He still held her close. “Good to see you.” His smile and eyes were like neon welcome signs. He could not contain his delight. “Wow. You’re really here!” He finally let her loose and took a step back.

“I am indeed.” Luna could hardly believe it herself. Luna popped the tailgate as Gaines moved to the back of her car.

“Let me help you with your things.” He grabbed her weekend bag. “You pack light.” He chuckled.

“Oh, you should have seen what I started with!” Luna was surprisingly relaxed now. When she first got in her car, she was gripping the wheel for almost an hour. Now that she was finally at his place, she felt she could breathe normally. Just be yourself, she kept telling herself. “Your trees are magnificent.” She gestured toward the red maples and the willow oaks.

“Wish I could take credit, but they were here long before I bought the place.” Gaines smiled. “Come on.”

He led the way to the front door.

It was exactly how she pictured it. A small step down into a living room that ran from the front to the back, with a large picture window that looked out onto the yard. A fireplace was on the left and a wall on the right separated it from the kitchen. The dining area was to the right of the living room, in front of the kitchen area. To the left was a hallway that led to the bathroom and two bedrooms. For its modest size, it had an open feel to it.

“Welcome to my humble abode.” Gaines set down her bag.

“It’s great. The way you made it sound, I was expecting a tumbled-down shack!” Luna replied. “But I see what you mean about brown.” The old walnut-colored paneling was a throwback to the 1950s.

“Wait until you see the kitchen.” Gaines chuckled.

“What’s left of it, that is.” He walked through the living room, skirting the big ugly brown sofa, and turned the corner into the dining area.

Luna set the pastry boxes on the makeshift table. “What a beautiful setting.” Luna noticed the flowers immediately. “Don’t tell me you arranged them yourself,” she taunted him.

“I arranged for them to be delivered. Does that count?”

“Most definitely.” Luna peered through the skeleton walls where he had ripped down the Sheetrock.

“A little renovating?”

“Yes. This is where I’m stuck. I have to remodel this kitchen, but I’m not sure how to approach it.”

“My first suggestion is to eliminate this wall if you can and put an island with a snack bar on this side.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking, but it’s a load bearing wall, so it would need to be supported.”