I took slow steps toward what had probably once been the kitchen. “Wow, I didn’t know a house could look so naked.”
Josiah chuckled, a low noise in his throat that brought the tingles back with a vengeance. Getting a laugh out of him felt like a hard-won victory.
“It doesn’t look like much now,” he said. “But it’s going to be nice.”
“Tawny oak would never do.” I gestured to the floor. “Not that I really know what tawny oak is, but it doesn’t sound pretty.”
“It’s over there.” He pointed to a large stack of long rectangular boxes. “My dad was here when the delivery arrived and he didn’t realize it wasn’t right.”
I looked at the picture on the top box while Max sniffed the perimeter. It wasn’t a terrible color. Kind of a light brown. But it didn’t seem to fit this house. “I assume the color your wanted is darker?”
“Yeah, a richer brown.”
“Do you pick the colors yourself?”
“Mostly. If I’m not sure, I ask my sister, but I can usually tell what will work and what won’t.” He pointed to the opposite corner of the house. “The kitchen will be over there. We took out a wall to open things up and create more space.”
“It’s hard to imagine what it would have looked like with a wall there.”
“Too dark and closed off.”
I wandered to where the kitchen would be. The walls looked like large portions had been repaired. “What happened here?”
“I got in a fight with the cabinets.”
There wasn’t a hint of humor in his tone but one corner of his mouth hooked ever so slightly.
“Who won?”
“Me.”
I laughed. “I can see that. And the wall was collateral damage.”
“Yeah, it’s not ideal.” He ran his hands over a seam. “More work but there wasn’t much I could do.”
“What’s it going to look like when it’s done?”
His eyes brightened a little. “I’m thinking walnut cabinets. Rich without being too dark. We’ll do an island here and I might paint it for a pop of color. And a statement light fixture. Something bold enough to be interesting without making it look cluttered.”
“Wow. That sounds amazing.”
He rested his hands on his hips and glanced around. “It’ll be a hell of a lot better than when we bought it.”
“I bet. And a lot less naked than it is now. I’m excited to see it come together.”
“Yeah.” His mouth hooked in that almost smile again. “Me too.”
I glanced around, looking for Max, but I didn’t see him. “Max? I think he might have gone upstairs.”
“That’s okay, it’s just as empty.”
“He’s like a toddler. Out of sight and quiet is dangerous.”
Josiah led the way up the stairs. The walls were intact but the floor looked just as unfinished. A small landing led to a short hallway with several doors—bedrooms, a bathroom, and what was probably a closet. We found Max sniffing a few tools in one of the bedrooms.
“There you are, Max. Silly dog.”
Josiah leaned against the door frame. “So, you work at the newspaper?”
My heart did a little skip at his apparent interest. “Yeah. It’s – interesting. I’m still figuring things out.”
“Have you always been in journalism?”
“Not exactly. It was my major in college but I’ve done a few different things, mostly in PR and marketing.”
“Then how’d you end up at the Tribune?”
“Weird, right? The truth is, I got laid off from my last job and couldn’t seem to find anything. I fully admit, I took this one more out of desperation than because it’s my dream job.”
“Do you like it?”
“It’s not bad. Sandra is a hoot. Lou is kind of grouchy but I don’t really blame him. Trying to keep a dying newspaper alive is bound to get old.” I shrugged. “It’s just temporary, anyway. I’m still looking for something else.”
“Here in town?”
“I sure hope not.” I laughed but the expressionless mask he wore threw me off. Did he not think it was funny or was that just his face? “Tilikum is fine but I never planned to move back to this area.”
“Hm.” He turned and headed for the stairs.
“Come on, Max.”
I followed and Max came down after me. He caught the scent of something and started following it around the perimeter of the room.