Page 23 of Love in the Details

“Sounds good, boss,” the man said, his cheeks turning a deep shade of red.

They hung up the call, and Dustin leaned back in his chair, resting his hands on the back of his head and stretching just a bit.

“At least you were nice-ish about that,” a voice called from behind him.

Dustin jumped, surprised that Kassidy was there. “I didn’t hear you come in.” He usually listened for her in between calls, but she hadn’t come at her usual time today.

“I came in through the garage this time. I passed your grandmother on the road up. For an older woman, she definitely gets out a lot.” She chuckled, and he joined in for a second. “Thanks for the code, by the way. I had to drop off some of the decorations I’ve found so far.”

Dustin glanced at his phone, surprised to see it was already the eighth of December. “Are you finding everything you need?”

Kassidy laughed, setting a couple of boxes on the table next to him. “Yep. I did have to negotiate with a woman for some of the twinkle lights she had in her cart. She had so much in her cart that I’m betting it will end up stuffed in the closet for five years with no air.”

Dustin laughed, surprised at the seriousness of her face. “Speaking from experience?”

“I love my mother, but that is her to a T. My dad built an extra shed out back that was supposed to be one of those she-sheds, like a work area for her? Yeah, it’s packed to the rafters with supplies, and my mom hasn’t been out there in months.”

Dustin smiled, thinking of his own mother. She’d never been into crafting, focusing a lot of time on the charities she ran and helping Dustin with his schoolwork or just hanging out with him. But she’d always loved to paint.

A sudden pang of sadness hit him at the memory of her sitting by the window, painting the scene outside. That had happened so long ago that he was surprised he still remembered.

“Maybe it’s kind of a therapy for her?” Dustin offered.

“I’ve never thought of it like that. Retail therapy to me has always been a clothes-shopping spree, but I can see how craft supplies could do the same thing. She’s always excited when one of us kids needs something for a project and she’s got it stuffed in there.” Kassidy laughed, the slight rumble of it causing Dustin to join in.

“My grandmother is the same way. I think she’s been holding on to things we could’ve gotten rid of decades ago, but then she worries she or someone else will need it soon after she’s thrown it out. I’ll probably have to hire someone to go through her belongings when she dies. I doubt she’s gotten rid of anything that belonged to my grandfather.”

He turned his head to glance at the boxes on the table. “What are these?”

She pushed them toward him and opened the top box. “Just a few ornaments.”

He gazed inside, seeing several ornaments of different shapes. They were larger than the typical size for most trees, if he didn’t count the large glass balls the decorators had always used in the past.

“Did you decide on a theme?” he asked, trying to figure out how these all connected.

“I went with the Twelve Days of Christmas. Some of the ornaments are mixed up between the boxes, like there.” She leaned over and pointed to one of the sculptures. “Seven maids a milking in the same box as the four calling birds and partridge in a pear tree.”

It took Dustin a minute to recognize a bird in the branches of the tree. “Okay, I think I see it.”

“What do you think? Yay or nay?” Kassidy asked him, eyebrow raised with the question.

“Um, I mean, they’re cool.”

“But?” Kassidy asked, her hand now on her hip.

Dustin studied her face. Would she be willing to hear his honest opinion without flipping out on him?

“I’m just not feeling these. It took me a while to figure out what the figurines were, and the workmanship isn’t all that great either.”

Kassidy went still, tipping her chin up in the air and nodding. Her eyes flashed just a second before she leaned down and closed up the box. “That’s all I needed to know.” She lifted the two boxes into her arms and turned to head back out the way she’d come in.

Dustin stood from the chair he’d been sitting in for a few hours already and hobbled a couple of steps until his back straightened from lack of movement. He need to order a real office chair. Sitting in a dining room chair for hours on end for over four weeks was only going to make things worse.

“Kassidy, where are you going?”

She didn’t say anything, and he finally caught her arm and turned her around before she walked out the door leading to the garage.

She turned toward him, forcing a smile before she said, “I’m going to return these and figure out a new solution.”

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