But then she realized the money, though under her control, wasn’t for her. It was for the baby. And the nursery really could use an overhaul. The white paint was now yellowing. There were some cracks. And the windows stuck when she tried to open them to let in some fresh air. They definitely needed to be replaced.
“Thank you. The nursery could use some sprucing up. I’ll try not to spend much.”
Apollo smiled at her, making her stomach flip. “You don’t have to worry about the money. Do what needs to be done. I’ll cover it.”
She was used to living on a budget. Things in Apollo’s world—and now Seb’s—were a lot different. “I better get started with the plans. I want to make sure I have time to finish the room.”
Soon she’d be returning to Infinity Island. She hoped they were able to repair all of the damage from the storm and make it as though it had never happened.
The truth was that she wasn’t homesick for the island like she’d thought she’d be. In truth, she liked it here at Apollo’s home. And it had nothing to do with living in a mansion that was straight out of the movies. Or the fact that Apollo had insisted on employing a household staff the size of a small army—
“I must be going.” He abruptly got to his feet. The smile had faded from his face. “I have a new shipment of plants arriving today.”
“Are you creating your own exotic jungle?” She meant it to tease him, but it did nothing to soften the frown now pulling at his lips.
“Perhaps.” And with that he walked away.
She could tell it was killing him to stay here. And that saddened her. When they’d been on Infinity Island, he’d been happier, but now it was like a dark cloud was following him. It wasn’t good for him and it certainly wasn’t good for Seb to see Apollo so unhappy.
And if Apollo was unhappy living at the estate, it meant when the baby was with her, Apollo would be off on another dangerous adventure. She told herself she was upset on behalf of the baby that would miss him, but she wasn’t that good of a liar. She would miss him too. And she worried that his body wasn’t healed enough and he would reinjure himself.
While she pondered how or even if it was possible to fix this problem, she drank the last of her coffee and got to her feet. She had a room to make over. It was a task she welcomed. It would keep her from thinking about the sexy man with the eye-catching tattoo that wrapped around his sculpted bicep, and his deep, sexy voice that made her insides melt.
* * *
What had he been thinking?
Two weeks later, the nursery was nearly finished. Popi was astonished at the amount of money Apollo had set aside to redo the room. Even with a rush order for new windows, doors, fixtures and paint, it had barely made a dent in the amount. She’d been about to return the remainder of the funds, but then she had a thought.
What if she was to give the rest of the home a makeover?
At first she’d dismissed the idea. As this wasn’t her home, it wasn’t up to her to redecorate. But something told her Apollo never would. It wasn’t his thing. He spent almost every waking hour outdoors.
But she could see how uncomfortable he was when he was inside. He’d frown at a portrait and then turn away. He’d avoid the study altogether. There were many rooms which he didn’t visit or would only step into for just a moment or two.
As the idea took root, she just couldn’t dismiss it. If she could help Apollo get past his bad memories and not have them constantly pop up in his mind, she felt compelled to do it. What else could she do until Infinity Island was back up and running? She wasn’t used to having idle time.
Organizing and creating visions was her job. Sure, she normally did it in the form of a wedding, but she was certain she could take those skills and create a home that didn’t make Apollo feel like running back to the Amazon as soon as he walked in the door. Or keep him outside digging up more and more of the grounds to create the biggest and most impressive garden in the region. People were starting to say that the gardens were going to rival the mansion in size and elaborateness. And Popi had to agree. The gardens were breathtaking.
So, that evening at dinner, Popi brought up the subject of repainting and updating some of the other rooms with the extra money. Apollo gave her the go-ahead with his blessing.