The White Queen (S.Rogers)

Chapter 98

Brooklyn and Steve found themselves in a holding pattern, of sorts.

Their offer on the property had been accepted, and they were simply waiting for everything to settle, before they closed. The inspection had been completed, and with a few notable exceptions, the property had passed. Their insurance had been accepted, despite not being required to have one, since they were basically paying cash and in full. The tax appraisal had been done, proving they had basically gotten a hell of a bargain on the house, with the taxes stating the house was worth well above what they were paying. They were simply waiting, now.

Kitty had already started asking them questions about the improvements they wanted to make on the house, once they were in possession of it. Which color scheme they wanted in which rooms. If they were going to update flooring, and where. What plans they had for the barn, and any additional outbuildings. And while Kitty hadn't said anything, both Brooklyn and Steve admitted they were more than a little suspicious that Kitty would find a way to step in and take over the remodel.

They had talked about it, and for the most part, they seemed in sync with how they wanted things. The floor, walls, and fire place in the living room were to be left alone. The kitchen needed a bit of work as apparently the sink needed to be replaced, as did some of the counter. They figured they would just replace the countertop altogether, while also redoing the tile floor and the back splash. There were a few steps that needed to be replaced, especially on the stairs to the third floor and attic. The carpet in the master bathroom needed to be ripped out and replaced. Brooklyn wanted the dusky rose color gone, which meant everything really needed to be done. She had insisted on a white color, with maybe a light blue or green to accent.

The kitchen would be done in a bright sunny yellow, she had declared, and Steve had jokingly asked her if she wanted the theme to be sunflowers. Which made her stop and think about it for a moment.

Sunflowers. She remembered fields of sunflowers... the scent of them, the nodding of their tall heads... the feel of their leaves against her hands... the heat of the sun on her face...

And she had nodded. She wanted sunflowers.

Other than that, she had turned it over to Steve. He could chose colors, themes, schemes.. all of that, he could do. When she had told him, he tried to argue that it was gonna be her house, too. She needed to give him input. Brooklyn shrugged, kissed him on the cheek, and told him that as long as he chose them a comfortable bed, and kept her in firewood in the winter, she would accept her window seats, her rose gardens, and her pantry, as her due and leave it at that.

As soon as she had told him that, he had started looking at websites and magazines for ideas. At least once a day he pulled her over to show her something he thought they would like, in their new home. As far as she was aware, he had chosen and re-chosen color ideas for the bedrooms at least a dozen times since they had first seen the house.

Brooklyn was enjoying her classes, having thrown herself into her work, striving to be in the top five, if only for the bragging rights and the ability to prove herself.

Kendra had taken over most of the wedding planning for Brooklyn, Kitty making most of the choices, with a bit of input from Steve and Brooklyn. So that looked like it would go off without a hitch. If Brooklyn had her way, Steve and she would only have to show up, say their words, and then go off to their party.

But things like a wedding registry took both of them.

Which was how they found themselves sitting in front of her lap top, arguing over a rice cooker.

"Steve, it cooks rice! Instantly!" Brooklyn pointed out, reaching out to click the check that would put it on their registry for gifts.

"Babydoll, you can cook rice on a stove, without a fancy appliance." He sighed, shifting her on his lap. "Plus, the color doesn't match the scheme we've been talking about for the kitchen."