More Than Love (NG3)

16 - Broody

Reed tackled the next work week, feeling as dissatisfied as ever. His weekends with Sasha normally left him recharged, but he returned tired. Typically, the ocean air and the sound of the surf through the open windows provide a deep sound sleep, but he tossed and turned in his bed at the cottage.

The verdict was too many things on his mind. Sasha provided a list. First and foremost, her mood wasn't cheerful as usual. Then she lied about having a friend his age, and she denied having a guy. Reed worried because dating should make her smile, make her happy. That was a huge worry.

Standing in line for ice cream, he was the broody one. How could perfection turn on a dime? Sasha smiled and waved to neighbors.

As they ate their cones, the Goodwins joined them at the picnic table. Jen, the daughter of Rick, everyone's favorite coffee guy, gave her son a cone and Reed watched with fascination at the mess he made. Neither she nor Alex cared. Meanwhile, their daughter ate her cone like a professional without a single drip.

Alex asked, "Are you staying over?"

Reed nodded. "I'll try to get a few rides in before I take off in the morning."

"Do you have time to look at something for me? I'm looking at purchasing a house at Higgins beach. I could use an architect's eye on the plans."

"Sure. When?"

He looked at his son. "After bath time. Say eight if you don't have plans or over coffee in the morning."

"Tonight's okay. I was staying in."

"The least I can do is give you a beer."

Helping a neighbor should have made him feel good, but it left him feeling restless. Helping to find usable square footage on a fixed footprint was the most fun he'd had with blueprints in a long time. Alex wasn't an architect, but he wasn't a novice. Bouncing ideas around gave him a taste of what his job should be like.

When he watched his clean son come for a goodnight kiss, the scent of baby shampoo caught him off guard. It felt nostalgic. For his own childhood or the kids, he wasn't positive. Just for a moment, it hit him. He wanted small arms around his neck and sloppy kisses, and messy ice cream faces.

Back in his cubicle, the most exciting thing in his life was going home to see the miniscule progress in his kitchen every day. It took a lot less time to demolish than to rebuild.

By Thursday, he arrived home to find all the cabinets installed, but no countertops or floors. Those were slated for the following week, fingers crossed.

He liked the look of the maple cabinets and the cappuccino colored walls. There was an inviting warmth to it. It was amazing what fresh paint could do for a room. Maybe he should ask for a consultation with Jen in exchange for helping Alex. Some professional advice would eliminate his worry. He had been unsure about the kitchen, but was happy with the result. No buyer's remorse was positive.

He used the summer season and his weekends north as an excuse not to go out for drinks again. Kevin had finally started dating his girl, so he was happy not to have Reed tag along. Both his besties had girls, and he was stuck on a mysterious stranger he spent a few hours with. If he told Payton, she would say it was love at first sight. He wasn't telling anyone because they would call him crazy.

It took two more weeks before his kitchen was ready to be used. Looking at his new gas cooktop, he wished he were a better cook. He also wished he had someone to make the famous Davis family fajitas for.

After consulting with Jen, he had a list of paint colors. He bit another bullet and decided to fix the plaster and paint the rest of the house. He could take on the expense of new floors and updated bathrooms later. Perhaps his father was right about the money pit.