"I think that's the nicest thing anyone has said to me in … in a very long time. Thank you."
Riley reached over to cup the side of her face with his hand, his thumb brushing away the last of the tears. Once more their gazes locked and they were frozen in place. Annie could barely breathe. The touch of his hand evoked emotions and reactions that were almost overwhelming. His eyes held something – some emotion that held her spellbound.
Finally he smiled. "Just sayin' it like it is. Now, about this chest…"
His hand moved away and he turned to the chest. "How did you create this border? It looks like a wood inlay."
"Oh!" Analise mentally shook herself, trying to regain mental composure. She opened the chest and took out a case. "This." It was a Dremel tool. "I used a metal ruler as a guide and carved the little depression and then created the pattern. If you go really easy it makes it look kind of like little chunks of wood that have been glued down."
"And the colors?"
"I bought different stains and painted it with a little brush and then I put a finish coat of the tung oil and didn't buff it and it made it really shiny."
Riley leaned over, placing his hands on the table to study the chest. "This is really fine work, Analise."
"Annie." She said quietly and when he looked at her in surprise, she smiled. "Please, I think I like that better."
"Well, so do I. And I'm really impressed, Annie. In fact, I'm working on a piece for Stella and Billy – Cody's parents. Billy took a spill a few weeks back and kind of demolished a side table they had in their living room that was from Stella's folks. He wanted to make it up to her so I'm making a replacement. I'm not too good on the intricate stuff, but I have some pictures so maybe you could help me with me."
"I'd love to." She was thrilled that he would ask.
"Yeah?"
"Yes."
"Well good. Maybe I could come by tomorrow morning and take you over to my place. I'd planned on working on it tomorrow."
"Aren't you going to the festival tomorrow?"
"Naw. I'll be there tonight and that'll be enough for me. But if you'd rather go to—"
"No, I wouldn't. I'd love to come help you in your shop. I've been so curious about it; I'm dying to see it."
"It's not much to see."
"It is to me."
"Well good then, it's a date."
A date? She had a date with Riley? She felt a flutter of excitement. "Yes it is."
Her phone rang and she looked pulled it from her back pocket. "It's Cody."
"Go ahead."
She gave him a smile and answered. "Hey Cody. I was just talking with Riley…. Yes, he brought some of my things from the RV. I hope you don't mind. Oh! Ok, hold on and I'll ask."
She moved the phone slightly away from her face and looked at Riley. "Cody wants to know if it'd be too much trouble for you to give me a ride to the bar. Hannah is going to be late and Billy is busy with the pig so it's going to be a while before she can come get me."
"Be happy to."
"Thanks." She smiled and lifted the phone back to her ear. "He will. Thanks, Cody. See you later."
She put the phone down on the table and looked at Riley. "So what time do you want to go?"
"Around six?"
"Works for me."
"Oh, I almost forgot. Jimmy said he made some calls and he thinks he can fix your rig but it will take three to four weeks more to get the parts."
"That long?"
"Is that long?"
"Well, it is when you're imposing on someone. I don't know if Cody will want me around that long."
"If you keep her kitchen this clean she will. And between you and me, since you can cook that's a bonus. That girl can burn water."
Analise chuckled. "Then I guess I'll just have to ask her."
"Well, if she says no and you can cook, I'll put you up."
"Really?"
"It's the least a friend can do."
Riley saw the surprise and something else register on Annie's face and for the third time since he'd walked into the house, their eyes locked. Damn if there wasn't something enticing there, the way her eyes darkened a bit and the slight flush
Riley reached over to cup the side of her face with his hand, his thumb brushing away the last of the tears. Once more their gazes locked and they were frozen in place. Annie could barely breathe. The touch of his hand evoked emotions and reactions that were almost overwhelming. His eyes held something – some emotion that held her spellbound.
Finally he smiled. "Just sayin' it like it is. Now, about this chest…"
His hand moved away and he turned to the chest. "How did you create this border? It looks like a wood inlay."
"Oh!" Analise mentally shook herself, trying to regain mental composure. She opened the chest and took out a case. "This." It was a Dremel tool. "I used a metal ruler as a guide and carved the little depression and then created the pattern. If you go really easy it makes it look kind of like little chunks of wood that have been glued down."
"And the colors?"
"I bought different stains and painted it with a little brush and then I put a finish coat of the tung oil and didn't buff it and it made it really shiny."
Riley leaned over, placing his hands on the table to study the chest. "This is really fine work, Analise."
"Annie." She said quietly and when he looked at her in surprise, she smiled. "Please, I think I like that better."
"Well, so do I. And I'm really impressed, Annie. In fact, I'm working on a piece for Stella and Billy – Cody's parents. Billy took a spill a few weeks back and kind of demolished a side table they had in their living room that was from Stella's folks. He wanted to make it up to her so I'm making a replacement. I'm not too good on the intricate stuff, but I have some pictures so maybe you could help me with me."
"I'd love to." She was thrilled that he would ask.
"Yeah?"
"Yes."
"Well good. Maybe I could come by tomorrow morning and take you over to my place. I'd planned on working on it tomorrow."
"Aren't you going to the festival tomorrow?"
"Naw. I'll be there tonight and that'll be enough for me. But if you'd rather go to—"
"No, I wouldn't. I'd love to come help you in your shop. I've been so curious about it; I'm dying to see it."
"It's not much to see."
"It is to me."
"Well good then, it's a date."
A date? She had a date with Riley? She felt a flutter of excitement. "Yes it is."
Her phone rang and she looked pulled it from her back pocket. "It's Cody."
"Go ahead."
She gave him a smile and answered. "Hey Cody. I was just talking with Riley…. Yes, he brought some of my things from the RV. I hope you don't mind. Oh! Ok, hold on and I'll ask."
She moved the phone slightly away from her face and looked at Riley. "Cody wants to know if it'd be too much trouble for you to give me a ride to the bar. Hannah is going to be late and Billy is busy with the pig so it's going to be a while before she can come get me."
"Be happy to."
"Thanks." She smiled and lifted the phone back to her ear. "He will. Thanks, Cody. See you later."
She put the phone down on the table and looked at Riley. "So what time do you want to go?"
"Around six?"
"Works for me."
"Oh, I almost forgot. Jimmy said he made some calls and he thinks he can fix your rig but it will take three to four weeks more to get the parts."
"That long?"
"Is that long?"
"Well, it is when you're imposing on someone. I don't know if Cody will want me around that long."
"If you keep her kitchen this clean she will. And between you and me, since you can cook that's a bonus. That girl can burn water."
Analise chuckled. "Then I guess I'll just have to ask her."
"Well, if she says no and you can cook, I'll put you up."
"Really?"
"It's the least a friend can do."
Riley saw the surprise and something else register on Annie's face and for the third time since he'd walked into the house, their eyes locked. Damn if there wasn't something enticing there, the way her eyes darkened a bit and the slight flush
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