The next morning, Joss woke with the same headache she’d had the night before. She took two more ibuprofen and downed a cup of coffee in addition to filling her travel mug. She kissed Olivia and headed out to the Patel house, dreading having to deal with the consultation and walk through with such pounding in her head.
She wasn’t sure if it was the coffee or the pills, but by the time she arrived at the site, she felt better. Mr. and Mrs. Patel were very friendly. And with their three kids approaching their teens, they were desperate for a space for the kids to hang out with their friends. Basement remodels weren’t Joss’s favorite, but the Patels were going all out. In addition to finishing the space, they were putting in a bedroom, a bathroom, an efficiency kitchen, and a media room.
After talking with them, Joss realized they were essentially looking for an in-law apartment. They wanted a space for the kids, but they also needed a place for their parents to stay when they visited from India. Since those visits lasted a month or more, having more than a guest room was important.
They had ideas, but were content to let Joss make a lot of the decisions. And while they didn’t give Joss a blank check, doing the job well and quickly were clearly their top priorities. By the time she left, Joss had a vision for the project and a two-week window when the family would be traveling to the West Coast to get started on the work.
When she was done with the consultation, Joss drove back to the shop to work up a more precise rendering of her plan and start making a supply list. Although the task could have waited until Monday, she liked getting things on paper while they were still fresh in her mind. The office was quiet and she worked quickly. Within a couple of hours, she had everything sorted out, including a bright and functional laundry room where the washer and dryer currently sat. It would only add a small percentage to the overall budget, and she thought the Patels would go for it.
Feeling pleased, she drove back to Olivia’s in a good mood. Maybe she’d overreacted the night before. Olivia was doing her best, just as Joss was doing hers. It was hard to fault Olivia for not giving family priority when there was no family yet that needed tending. She’d give it time and see how things went, at least for the next few weeks. She’d be plenty busy anyway.
She walked in the house to find Olivia standing in the kitchen, staring into space. She was wearing leggings and an oversize sweater; her hair was pulled into a clip that exposed her neck. The stir of arousal was both exciting and reassuring.
“Hello, gorgeous.”
Olivia turned and blinked at her a few times. Clearly her mind had been elsewhere. “Hi.”
Olivia smiled, but Joss thought she could see a shadow of worry behind it. “Everything okay?”
“It is. I love you, you know.”
Joss smiled, more concerned rather than less. “I love you, too.”
“I’m sorry the last few weeks have been so hectic. I know I’ve been putting more energy into work than into us.”
Joss relaxed a little. “It’s okay. I don’t need all your attention all the time.”
“Yeah, but I’ve hardly been giving you any.”
“I do love your attention, but I hope you know it’s not about that.”
Olivia raised a brow. “What do you mean?”
“I’m a big believer in balance—work, life, family. It’s felt a little lately like all your focus is on work. I worry about you burning out, you know?”
“That’s sweet. You’re sweet.”
“I mean, if you felt compelled to lavish me with attention, I wouldn’t say no.”
“Ah.”
“For your well-being, of course.”
“Of course.” Olivia closed the distance between them. She’d just started undoing the buttons of Joss’s shirt when her phone rang. “Shit.”
“What?”
Olivia took a step back and sighed. “That’s my mother.”
Joss had to laugh. “Answer it so you won’t have to call her back later. I’m not going anywhere.”
Olivia gave her a quick kiss. “You’re the best.”
Olivia snagged her phone and answered it. Joss headed to the living room so it wouldn’t seem like she was eavesdropping. She wandered over to the mantle she’d crafted from a reclaimed beam. Olivia might love the kitchen, but the living room was Joss’s favorite.
About fifteen minutes later, Olivia appeared. She looked shell-shocked. Joss’s first thought was that someone had died. “What’s wrong?”
“My parents are coming for a visit.”
Joss smiled, relieved. “That’s great. I’ve been hoping to have the chance to meet them. And they’ll get to see the house and all of your hard work.”
Olivia nodded, as though she was trying to convince herself that was true. “Yes, they will.”
“Are you not looking forward to it?” Joss got that she was unusually close to her parents because they worked together, but Olivia seemed to be on the complete opposite extreme. She knew Olivia and her parents weren’t close, but maybe it was worse than that.
“I am. Of course I am. They haven’t visited since I moved north, so it’s a bit of a surprise. That’s all.”
“They haven’t visited at all?”
“Well, it’s only been a couple of years. I went down for my youngest nephew’s christening. And I was in an apartment for a while, so I would have had to put them in a hotel. It just didn’t work out.”
Joss smiled again. “I think it’s great that they’re coming. When?”
“Thanksgiving.”
“Thanksgiving? That’s really soon.” It was in a week and a half, to be exact. Joss did her best to hide her surprise.
Olivia took a deep breath. “I know. They’ll fly in on Tuesday, then drive to New York City on Friday to take in a couple of shows. I think my mom might be more excited about doing her Christmas shopping in the city than anything else.”
Joss willed herself to stay positive. The more she learned about Olivia’s parents, the less she liked them. But still. They were Olivia’s parents. Meeting them was important. And seeing how Olivia was with them might answer some of the questions that had been nagging at her. All in all, it would be a good thing. It had to be. “The city does have a certain thrill. But they’ll be here for the holiday. That’s so nice. I’m sure my mom would be happy to have them if you all wanted to come over for dinner.”
A look of alarm passed over Olivia’s face.
“Or not.”
Olivia must have realized she’d made a face. She quickly backpedaled. “It’s such a sweet offer. And as much as I’d love to spend Thanksgiving with your family, I’m not sure it would be ideal.”
“Okay.” Joss was trying to make sense of the hesitation and the real meaning behind it.
“They can be kind of high maintenance. I love them, but I’m not sure inflicting them on your family at a big holiday dinner is the way to go.”
Joss nodded. “I understand.”
“Maybe we could do something casual on Wednesday night. Here, even. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres.”
Joss loved finger food and cocktails as much as the next person, but it was the last thing she thought of when she thought of family. Maybe Olivia was right and colliding the worlds wasn’t such a good idea. “Sure. You can decide whether you want to invite my parents, too, or have it just be the four of us. Introduce them in small doses.”
Olivia chuckled. “That’s the phrase I usually use to talk about myself spending time with them. But yes, I think you’re right. Small doses.”
Olivia seemed genuinely happy with her new plan and Joss was relieved, mostly. “You just let me know what I can do to help you get ready.”
Olivia smiled for real. “Thanks. I know I’ve said so already, but you really are the best. I’m going to go make some lists. That always helps.”
Joss nodded. “How about I go out and take care of the goats. I haven’t seen them in a couple of days, and since we’re supposed to get some snow tonight, we want to make sure they’ve got enough bedding to stay warm and cozy.”
“They’ll be thrilled to see you.” Olivia walked over and kissed her. “I’ll be in my lovely office that is no longer a makeshift bedroom.”
Joss wanted the whole thing to feel homey—Olivia preparing for guests while she tended things around the house. Something was off, though. As much as she wanted them to feel like a team, it seemed like Olivia was just happy to have another pair of hands. Maybe she was overreacting. Joss put her coat on and headed out to the barn.
Olivia walked down the hall and into her office. While her computer booted, she grabbed a notepad and started jotting things down. She made one list for groceries, another for the liquor store. She’d stop by the mall to pick up some new towels. Were the guest sheets nice enough? Thinking about linens made Olivia’s mind jump to the furniture in the guest room. It was pretty tired. She hopped online and started looking for stores that could do immediate delivery. After finding a store that delivered locally and had photos of their full inventory, she chose a set that she liked. She picked up the phone, chatted with a very nice sales guy and, within fifteen minutes, had it ordered and delivery scheduled.
Olivia walked into the kitchen feeling satisfied with everything she’d accomplished. She looked at Joss, who had just come in and was taking off her boots. “I ordered new furniture for the guest room.”
Joss raised a brow, unsure how making lists had turned into buying furniture. “You did? Is there something wrong with the furniture that’s in there now?”
Olivia made a face. “No, it’s just old. It was the furniture I had in my apartment when I was in grad school.”
To Joss, that was exactly the kind of furniture you’d put in the guest room. “Oh.”
“I convinced my parents to stay with me instead of in a hotel. I want it to be nice for them.”
Olivia was making less sense rather than more. It wasn’t the first time in the last couple of weeks, so Joss decided to let it go. She also shoved aside the weird feeling she got at the realization that Olivia had and would spend money on new furniture at the drop of a hat. “I’m sure it will be really nice.”
“I think so. Unfortunately, the only day they can deliver it is next Monday, but I have my last class before break and a meeting. And my parents will be here the next day. Any chance I could sweet talk you into being here for the delivery guys?”
Joss hated to give up a whole day of work, but the Patels were out of town, so there was no reason she couldn’t go over later in the day or over the weekend to make up the time. “Sure.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ll leave instructions on where I want everything and money to tip them.”
Olivia was probably trying to be thoughtful, but Joss cringed. It felt like a clear statement about who was in charge. Olivia saw it as a favor and not as something Joss would do because they were in it together. “What about the furniture that’s in there now?”
“Crap. I knew I was forgetting something.”
Joss shook her head. She’d tried not to notice how flighty Olivia had been in the last couple of weeks. At least, flighty about everything that wasn’t school. “Even if you’re tired of it, it’s a nice set. I can take it to the secondhand store in town for you if you want to put it on consignment.”
“That would be great. When it sells, I’ll take us out for a nice dinner.”
“You don’t have to do that. I offered to help.”
Olivia kissed her. “Think of it as a token of appreciation.”
Olivia went back to making her lists and Joss stood in the kitchen. Again, she didn’t think Olivia meant it in a bad way, but the choice of words made Joss feel more like a hired hand than Olivia’s partner. Joss had a flashback to the party with the people from Olivia’s department—the awkwardness and the insinuation, the queasy feeling it gave her. Then there was the way Olivia reacted to it. After the fight that ensued, Olivia had convinced her it was an anomaly, that some of the people she worked with brought out the worst in her. Could the same be true of her parents?
Joss shook her head. She hoped not. For one thing, it could make the next couple of weeks close to unbearable. For another, it would say things about Olivia that Joss wasn’t sure she could accept.