Building the Perfect Daddy by Brenda Harlen Page B

“With a little assistance from what Monica refers to as her planning bible.”
    â€œI think I’m going to need a lot of assistance.”
    â€œHaven’t you been thinking about this kitchen renovation since you bought the house?”
    She nodded. “I must have redesigned this room a dozen times in my mind over the years, but I never made any final decisions. Probably because I wasn’t sure this renovation was ever going to happen.”
    â€œIt’s going to happen now,” Ryder assured her.
    And, surrounded by the cameras and his crew, she was finally starting to believe it.
    * * *
    The morning taping kept Lauryn tied up longer than she’d expected, and it was after noon before she was able to make her escape. Then she had to meet Kylie’s bus, load both of the kids into the van and head over to her parents’ house so that Susan could watch them while Lauryn relieved Bree, one of only two part-time employees at The Locker Room.
    Thankfully, she didn’t have to worry about feeding Kylie and Zachary. She’d called her mother before she left home to let her know they were going to be hungry, and Susan had lunch ready when they arrived—including a sandwich for Lauryn to take with her. Thank goodness for my family , she thought to herself as she kissed Kylie and Zachary, then gave her mom a quick hug. She honestly didn’t know how she would’ve have made it through the past nine months without them.
    Mondays tended to be quiet at the store. Not that The Locker Room did a brisk business any day of the week, but on Mondays, in particular, the hours seemed to drag. With few customers to tend to, Lauryn spent her time tidying up displays and re-shelving misplaced merchandise. When the bell over the door rang, she turned toward the front of the store with a ready smile on her face.
    The smile froze when she recognized the man who walked through the door.
    â€œRyder.”
    â€œHello, Lauryn.”
    â€œIs there something I can help you find?” she asked, pretending he was just another customer.
    â€œActually, I was looking for you,” he said. But he took a minute to glance around the store. “You’ve recently done some work in here.”
    â€œA few cosmetic touches to refresh the store’s image.”
    â€œI like the color.”
    â€œJordyn has a good eye for that kind of thing.”
    â€œAn important quality in an artist, I would think.”
    She seemed surprised that he’d remembered the detail that she’d dropped into a casual conversation several days earlier, but Ryder had always believed that good customer service started with paying attention to his clients and listening to what they wanted—which was why he was here.
    â€œWe need to decide on a cabinet style and color as soon as possible. My supplier is expecting a big order for a new development in the north end, and we want to get yours in ahead of that or the original four-to six-week time frame could end up being ten to twelve.”
    â€œThen I guess I’d better decide on my cabinets.”
    â€œBased on what seemed to catch your eye when you were looking through Monica’s book, I’ve narrowed it down to three choices,” he told her, setting three photos on the counter.
    â€œThis is a shaker style, obviously in white. This is a mission style in cherry, and this is an inset design in dark walnut,” he told her, pointing to each picture in turn. “Of course, there are numerous other colors available in each of the styles—including birch and maple, which are both very popular.”
    Her gaze shifted from one picture to the next and back again. “I like the crisp, clean look of this one,” she said, indicating the shaker style.
    â€œIt’s a classic,” he assured her.
    â€œBut I’m not sure about the white—more specifically, how it will hold up against sticky fingers.”
    â€œPeanut butter