Page 5 of Once Upon a Holidate
She pointed to the empty space by the bay window. “That would be where a table and chairs would go. Unless you eat in the dining room.”
“I didn’t furnish the dining room.”
Her eyebrows rose. “So you eat...” She put her hands on her hips. “No. Donottell me you either eat standing up at the counter or while sitting on the sofa.”
She was an intriguing combination of annoyed and amused.
“You’re not speaking,” she said.
“You told me not to.”
She laughed. “You’re right, I did. My mistake. So you do eat at the counter or on the sofa.”
“It’s easy.”
“You are such a guy. Fine. You need a table and chairs. Joylyn will not think standing while dining is the least bit cozy.” She walked over to his cabinets and glanced at him. “May I?”
He nodded.
She began opening doors, then closing them. He knew she wouldn’t find much inside. He owned a handful of plates, a few bowls and mugs, some flatware. His cooking supplies consisted of a couple of pots, one with a lid, and a cookie sheet he’d never used.
She glanced in the large pantry, where he kept his coffee anda few boxes of cereal. When she closed the door, she turned to him.
“You don’t cook.”
It wasn’t a question, but he answered it anyway. “Nope.”
“Joylyn is going to need healthy food, which means cooking at home. Does she know how?”
“She does.”
Alisha had taught her. He still remembered the first time Joylyn had made him dinner. Spaghetti. She’d used every pot and pan he’d owned and the kitchen had been a mess, but she’d been so proud of herself and he’d been impressed as hell.
Recalling that made the ache of missing her a little more intense. He supposed some fathers wouldn’t be thrilled to have their pregnant daughter moving in, but he couldn’t wait. They would have time together—time for him to figure out why he’d lost her and how to get her back.
Wynn glanced around. “You’re going to need dishes, flatware, serving pieces, pots and pans. Actually, everything.” She shook her head. “Shall we go look at her bedroom?”
On the way to the bedrooms, she ducked into the hall bathroom.
“It’s empty,” she said, reappearing in the hallway. “You’re going to need supplies in there, too. Towels and soap and a bath mat.” Her eyebrows rose. “Maybe some kind of artwork on the wall.”
He groaned. “In a bathroom? Is that normal?”
“It is. Trust me. Now where’s the bedroom?”
He pointed to the larger of the spare rooms. He used the smaller one for an office. He’d set up a folding table and chair and used a moving box as a file cabinet. He only had a laptop and a printer—he didn’t need anything more.
Wynn walked into Joylyn’s room and came to a stop. Hereyes widened and her lips parted. “Oh, Garrick, where did you find this?”
“A guy I knew back in Phoenix was selling it. The set belonged to his great-grandmother. It’s not too much?”
“No. It’s perfect.”
Wynn crossed to the large four-poster bed. The wood, also mahogany, was intricately carved with flowers and fairies and leaves. The dresser and nightstands had the same design.
Despite their size, all the pieces seemed light and whimsical. The second he’d seen the pictures, he’d known that Joylyn would love it. Before handing over a check, Garrick had examined every inch of the furniture and had quickly figured out the set had been made by a master craftsman. He’d bought it, thinking he would give it to her when she and Chandler got settled after Chandler left the Marines. Now she would get to see it before that.
“What are Joylyn’s favorite colors?” Wynn asked, running her hands across the carvings.
