Baby steps. Moderation.
He called Siena. “Hey, I need a favor.”
“Sure.”
“Leanna is moving in with me when I get back home, and—”
“Moving in? So you didn’t break up? Good. I was worried. Not that I know her or anything, but you sounded happy, and…Oh, Kurt I’m so happy for you.”
“You two will get along great.” He smiled at the thought of them spending time together. He was excited for his family to meet Leanna and even more excited to build a life with her.
“Is she coming to the wedding?”
“No. She can’t reschedule her meeting, but I won’t get back into New York until late Sunday night, and she’s coming in Monday. Would you mind helping me to rearrange some things so she has room?”
“You really trust me to go through your drawers and stuff?” Siena asked.
He pictured her thinly manicured brows raised. “I trust you, Siena, and don’t worry; you can snoop all you want. I’m an open book.”
She sighed. “Like I don’t know that already? Geez, Kurt. I’m not going to snoop. I was just teasing you. Okay. Tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it.”
“You’re a lifesaver. Mom has an extra key to my house, so you can get that from her.”
“Kurt, I’ve had your key for two years.”
He could practically hear her rolling her eyes. “Right. Sorry. I’m a little sidetracked.”
“Do you mind if Mom comes with me? She’d love to help get your house ready for a woman.”
“Of course she would.” The thought of the two of them working side by side to prepare for Leanna was an amusing one. He pictured them passing comments about how it was about time he found a real girlfriend.
“That’s fine. Just don’t go overboard. I was thinking about making room in the closet, the bathroom, the dresser. You know what to do.”
“Yeah, yeah. It’ll be fun. Can we get extra stuff? Do you care if we put some things she might want, like scented soaps, body wash, that kind of stuff?”
He sat back and looked out at the water as the tide rolled back in. “She probably has her own stuff that she’ll bring with her, but sure, go for it. Whatever you want. Just don’t turn my house into a pink, fluffy chick’s place.”
“Don’t worry. I know you like things a certain way. I’m so excited to finally meet her.”
“She’s pretty great.”
“Can you text me a picture of you guys?”
This gave him pause. He hadn’t had a real girlfriend in forever, and he rarely used his cell phone. He felt a step behind in the boyfriend category. He should have thought about pictures before Siena did. “I don’t have one, believe it or not, but I’ll take one tonight and send it over.”
“Good. I can’t wait to see it. What’s she like? Is she methodical and quiet like you? Does she organize her sock drawer by color?” Siena laughed.
“I don’t do that.”
“I know, but it’s funny.”
“Ha-ha. No, she’s not methodical. In fact, she’s just the opposite. She’s a free spirit. She isn’t a planner.”
“She’s a pantser? Wow. How does she feel about Mr. Plan Ahead?”
“She loves me, Siena, and yes, we’re a little different, but we’re happy.” He wasn’t sure they were really all that different. Underneath her disorganization and beneath his scheduled lifestyle, they were very much alike.
He and Siena caught up for a few more minutes, and by the time they ended their call, Kurt’s mind was ready to focus. He set his fingers on the keyboard and disappeared into the final chapters of Dark Times.
Chapter Twenty-Five
KURT’S LAST DAYS on the Cape flew by too fast for Leanna. She wanted to draw them out and eke out every second she could with Kurt. Between preparing for the meeting with Daisy Chain, working with Bella, Jenna, and Amy to figure out how to put a WordPress website together—which was a two-bottle-of-wine job—and spending time with Kurt, she felt the end of summer closing in on her. He’d gone to his house earlier in the day and closed it up for the summer, since he was going back to New York straight from Jack’s wedding in Colorado, and when he’d returned, she’d seen a shadow of sadness in his eyes.
She and Kurt had spent their time at her cottage so she could also have time with the girls, and she appreciated that concession. He seemed content anywhere as long as they were together, and it was one of the things she loved most about him. It was surprising how similar they really were.
They were packing the car with blankets and beach chairs to go to the drive-in theater Wednesday evening when Bella and Jenna stopped by, still dressed in their bathing suits and sundresses.