One Snowy Night (Sweet Home, Alaska #1) - Patience Griffin Page 0,78

furniture store.

There they tried out every large comfy sofa for the living room, the gathering spot for the B-and-B guests and the cabin dwellers alike. The salesman assumed they were a couple and Donovan didn’t correct them. Her stupid heart played along, too. Picking out furniture for the cabins was easy, the same items for each one. Hickory log bed frames, side tables, and dressers provided the Alaskan flair Donovan was looking for. Plush hotel mattresses would give the feeling of luxury out in the wilderness. The bedrooms in the main building would have a more substantial feel, with cedar log beds, something the two of them decided upon together.

“What about the non-B-and-B bedrooms?” Hope asked, referring to the family’s living quarters and feeling more than a little awkward when asking. It wasn’t like they were building a home together. “Do you want to do the same cedar log beds for those?”

“No. I think we should differentiate the living quarters from the guest quarters, don’t you? Something more upscale?”

“It’s your dime,” Hope said.

“Come help me find what will work.” Donovan strolled over to the luxurious bedroom sets as if they were a staple in his life. Not the same boy she knew, who loved to camp under the stars and run wild through the woods.

He insisted Hope try out each bed, lying side by side, deciding on the perfect firmness together. Where he was being practical, she was imagining choosing mattresses for the two of them. After testing nearly every one—and her nerves frayed beyond repair—they picked out the furniture for the family bedrooms, different styles for each. For Ella’s room, she indulged her whimsy and chose two wooden sleigh beds, something she’d always dreamed of having as a kid. For her room, she chose a more sophisticated look, a cream leather upholstery bed, one that would look great with a Barbara Lavallee–inspired quilt laid over a reading chair in the corner. For the master bedroom Donovan chose a massive four-poster bed that looked fit for a castle. The carved posts stood at attention like four turrets guarding the bed. Perhaps an extra loft quilt would work best with that one.

“Now that we’re done here, let’s go buy the soft furnishings for the rooms,” Donovan said.

Hope looked at her watch. “If we’re going to get fabric, we better do it now before they close.”

“Remember my grandmother’s Sisterhood of the Quilt wall hanging?” Donovan asked. “Would you be willing to duplicate the quilt and update it with new fabric?”

“Absolutely not. It’s your grandmother’s quilt.” The wall hanging looked like an aerial shot of a group of quilters’ hands as they worked on a simple quilt. It was one of a kind, special. And Hope had no right to change any of it.

“I thought I might send the original to my father to hang in his home in Florida.”

Hope felt foolish. “Oh. That would be nice. I’m sure your dad would cherish it. But maybe you should get Piney, Bill, or one of the other quilters to work on it. Someone who’s a better quilter than me.”

He shrugged. “I want you to do it.” He had a sad smile but seemed determined.

His insistence was really messing with her. And she tried not to read any more into it. Tried not to think that Donovan cared about her and wanted her to do this one special thing.

“Okay, I’ll make it.” For you.

“Thanks.”

As they drove to the first quilt shop, Hope sketched the Sisterhood of the Quilt wall hanging and did some quick math to figure out how much fabric it was going to take. The way they were blowing through money, Hope was sure Donovan was going to max out his credit cards soon.

“How about we hit two shops today and then a couple on our way back tomorrow?” She checked his expression before saying the rest. “I know I mentioned this before but you do understand that the fabric for the quilts isn’t going to be cheap, right? We could buy some inexpensive comforters at Walmart that would look great.”

“I know that would be fine, but it’s not just about selling the place, Hope. I have a vision for it, something my grandparents would be proud of if they were here.”

“As long as you’re aware.”

At the quilt shop Donovan stood close while Hope pulled bolts and had the sales help start cutting while she went to get more. Her bank account would never allow a shopping spree to buy any fabric she