“I left the fairy lights,” Savannah said, “because I didn’t want to stick that many pins in the plaster here, but otherwise, I tried to move your place to Heartstone. Anything you want to change—”
“It’s perfect! It’s amazing. Thank you so much. How did you manage this? We weren’t gone that long.”
“I put Billy Bob to work,” Savannah said as if that explained everything.
It must have because Hope replied with a knowing, “Of course. Good thinking.”
“Who is Billy Bob and how did he get all this done in barely a day?”
“Billy Bob is my cousins, Billy and Bob. Bobby if you’re referring to him in the singular. They’ve been joined at the hip practically since birth. My aunt took to calling them Billy Bob as a joke and it stuck. I put them on the payroll for the time being. They work hard, and between the two of them, they can do almost anything. Plus, they can always come up with extra hands to get a job done. When we moved your apartment,” she said to Hope, “they made one phone call and ten guys showed up. Way cheaper than movers, and I had the place emptied out and put back together over here in only a few hours.”
“You’re a miracle worker,” I said, grateful she’d taken the job.
“I’ll show you the rest tomorrow. You two look like you’re about to fall down where you’re standing. If you decide you need anything, text me. I haven’t had a chance to test the bell system. Oh, and I set you up for the little things.”
She nodded to an ornate cabinet in the corner of the sitting room. We followed her over and she opened it to reveal a mini-fridge, set of drinking glasses, water decanter, mugs, tea caddy, single-serve coffee maker, and an electric kettle, all arrayed on cleverly designed shelves.
“I found this in the attics. I like the way this room is set up. Your own little apartment inside the Manor. Once the hordes descend on Heartstone, you might not want to leave if you want a drink or a snack.”
She pulled out a basket filled with small bags of pretzels, chips, oranges and apples, and a few plastic-wrapped brownies.
“Text me a half-hour before you want breakfast. I’m on duty in the kitchen, but I have an interview with a potential cook tomorrow so hopefully, that won’t last much longer. Beyond breakfast, my skills are fairly basic.”
“Thank you,” Hope said. “You don’t know how much it means to come home and find home.”
“That’s how I hoped you’d feel.” Savannah gave her a quick hug and headed for the door. “I’ll bring the rest of your luggage up. If you think of anything you need in the next hour, just text.”
Hope was wavering on her feet, so tired I was half-afraid she’d pass out where she was standing. I was still holding the suitcase she’d packed the day before and handed it to her. “I’m going to help Savannah get the rest of our stuff. You go ahead and get ready for bed.”
Her face pale with exhaustion, Hope nodded and disappeared into the bedroom. I knew by the time I got back she’d probably be out cold. That would be for the best since she was too tired for more than a kiss good night. I wasn’t sure I could stop at that.
As it was, when I climbed in beside her warm body, I didn’t resist pulling her into my arms, settling her against me and smiling as her arm wrapped around my waist, her leg hitching over my thigh. She gave a sleepy murmur into my shoulder and settled in to sleep. With a long deep breath scented of cinnamon and apples, I relaxed and did the same.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Griffen
What first?” Hope asked, her pen poised above a blank page in her ever-present notebook. Her full breakfast plate sat in front of her, a steaming cup of coffee to her left, but she ignored them in favor of getting a jump on the day.
We sat at the end of the table in the massive formal dining room, the dark-beamed and white-plastered ceiling a full two stories above us, the great iron chandeliers cobwebbed and dark. It felt odd to eat here, just the two of us, the wide expanse of the long table stretching across the room, empty and unused.
There was a breakfast room at the far end of the dining room, a separate space with a wide, curving bay window that looked out into the front courtyard. The breakfast room was almost as formal as the dining room, and its small size was only relative to the expanse of the dining room. All the Sawyers would have fit neatly in the breakfast room with seats to spare, but the space was friendlier, less imposing, and far more comfortable for a quiet breakfast for two.