Page 22 of Quiet as Kept
“Work was good. The models are almost finished on the current project. It’s much easier to sell lots when people can walk through a model. The inspector came through today. We passed the plumbing and electrical.”
“Congratulations.”
He grinned at me. “Thanks.”
I watched him set both girls down on their feet gingerly. He was so gentle in his handling of them.
Are you really trying to develop a crush on your employer?
After being with the girls all day and eating dinner alone, I found myself craving adult conversation by nightfall. I knew Kept wasn’t a big conversationalist, but I figured he could provide at least a little interaction. As expected, he was already on the deck when I got there.
“Hey,” I said, moving over to the sofa where he lounged.
“What’s up?”
“Not much.”
He chuckled. “The girls didn’t wear you out too much, did they?”
“Not at all. We did a music class today. There were about twenty or so toddlers there, singing songs and playinginstruments.” I snickered at the memory. “It was cute. Destin was very into it.”
“Destin’s very into noise. If it’s noisy, she’s there for it. She told me that she chose the drum. Bet she was beating the hell outta that thing.”
I cracked up. “Leave her alone.”
“How did Dakota do? Loud noises aren’t always her thing.”
“They didn’t seem to bother her at all. Initially, she had the triangle, but she traded that in for the tambourine. Next thing I knew, she was pounding her tambourine along with the rest of them.”
He laughed. “And the picnic?”
“Good. The park was a hit too. Even though I had to chase Destin down a few times, that girl likes to take off, and she does it on purpose?—”
“To see if you’re gonna chase after her.” He finished my thought. “Yeah, I should’ve mentioned that. I used to keep her on one of those leashes, but my sister fussed too much sayingDestin isn’t a dog. But hell, she’s not the one chasing her through parking lots and stuff.”
“Facts. Anyway, it was a good day. I really enjoy them. They’re such sweet girls.”
“Thanks.”
“So, I know you’re probably ready to go back into your shell now.” He chuckled. “But I really want to hear more about what you do, Kept. Now, I remember when Mama Reese used to drive us to the well-to-do neighborhoods in Londynville.
She used to find open houses and take us to see the model homes. We would fantasize over what it would be like to live in such a fancy house with all the amenities of life at your fingertips. That’s what you actually do for a living? Build the same fancy and super expensive houses that Mama Reese used to take us to look at?”
“Pretty much. I think her love of frequenting model homes kind of planted the idea in my mind. I mean, I went to school to study architecture, got the degree, landed my first project drawing a floorplan for a client, and was more intrigued with the actual building of the house.”
“Wow. So after the inspections are finished, what’s next?”
“Painting, final touches . . . those kinds of things.”
“When will you be able to start having potential buyers do walk-throughs?”
“I’m hoping by the first of May.”
“Will you take me to see it before you open it to the public?”
His eyes enlarged. “You wanna see the models?”
“Yeah.” I grinned at the thought. “It sounds so cool. You had an idea for what several houses should look like. You designed them then built them. It’s like a full-circle moment. I definitely wanna see it.”