could make a quarterboard for you,” Paul offered.

Barrett shook her head. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly pay for that.”

“How about I do it for nothing?”

Barrett’s goosebumps got goosebumps. The way he was looking at her…he washittingon her.Hitting on me with a quarterboard,she told herself, laughing. She’d remember to tell Eddie that when they were in the house. “That’s…”

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