She turned around, but saw no one. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” he said, but he knew his grandfather was warning him not to tell too much. “I think Alix must have seen some of the drawings I did for small structures because she designed a chapel. She even found some card stock and made a model. I saw it hidden in a cabinet and it was great. Original. Perfect. I’m going to try to get some of my clients to build it and give Alix full credit for it. A great start to her career, right?”
“It sounds wonderful. What did she say when you told her?”
“She hasn’t shown me the model,” he said.
Lexie nodded. “She couldn’t very well admit she sneaked into your office. Maybe you could hint that you don’t just do big buildings.”
“I did, but it got no reaction from her. Maybe tomorrow I can—”
“You won’t have time,” Lexie said. “I’m here because we need to talk about this weekend. But go ahead and tell me about the chapel.”
“There isn’t anything else to tell. She hasn’t mentioned her design and the model’s no longer in the cabinet.”
“Why don’t you tell her you saw it and that it’s great?” Lexie said.
“It would seem like I was snooping. I think there’s a reason she won’t show it to me, but I don’t know what it is.”
“If it were me,” Lexie said, “I’d be terrified that you’d think it was awful. Sounds like she wants to impress you, but what if you see something done by her and you hate it? That would really hurt.”
“I pretty much told her I’d give her a job at my firm.”
“She probably doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that,” Lexie said.
Jared finished his toast, picked up his empty plate, and put it in the sink. He was frowning as he thought about what Lexie had said. “What were you going to tell me about this weekend?”
“What are you going to do about Daffy Day?”
“Same thing I always do, I guess,” he said.
“Stay home bent over a drawing board?”
“More or less.”
“You’ve spent all this time with Alix, working, drinking rum, but you’ve not made a pass at her?” Lexie asked.
“Not a touch.”
“No long, lingering looks?”
Jared smiled. “Not any that she saw.”
“Even though you’re very attracted to her?”
“You and Dilys! Are you two trying to make me feel bad? What are you getting at?”
“I’m just trying to see this from Alix’s point of view. This pretty young woman has spent nearly a whole week being rejected by a man known for … what can I say? … having numerous women in his life. But he—you—has fed her lots of rum but not so much as made a move toward her. And tomorrow she’s going out with Wes.”
“Wes?”
“Your cousin? My cousin? Remember him? Young, handsome Wes Drayton who inherited two acres out in Cisco and plans to build a house because he’s ready to settle down and have kids? That Wes?”
“Are you trying to say that Wes and Alix might get together?”
“Wes hasn’t shut up about Alix since he met her. Yesterday he spent an hour with Toby planning the daffodil decorations for
his dad’s old car for the festival. His family is putting on a tailgate picnic meant to welcome Alix to the island. And in the afternoon he plans to take her out on his boat.”