Page 43 of Bearly Yours
Mia blushed and laughed, looking a little sheepish.
“I will try,” I told them both.
“Okay, I also worked up a computer graphic of what things should look like. You can follow along with that if you prefer. Here on the main floor, you have all of these lovely arches along the walls and so many alcoves that are perfect to create library sections. Based upon the dimensions of the bottom floor, I’ve outlined where I think each section should start and finish, how many materials we’ll need for that section, and approximate times for completion.”
“Along the north wall, you already have a wall of windows. I’d like to put in stained glass windows to the side, and a UV treated slider so you can access the porch I’d like to put in.”
“Oooh, you want to build a porch off the library?”
I nodded. “I think a porch with a firepit and some cozy seating would be lovely for those days you want to stay close to the library, but get outside a little bit.” I looked between Draven and Mia to see if this was something they would like, and they both nodded, smiling.
“Okay. Also, on the ground floor, there will be a few places for seating, some couches and chairs, a few tables, and a small office where you can store those books in your rarer collection that need to be kept in a temperature-controlled environment. There will be a small office, and an antechamber that will be temperature controlled.”
Draven nodded. “I have a few of those. They’re stored off property right now.”
“What are they about?” Mia asked, looking at her husband in curiosity.
“They’re just very old. If they were outside of a controlled environment, I’d worry they’d fall apart. A wizard is copying them into a new book with spell-treated binding and pages. Once that’s finished, the books can be on any shelf in the library, but until then, they need special care. And he could use the office to do the copying. That would make it easier for him, I think.”
I nodded. Most paranormals of ancient age tended to collect very valuable, breakable, or fragile possessions. Books were no exception. I was glad I’d prioritized space for that.
“Okay, moving on to the second level. since it’s a rounded balcony, I was thinking of making that your main reading area. I’ll set up a large conference room along the west wall with sofas and comfortable stuffed chairs. to go around your fireplace, and more seating and tables for studying scattered around the floor.”
I glanced up at them. “What do you guys think of a fountain up there? I thought it might be soothing, but not everyone’s a fan of them, and you already have one on the first floor, it just needs to be fixed.”
“I like the idea,” Mia said, “but a fountain so close to books sounds like we’re asking for trouble. We were thinking of removing the fountain.”
“The fountain I put down would be spelled, which at the very least, if there was an earthquake or natural disaster, would prevent the water from leaving a certain designated area until you guys can hire help to come clean it up. But if that sounds like too much for you, I’m open to adding something else as the main focal point on the second floor.” I smiled. “I love client ideas. They can be so fun.”
That night,after doing my nighttime stuff to get ready for bed, I put on a warm, velvety maroon sweater over my pajamas, even though I probably wouldn’t need it, and made my way out to the fire pit where Roarke and my Clan were gathered.
The fire had been going for a while, and many of the Clan had come and gone, but my die-hards—those closest to me—had stayed, so as I came around the corner in the mid-winter night air, I found Roarke sitting in a comfortable cushy deck chair, manning two pie irons, while Riggs, Mateo, Mathan, Taco, Drew, Alastair, Zin, and Akeno cooked their ham and cheese pudgy sandwiches on their own pie irons with varying degrees of success. Taco’s was cooking to perfection. Akeno’s was on fire.
I sat next to Roarke, who gazed at me with a warmth that almost made me blush. I offered silently to take my pie iron from him so he could free up a hand, but he only smiled at me.
I knew that smile. It was his, you’re-adorable-if-you-think-I’ll-trust-you-not-to-burn-this-to-a-crisp smile. I thought about being offended, remembered the last time I’d attempted to heat tomato soup over the stove at my house, and kept my mouth shut.
I’d ended up with tomato soup so charred to the bottom of the pan that I’d had to throw the pan out, and it was also still stuck to my ceiling fan blade in my living room. I kept meaning to clean it...
“Akeno, your sandwich is on fire,” Mateo said.
“I want it toasted.”
“If you leave it in the fire any longer it will be char,” I said, laughing.
Akeno sighed at us and took it out of the fire, opened the fire iron, and blew the charred bits off. It looked like a soot sandwich.
“You’re going to eat that?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I like burned food.”
“You should let me cook for the Clan more often then.”
Roarke snorted next to me, and I elbowed him carefully. I didn’t want my pudgy sandwich to be ruined, after all. He’d already somehow made his delicious apple crumble over the fire pit, and that was going to be paired with home churned vanilla ice cream Roarke and Sullivan had made earlier.
Riggs, Mateo, Mathan, and Alastair were all quiet, seemingly lost in their own thoughts as they stared at the fire, but Drew was talking a mile a minute to Taco. I let their conversation wash over me as I stared at the flames. Someone, probably Mathan, because he loved a good fire and liked to change things up, paid a witch chemist for a fire changer. The fire tonight was blue, purple, and black, with little pinpoint stars swirling through the flames.
“Good choice tonight, Mathan.”
