Coming Home to Love (Lakeside Porch Series Book 2) (6 page)

A shadow passed over Joel’s face.

“What’s worrying you?”

“Justin has come back here to find his purpose. I don’t know if he’ll succeed. I don’t know if he’ll stay.”

Gianessa averted her gaze. She didn’t want to talk about her attraction to Justin. Or admit how sad it made her that Justin might not stay.

“He’s intrigued with you. Be careful, Gianessa.”

Chapter 4

Tony hustled onto the site Sunday evening ten minutes before the big boss was due. The sun was down, but floodlights lit the perimeter of the construction.
Lots of changes in a few short days
. Footers were in place for the glass-walled structure that would house the pool, and a slab had been laid for the heat pumps for the pool house and the suite. The pool was no longer just a hole in the ground; it was ready for a liner and then a lot of warm saltwater, as soon as the pool house went up and the heat was connected.

Why does warm saltwater appeal to rich people and sick people?

Tony shrugged. As long as it helped Joel recover, he was fine with it.

“Mr. Pinelli,” a deep voice from behind him said.

Tony did an about face and then a double take. “Joel?” he croaked. For five whole seconds he thought he was seeing his buddy Joel, standing tall and taking charge the way he usually did. Same eyes, same brown hair, same proud manner, like he owned the place.

But this man was older than Joel by fifteen years. Plus, Tony didn’t think this man ever let down his guard to be one of the guys, and that was one of the things Tony liked best about Joel. Underneath his inheritance, sharp clothes, college degrees, and smarts about money, Joel was a down-to-earth, fun-loving guy who never put anyone down. The guy before him seemed pretty buttoned up, and he was definitely looking down his nose.

“Sorry, wishful thinking.”

“I’m Joel’s uncle, Justin Cushman.” The man smiled and held out a muscled, manicured hand.

Tony liked his firm handshake. “Call me Tony.”

“Thank you for meeting me this evening, Tony. I’m glad you’ve recovered enough to be part of this construction project.”

“Yes, sir. It’s a privilege, sir. I’ll do anything for Joel.” He paused then continued. “I’m so—so sorry about the accident. There was no way to prevent the crash once we hit the black ice. If I’d had the new truck then, with the side air bags . . .”

“Can’t be undone. Joel is focusing on the good that’s come out of it. Let’s both of us do the same.”

“Yes, sir.” And it was true, there was some good in his own life as a result of the accident—his new girlfriend Sunny and the new red truck.

“A few people are working here that were unemployed a week or a month ago. They’re not home worrying how to pay the bills. And this eyesore garage is becoming a luxury suite with a lot of potential for the Manse Inn and Spa.”

“Ralph showed me the plans. There’s a lot of work to be done in a short time.”

“Show me the progress. I haven’t been inside for a few days.”

“Sure. Do you know this lady?” Tony pointed over Justin’s shoulder to a slender, toffee-haired woman making her way across the parking lot toward them. Her long down coat might be off the rack at the mall—probably Bean’s—but on her it looked silvery and sleek, like a hot runway item.

Justin’s eyes softened and his mouth struggled with a smile.

“Ms. Dupioni,” Justin greeted her. “Meet Mr. Pinelli.”

“Pleased to meet you, ma’am.” Tony stuck out his hand.

For a moment, the woman kept her hands in her pockets and only had eyes for Justin Cushman. Tony withdrew his hand. Obviously these two knew each other. She flirted with her eyelashes and Justin reacted with a silly smile.

Finally Ms. Dupioni favored Tony with a smile that outshone the sun. “Hi, Tony.”

How does she know my name
?

“I met you last night at . . .”

“Oh, right,” Tony said quickly. He recognized her now. She’d been with Manda at the Hot Dog AA meeting in Canandaigua. “Jessica, right?”

“Gianessa. Is this the right place for a tour of Joel’s therapy facility?”

“Yep. Are you ready for the tour, Mr. Cushman?”

“Justin,” Justin corrected him. “Glad you could join us, Gianessa”

“What’s your interest in the construction, Gianessa?” Tony asked.

“I’m a physical therapist by training, and I’ll be handling Joel’s therapy once he’s out of the hospital.”

That statement put a scowl on Justin Cushman’s face. While Tony wrestled with the padlock, he tuned into their murmured exchange. Justin seemed peeved that Joel had picked Gianessa for the job without consulting him. Gianessa’s frosty reply sounded like, “Be glad Joel is taking charge of his recovery.”

Tony flipped the wall switch and went ahead of them into the old garage. The space was lit by a string of caged lanterns that crisscrossed the beams of the garage. The flooring was complete and the drywall was taped and curing.

“The flooring will do nicely,” Justin remarked. “We wanted hardwood, but high-quality laminate was faster. The walls are ready for paint?”

“In a few days,” Tony said. “They need some drying time. We’ve started on the kitchen, and the plumbers will be back tomorrow to finish the fixtures in the bathroom. Then tiling.”

“Are you planning a roll-in shower?” Gianessa asked, her tone professional.

“Right, let me show you.” Tony led the way and pointed to marks on the floor for the boundary of the shower. Drains and pipes were already in place.

Gianessa nodded her approval. “Plenty of room in here for a chair.”

Tony let out his breath all at once.

“He won’t need the chair very long, Tony.” Gianessa pressed his forearm with her firm, gentle hand, and the knot in his stomach let go. “Once his arm heals, he’ll use crutches and then a cane. He’s determined to stand for the wedding.”

“Thanks,” Tony mumbled. He felt better than he had in a month.
How did she do that?

Back at the makeshift table where the construction drawings were spread out, Gianessa studied the plans, touching the dimensions of each doorway and tracing the path of Joel’s wheelchair between the living spaces, in and out of the kitchen and into the pool area. Justin stood across the table, watching her.

When she had traced every possible path of the wheelchair, she pointed to an unlabeled area between the pool and living space. “What’s this going to be?” she asked.

Before Tony could answer, Justin said, “I thought it might serve as a workout room. I’m curious what you think.”

Gianessa favored him with a smile. “Thanks for asking. It’s a good size for a couple of machines and some weights. Is that in the budget?”

“It is now.”

“Good. Joel will be ready for it about a month after he comes home.”

“He does like working out in the spa with his guests,” Justin said amiably. “Is it better for him to work out over there?” While he talked, he circled around the table to stand beside her.

“Not at first. Having this facility,” she said, pointing to the unlabeled room, “will give him the freedom to stay indoors during the worst weather and also give him privacy for his workout until he feels ready to mingle with the guests in such a physical setting.”

Justin put his hand on Gianessa’s back, and reached over to brush an invisible speck of dirt from the plans.

Gianessa smiled at his touch and his proximity.

“Good thinking,” Justin said.

“About the kitchen.” Gianessa circled her finger over the area on the drawing. “Since you haven’t decided about the cabinets—where, how many, and so on—keep in mind Joel will want to cook as much as he’s able. It’s good therapy for him. He’ll need one counter, or perhaps an island, at the correct height for a wheelchair. And we’ll need to be smart about the appliances. Have they been ordered?”

Justin shrugged, and Tony told them, “Not as far as I know.”

“You’ll choose those for us, Gianessa?” Justin’s tone was brusque.

To Tony, it sounded an order.
Uh-oh
.

Gianessa’s suddenly stiff posture was the only indication she’d heard Justin. She moved away from him to a section of the plans that showed the pool structure. Instead of getting huffy, she responded in a musical tone, “Justin, your vision for this place is stunning. And I can tell that your crew is fully on board, including Tony. You’re a strong leader.”

She favored both of them with a smile. “Of course, you won’t hear ‘yes, sir’ from me because I work for Joel as a physical therapist. Nevertheless, I support the project and will help out where I’m needed, when I’m available.”

Justin cleared his throat. “I’m sure Joel will appreciate having your expertise brought to bear on the selections for the kitchen, Gianessa.”

Tony closed his eyes. If Justin was playing the Joel Card, he knew he’d blown it.

“Since I don’t have a car and don’t know the stores around here, I’d need to team up with someone.”

“Tony?” Justin barked.

Tony had seen that coming. “I’m your man.”

Gianessa graced him with a dazzling smile. “Perfect, thank you. And, gentlemen, I’ll need shelving and cupboards near the pool for the weights and noodles and so on. I’m thinking they might fit along this wall.” She ran her finger along the line on the drawing. “This faces the Manse, correct?”

Tony nodded, but he knew not to say “yes, ma’am.” He worked for Ralph, who worked for Justin Cushman.

“If we can place the shelves and cupboards on the side toward the Manse,” Gianessa continued, “it will give Joel and Manda some privacy in the pool but still admit most of the light from the glass wall. May I have a copy of the pool plans to sketch it out while there’s still time?”

“Good idea,” Justin said.

Tony flipped through a manila folder and produced a photocopy of the plans for the pool structure for her to take with her. “Mark this up any you want, and Ralph will go over it with you tomorrow.”

“Perfect.”

Justin’s eyes held a measure of respect when he asked, “Gianessa, I wonder if you’re available to go with Manda to the furniture showroom tomorrow to make sure she approves the furnishings. She may wonder at the handicap-friendly styles I chose. They’ll give you fabric samples, and you can see how they work with the paint colors. If we can determine her satisfaction with the colors before the final coat of paint goes on, we’ll save time.”

“Unfortunately, Manda and I are both working tomorrow, but I’ll arrange a time with her soon.” She smiled at both of them. “I’m all set here, gentlemen. Thank you.”

Justin studied Gianessa’s face.
Probably sizing her up for vice president or something
.

“Everything meet your approval, Mr. Cushman?” Tony asked.

“I like what I’ve seen so far.”

Tony was pretty sure he meant Gianessa as much as the progress and plans.

“If you folks are ready to go, I’ll finish up here and lock up on my way out.”

Justin gave him a decisive nod and a firm handshake before shepherding Gianessa to the door.

Justin said, as they left the garage, “Now about those cooking lessons you offered, Ms. Dupioni.” Gianessa’s musical laugh was cut off when the door shut behind them.

Tony took measurements and found there was just enough room for an island. He had forgotten, until Gianessa mentioned it, how much Joel liked to cook. He could picture Joel and Manda starting their life as an engaged couple under this roof while Joel got stronger a day at a time. He imagined them cooking together in this kitchen, hanging out in the master suite, reading together side by side, and using their private pool.

It was funny, as soon as Gianessa touched his arm back there, the knot in his stomach left and it hadn’t come back. He wasn’t worried about Joel anymore or beating himself up about the accident.
How does she do that?

Like Ralph had said, maybe their new boss could manipulate St. Peter into redesigning heaven, but Tony was sure Justin Cushman couldn’t manipulate Gianessa Dupioni into anything she didn’t already want to do.

Sara sighed and hung up the phone. She understood why Manda wanted to spend every possible day with Joel, especially weekends, but Sara missed her Saturday day trips with Manda to the thrift shops and boutique back rooms around the Finger Lakes. In a couple of weeks, Manda’s graduate program would gear up for the spring semester, and Sara wondered if they would ever jump in the car and go like they had last year.

She needed a buddy. Someone who liked clothes but didn’t have money. Someone who had Saturdays off, like she did. She eyed Gianessa, who was up to her wrists in dough.

I’d love to get her out for some fun and get to know her. Like personally
.

“What are you making?”

“Gluten-free shortbread, I hope. This is my first ever attempt. I don’t eat many sweets.”

Sara watched as Gianessa formed the crumbly dough into balls and press them flat on a waiting cookie sheet. As soon as she took her fingers away, the little rounds fell to pieces.

“It’s a lost cause, roomie.”

Gianessa straightened up, let out her breath all at once, and brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes.

Sara giggled. “You’ve got dough in your hair.”

To her surprise, Gianessa blushed. Then she cracked a smile. And giggled.

Cool.

“Okay, that’s it. I’m just going to shove it in the oven and see what happens. Stand back.” Gianessa threw open the oven door, letting out a blast of heat. She put on oven mitts, maneuvered the two cookie sheets onto the hot racks, and slammed the door shut.

“Take that!” Sara proclaimed.

Gianessa laughed from her belly. After untying her apron and balling it up for the hamper, she lobbed the baking utensils into a dishpan full of sudsy hot water, rinsed her hands and reached for a towel. “What a mess.”

Sara surveyed the countertops. “You think?” Open bags of rice flour, hazelnut flour, millet flour, and sugar rested on a dusting of spilled ingredients. Butter wrappers and measuring spoons lay where Gianessa had tossed them. Cans and boxes and bags sat open, and a bottle of vanilla lay on its side with a brown puddle under its mouth.