Ryan will make it worth your while. See how I did that there?”
“Clever. You’re getting good at this politician stuff,” Emily said. “Hey, on a completely unrelated topic, did you ever talk to Lilly?”
“Shoot. No, I never called her. I was so tired from having you spend all my money yesterday that I went to bed early last night.”
“Alone?”
Her question prompted Ryan to look at her in surprise. Then at me. Then at her. “Is there something going on I haven’t heard about?”
I shook my head and tried to flick her again, but she expertly dodged my hand and laughed. “Brooke has a little somethin’ somethin’ going on with the new bartender at the Palomino.”
“Emily!” I scolded. “That’s a secret. And anyway, I did go to bed alone last night. Stop spreading gossip.” I chuckled and looked around to make sure no one could hear us. I could feel the blush stealing over my cheeks, even though I didn’t mind that Ryan knew. It actually felt a little fun to be teased. And to have something so delicious to be teased about.
“I’m not spreading gossip because it’s true. And besides, we’re in church. You’re not supposed to lie in church.” She stuck her tongue out at me because we were that mature.
“I think you’re not supposed to punch your sister in the face in church, either, but I’m feeling rebellious.” I raised my fist, but that only made her laugh again.
“Ladies, ladies, ladies.” Ryan took both of us by the shoulder and turned us toward the front door. “Let’s head on over to the community center. I think the cold air and the walk will do you both good.”
“I’d consider this a midsize overhaul,” Ryan said as we stood on the third floor of the community center. “It’s very doable. The bones of this place are good, and the electrical isn’t in too bad of shape, from what I can tell. I see a lot of potential. What’s your timeframe on wanting it completed?”
“As soon as possible and under budget,” I answered with a chuckle. “But I guess my question is, if I get the financing approved, how long do you think the project would take? And how much would it cost?”
“I’ll need a little time to give you an estimate on cost. I’d have to do more inspections, check the plumbing and a few other things, but assuming there’s no huge defect that I just don’t see right now, I think we could be in and out in six to eight weeks. Maybe faster if I move some of my crew in here from other projects.”
“That’s awesome. Do you think if I got the council’s approval right away, you could start immediately? Maybe even have the main floor functional by Christmas?”
“Hold your horses, there, Mayor Callaghan,” my sister said. “I still need my crew working on the Blueberry Lane Bed-and-Breakfast.”
“I know. I was just thinking how fun it would be to have a big holiday party here. They used to do that when we were kids. Do you remember?”
Emily looked around, maybe trying to jog a memory. “Sort of. But Christmas isn’t that far off. Thanksgiving is next week.”
That caught my attention. “Thanksgiving is next week? Where the hell did November go?” I’d been so busy and distracted by work and Leo and more Leo and more work lately that the time was flying by. I couldn’t help but wonder if Leo would still be around at Christmas. Or New Year’s Eve. It sure would be nice to have someone to kiss under the mistletoe. And someone to kiss as the clock struck midnight. But just as a lot had happened in the past few weeks, a lot could happen in the upcoming weeks as well.
“Definitely not by Christmas,” Ryan answered, bringing me back to the moment. “Sorry, but there’s just no way to make that happen. Maybe by Valentine’s Day?”
Valentine’s Day? My mind wandered again. It sure would be nice to have someone to kiss on Valentine’s Day . . .
Chapter 18
I was nervous to the point of hyperventilating as I waited for Leo to come pick me up. I’d offered to just meet him at the Pier Lounge, since we’d agreed to have dinner at the Imperial Hotel, but he insisted on picking me up. And I wasn’t entirely sure what he even meant when he’d said “I’ll pick you up,” because his choices were horse taxi, tandem bike, or perhaps me riding on his back again.