Page 24 of Summer Nights (The Kingston Brothers #3)

Chapter Eighteen

Cooper

I got up early to work at Shep's house. He was still working on ripping out the numerous bathrooms, so I used my key to get in and met him upstairs. The house was enormous and would take a long time for him to renovate with him working on it by himself.

I preferred to hang out with him here more than at the bars.

I followed the noise to one of the guest bathrooms. This one was a Jack-and-Jill style, connecting two bedrooms.

"You decided to work on this before the master?"

Shep placed his hands on his hips. "Yeah."

I raised a brow, but he didn't offer any more information. If I stepped into the other bathrooms, I'd find that he'd already started work on those too. He tended to go from one thing to another, unable to focus on finishing the initial project.

It used to drive me crazy, but now I was used to it. And this wasn't a work project, so there was no completion date. If he wanted to live in a house with multiple ripped-up bathrooms, that was his prerogative.

Shep stood next to the toilet. "Can you help me carry this out front?"

I moved into position. "That's what I'm here for."

We lifted it together and carried it awkwardly down the stairs and then outside.

"I swear the old ones weigh more."

"Probably true," I said as we heaved it into the dumpster.

"My neighbors aren't going to like the dumpster sitting here for a long time."

"You have an HOA here?" I asked him.

"No. But the neighbors are very judgy. Anytime I go out for a jog, someone stops me to ask when the construction will be completed, as if I have an entire crew out here helping me."

"And what do you say to that?" I asked, amused, as we stood in the shade of the front palm tree. A brick wall surrounded the front yard, giving it a private feel.

"I say I'm a one-man crew and I have a day job, so it might be a while. They don't like that answer. But I mention how one person is quieter than a crew, and that smooths them over."

"You have a way with people." It used to drive me crazy in high school when the girls flocked to him.

Shep grinned. "What can I say?"

A SUV pulled up to the front gate. "That's Ivy."

Shep pulled out his phone and probably hit the Okay for the gate to open. "She wants to see the place?"

I nodded. "She's been trying to get into one of these mansions for a while now."

Shep glanced over at me. "She could have asked me anytime."

Maybe I didn't want her to. I wanted to show her my family's legacy.

She pulled up with a wave and parked her white SUV next to my truck. As always, her vehicle was pristine, whereas mine was covered in a thin layer of dust. There was no point in attempting to keep a work truck clean.

I opened her door for her, and she got out. "Morning, Shep."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "What's this I hear about you wanting to see my house, but you're going through Cooper?"

"Oh, I didn't want to bother you." Ivy ran a hand over her small bump.

"It's not done yet. Everything's pretty torn up."

She waved a hand at him. "I don't mind."

"Be careful where you're walking," Shep said, and I nodded, intending to keep her safe.

She'd thankfully chosen to wear sneakers for the walk-through.

I held my hand out to her, and I was pleased when she placed her palm in mine. "I'll give you the tour."

"I can't believe I finally get to see inside one of the Captiva mansions. I've seen pictures when they're for sale, but I've never been inside one. They don’t hold open houses for these places."

I pushed open the door for her. "This has always just been my grandmother's house."

She smiled softly. "Are her things still here?"

"Generations of my family's items are here.

It doesn't make sense to remove them when they hold so many memories.

" That was another reason why most of my siblings weren't interested in the house.

They wanted something more modern they could put their own touch on.

Shep had to contend with keeping the old and modernizing. Not an easy task.

We walked into the grand foyer with the staircase. A study was to our right, and a formal living room to our left. I took Ivy through the living room where she stopped to run her fingers over the piano. "Do any of you play?"

"We all had to sit for lessons with Grandma."

"That's sweet." She smiled, her gaze wandering around the room. "I can't even imagine living in a place like this."

"You haven't even seen a tenth of it yet."

"Let's get going then. I'm going to be hungry soon."

I'd noticed that Ivy ate several meals throughout the day. She'd started calling them her second breakfast, second lunch, and so on. It was adorable.

"He hasn't touched anything in this room yet."

"It's grand. Maybe a little dusty." Her nose scrunched.

"He has someone who comes in to clean. But it's tough to stay on top of such a large house."

We moved through the formal dining room with its mahogany table and chairs. There were a few side pieces filled with various sets of plates and serving dishes. Each one had some significance, whether it was Grandma's set or her mother's. None of us wanted to get rid of the things in this room.

Ivy looked up. "I think I'm in love with this chandelier though. I've always wanted one for my future walk-in closet."

"Your future closet?" I asked, curious to hear more about the things she wanted in life.

"When I allow myself to dream. But I don't do that often." Her expression fell, and she tried to move past me, but I stopped her with a hand on her wrist.

My thumb swiped over the delicate skin where her pulse kept a beat. "What do you mean? You rarely dream?"

She sighed, her gaze meeting mine. "It's a waste of time; don't you think?"

"Uh, no." I'd been dreaming about Ivy naked for the last few months. It was most definitely not a waste of time. "What do you mean?"

"In my experience, dreams don't come true."

I frowned. "Didn't you dream of being a secure, responsible adult at one point?"

Her brow furrowed. "Does anyone dream of that?"

I wondered if she was referring to her father coming home. I had a feeling it might have been a strong desire of hers, and she was hurt when it didn't happen. "It's okay to dream about things. Sometimes they come true."

Ivy snorted. "Not for me they don't. I work hard and save everything I can so that I can take care of myself. I want something; I buy it. That's not a dream. It's hard work."

"Dreams do come true. I'll show you."

She rolled her eyes but didn't tug her wrist away. "How are you going to do that?"

"You've always wanted to live in the beach house, and my house is your favorite. Now you're living there."

She sighed. "I'll give you that, but it's temporary."

"Mmm." I'd leave that alone for now. "You have to tell me what other dreams you have before I can make them come true."

"I told you I don't dream of things. Especially if I want them to happen."

I shook my head. I couldn't believe she was this stubborn about something as exciting as dreams. Then I looked around at the room we were in. "You've always wanted to tour a Captiva mansion and now are."

She sighed. "I'll give you that one too."

"I think it's possible you haven't been paying close enough attention to when your dreams come true. You're so focused on the negative; you don't see the positive."

She pursed her lips. "That might be possible."

"You wanted a father figure for Duncan, and then I came along, helping him with basketball." I had kept my promise to him, meeting him most Saturdays after my weekly basketball game.

"How do you know that was a dream of mine?" Her voice was soft.

"I guessed." But I was right. I could see it in her eyes. But I didn't want to push too hard. Not yet. "Let's see the rest of the house."

She let out a breath, and I wondered if that conversation had put her on the spot. That's not what I wanted. I wanted her to feel like being with me and that my home was a soft place for her to land. She could count on her needs being met. But I had a long way to go to convince her of that.

I let go of her wrist, and we continued into the living room and kitchen area. Each room was separated with walls.

"This needs to be opened up." The back wall had large windows showcasing the view of palm trees and the ocean beyond.

"I think that's the plan."

She walked through the rooms, deep in thought. "You can maintain the historical qualities of the house while still modernizing it."

"I think that's been why he's hesitated to do anything. He's worried about ruining something."

The corners of her mouth lifted. "Unless he plans to install carpet on the ceiling, then I think he'll be okay."

"You've seen a house with carpet on the ceiling?" I couldn't help but ask.

She shook her head. "Not in real life. On TV."

"Ah, okay. There's no carpet on the ceiling here, and I don't think he plans on adding it."

She wiped her hand over her forehead. "Crisis averted."

The rooms had dark wood trim and could be lightened. There was even a wood-paneled butler's pantry off the kitchen.

Downstairs, there were a game room, a bar, and another TV room. Upstairs there were six bedrooms and bathrooms.

"This is amazing," Ivy said as we moved from one bedroom to another. Each one was filled with old, heavy furniture. "I wouldn't have the heart to replace it."

"I think he's planning on keeping everything he can up here."

The master bedroom was grand with double doors to enter the room, a large sitting area, two master baths, and the room itself. There were paintings on the walls that left a lot to be desired.

"Do these paintings have any sentimental value?" Ivy asked looking at a painting of the woods and a deer.

"I don't know."

"I think it makes the room dark and not cozy. I'd definitely remove these if they don't have sentimental value."

"They've always been here, as far as I know."

"Sorry, I can't help but comment on the salability of any house I'm in."

"Is that what you did when you toured my place?" I asked her.

"That place is divine. You wouldn't have any problem selling it."

I threw my head back and laughed. "Why would I want to sell it when it's fulfilling a dream of yours?" My new favorite goal in life: make this woman's dreams come true. Every single one.

Her lips quirked. "You're impossible."

I drew her close to me and kissed her temple. "But you love it."

She shook her head.

Shep walked into the room. "You two ready for something to eat? I can throw together some sandwiches."

Just then, Ivy's stomach rumbled. "I'm starved."

"Come to the kitchen when you're done," he said with a wink. "Don't get anything dirty." He turned to leave.

Ivy pulled away from me, and I let her go. I could be patient, showing her everything she was too blind to see. She had friends and family that cared about her. She had people that wanted to step up for her, but she wouldn't let them.

I just hoped she didn't convince herself that I was bad for her. I had a feeling once she made her mind up about something, it was almost impossible to change it.

We headed downstairs to the kitchen.

"What would you do in here?" Shep asked almost as soon as we walked in.

"I'd open up some walls. You're going to see the living room and that view of the ocean. It's very closed in and dark in here."

Shep nodded as he pulled out rolls and began adding cold chicken to them. "That's what I thought. I'm just always worried about changing the historical integrity of the house."

"I think in this case, you can keep the woodwork detail and the original furniture that is still in good shape in most of the rooms. Kinsley has an eye for staging if you want her to hunt down some items that would blend with the old."

Shep winced. "I'm trying to get her to help me. She's not too fond of me."

"I can talk to her if you want," Ivy offered.

I knew Kinsley had some issue with Shep, but I had a feeling this project was too enticing for her to pass up.

"I can convince her to help me. It's just a matter of time." Shep's tone was smooth and easy as if he hadn't ever met a challenge that he couldn't conquer.

We ate our sandwiches and chips on the patio on the back of the house. I'd been here a million times as a child, but I was seeing it differently through Ivy's eyes. She'd grown up in a trailer. Was this too ostentatious for her? Would she think we were spoiled rich kids?

We had everything we needed: money and love. We worked hard and earned everything we had. I didn't want anything to derail the progress I'd already made with her. I suspected a pullback was inevitable.