Cole tapped his lips. “How much?”
“Just under three.”
“You’re joking.”
“Nope. You looking for an investment property?”
“I might. I’ve been floating a few ideas around for something. We can talk in the new year.”
“Sure.”
Bran coughed. “I don’t know about you ladies, but I came for lunch. Let’s go get a steak somewhere.”
“Okay, but I can’t be late getting home. I left Tori on her own today.”
Bran laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “And so it begins, bro. And so it begins.”
Jeremy took the teasing with a smile. Yeah, they were right and they were ribbing him about it. But it occurred to him that he really didn’t mind at all.
* * *
Tori had spent the day walking in the park, having a sandwich in a small shop somewhere and then window-shopping. She’d found this little store in Midtown that had an appealing array of housewares in the window, and inside was even better. Now, as she waited for Jeremy to come home, she looked at the items she’d bought and fought against nerves. What if he didn’t like the changes? What if he resented her stepping in and doing anything to his space?
She had receipts. She could take it all back.
The kitchen smelled good, too. She’d stopped at a market and bought the groceries required to make her curried chicken and broccoli casserole. She’d made a salad, too.
The casserole was almost ready and she was watching another holiday movie on TV when Jeremy came through the door. “Wow, something smells great in here,” he said from the foyer.
Score one. She got up from the sofa and went to the foyer to greet him as he hung up his coat.
“Hi. I made dinner. Not that Melissa isn’t a great cook, but I like to cook and since I was at loose ends today
...”
“No explanation required. I’m glad you got out today.”
“I did! I had fun.”
He stepped into the main living area and stopped short. “What the—? You decorated.”
“Only a little.” She folded her hands in front of her. “You didn’t have anything up for Christmas, and it felt a little...monochrome in here.”
He unbuttoned his suit jacket and loosened his tie, staying quiet long enough that her nerves bubbled up again. “I think that was the decorator’s objective,” he said. “To let the space speak for itself.”
“Oh.” His lukewarm response let all the air out of her joy balloon. She’d wanted it to be a lovely surprise. To see his face light up. Now she was just let down.
He pulled off his tie and stuffed it into his pants pocket while she stood there, unsure of what to do next. She rather liked the little three-foot tree she’d bought, decorated with white lights and red and silver bows. The poinsettia centerpiece she’d had delivered from the florist graced the center of the dining table. The air smelled of pine boughs and cones from the candle arrangement on the glass coffee table. A small gift bag sat on the table, too, and her eyes stung. He didn’t like it.
She wouldn’t be so obvious as to move his present right away. She’d wait until he moved somewhere else and sneak it away to her room, or perhaps in the drawer of the table. She could return it tomorrow. Return everything.
“I have receipts,” she whispered.
“What?”
“Receipts. To take everything back. I know it was presumptuous of me. This is your home. I just thought...it could use some Christmas spirit in here.”
He looked at her strangely, then turned his back and went to the kitchen. She rushed over to the table, grabbed the gift bag and tucked it into the drawer where he kept his remotes and magazines.