A man, presumably the husband of the woman, was getting out of the car just as the woman stopped and made eye contact with Abbey. “Oh!” she said, her gaze moving from Abbey to the house. “This is completely amazing!” She walked up the steps carefully, those tall boots working hard to keep her steady. “I’m Robin, Nick’s sister. Are you Abbey?”
She knows my name? Abbey thought. She nodded, wishing she’d spent a little more time on herself. Robin’s expression was kind, not judging, and it set her at ease a little.
“Nick has told me so much about you!”
“He has?”
“Yes! He tells me you should be my decorator.”
“He did?” She was so surprised that he’d recommended her to his own sister.
“Yes! I have a loft in New York. If I like your work, I’ll have to fly you up.”
Jet-setting around the coast to decorate people’s homes sounded preposterous for her, but no more preposterous than getting the opportunity to decorate a multi-million-dollar home. She thought to herself how different her version of “normal” had become. She could actually do this.
The little boy, who had stopped to drag his fingers in the untouched snow, and the man both joined them on the steps.
“This is my son Thomas…” She patted his head. “And my husband James. This is Abbey, the decorator.”
James held out his hand to Abbey. He was strikingly handsome—he had a square jaw, a warm smile, and his hair was curly but perfectly cut. She shook his hand. Max stepped up beside them as they finished their introductions.
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said. “This is my son, Max.” Abbey looked down at the two boys standing side by side. “This is Thomas,” she said to Max. “Maybe he’d like to play with you.” The moment she said it, she worried that perhaps his mother didn’t want to get his clothes messed up, but when she looked at Robin, she was smiling.
Richard opened the door and ushered them inside. Abbey followed behind, needing a break from the cold. Max and Thomas were already chatting as Max kicked his snow-covered boots off at the door and unzipped his coat.
Robin gasped, her eyes going immediately to the giant Christmas trees in the entranceway. “Oh,” she said slowly, turning to Abbey and handing her coat to Richard at the same time. “These trees are positively gorgeous.”
Richard motioned for Abbey’s coat, so she shrugged it off and handed it to him along with her scarf and mittens. He scooped up the kids’ things and disappeared.
“Is this where Santa will leave our presents, Mommy?” Thomas asked as he stood next to one of the twenty-five-foot trees and tipped his head up to see all the way to the top.
“Probably not,” Robin said as she headed toward the ballroom, her heels clicking on the gleaming floors. She walked through the arching doorway and stopped in the center of the room then turned around. “Abbey, this is amazing work. These trees are fantastic. And that fireplace! Oh my goodness!” She threw her hand to her chest in dramatic excitement.
Thomas ran into the ballroom to see what his mother was raving about as Max followed.
“Wow,” James said as he entered, looking around.
Abbey was thrilled by their reaction. Having decorated around Nick and received so small a response to what she’d done, this was a welcome surprise. Hearing their praise, all the worry that she’d had about her lack of experience, picking high-end furnishings, and making the right decisions for such a wealthy client were totally gone. She caught herself smiling from ear to ear. She’d created the feel of this home all by herself, and now she realized that she could do this. Interior design was a possibility for her.
Thomas grabbed his father’s hand and began swinging it back and forth. “Is this where Santa will come?” he asked.
“I’ve put a smaller tree in the living room too,” Abbey offered. “Although I’m still decorating the house and I haven’t finished that tree. I thought maybe we could make some ornaments for it or something.”
“Lovely! That would be a more suitable place for Santa, wouldn’t it?” Robin said to Thomas. “It’s cozier in the living room, I’m sure.”
Abbey smiled. While it did have more casual furniture, the mere size of the room had removed it from any definition of “cozy” that Abbey had ever had, but she’d been able to pull it together with furniture, lighting, candles, and artwork, and now it was as comfortable as anywhere else.
Richard poked his head in. “Your bags are upstairs,” he said to Robin. “I wasn’t sure which room you’d choose, so I set them in the hallway. Please let me know if you need any further assistance.”