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  Kel laughed and Gina shook her head. “Hard to argue with that logic.”

  Gina and Kel insisted on paying the bill, despite Olivia’s protests that she wanted to thank them for putting her up for the last month and a half. Had it not been for their hospitality, she would have had to move into a hotel, or worse, sublet some student apartment, when her lease expired. She’d been beyond nervous to encroach on their space for such a long period of time, but it had been surprisingly easy, fun even, to stay with them.

  That night, in the room that would soon become a nursery for Gina and Kel’s twin boys, Olivia lay awake. She’d bought a house. In the country. That needed work. And had four acres of land. For the first time since she’d laid eyes on it over a month ago, Olivia found herself wondering if she’d gotten in over her head. When she finally fell asleep, she dreamed of blown fuses and leaking pipes.

  Chapter Five

  When Olivia emailed about getting an estimate for the work on her soon-to-be home, Joss was surprised. Based on how their first interaction had gone, Joss figured she was the last person Olivia would want to hire. But the email was friendly, flirtatious almost, and indicated a hope that they would work together. Joss decided to channel her annoyance into focus, spending extra time sketching out Olivia’s ideas and working up a competitive bid for the project. At this point, getting the project was a matter of principle.

  She showed up at the house twenty minutes before they were scheduled to meet, in part to look at the exterior with a designer’s eye rather than an inspector’s. She also wanted to be waiting when Olivia arrived. Again, it was a matter of principle.

  Joss parked out front and took in the view. The house really was a charmer. With the front porch repaired, a coat of paint, and new shutters, it would look fresh and inviting while maintaining its historical character. Joss could see herself taking in the view of the yard from a nice old rocking chair. The image was strangely vivid and Joss had to shake her head to clear it from her mind. Olivia would probably hire a service to tend the yard and never bother to enjoy it.

  Just as she was starting to feel annoyed again, Olivia pulled into the driveway. Joss got out of her truck and grabbed her sketches, reminding herself that she wanted this job.

  “I’m so sorry if I kept you waiting,” Olivia said as she walked toward the front of the house.

  “Not at all. I was early.” Joss observed that, once again, Olivia was wearing a dress. This one had a vintage feel to it, black with white polka dots. It was flouncy and hugged Olivia’s curves in all the right spots. She liked the style—feminine in a way that made her think of old-school pinup girls instead of supermodels. She tried to focus on the fact that it was inappropriate attire for their walk-through, as well as the fact that she didn’t use the word “flouncy.”

  Olivia shook her hand and smiled. “Well, I signed away my savings, and perhaps my firstborn. There were a lot of forms, I can’t be sure. Either way, she’s all mine.”

  “Congratulations.” Joss was amused by the comment, even if she didn’t want to be. “And don’t worry. I’ve been to a couple of closings and I don’t think the signing away of offspring is one of the standard documents.”

  Olivia laughed; it was a rich and easy sound that went straight to Joss’s gut. “Oh, good. Since I don’t have any offspring, that might have proved problematic. Shall we?”

  Joss nodded. Why was Olivia being playful? That was not part of the equation. Joss balled her fists, resolving not to flirt with the woman she’d decided not to like. She followed Olivia around to the side door, the one not attached to the crumbling porch. Olivia pulled the key out of her purse and slipped it into the lock. She turned the knob, but just stood there.

  “Is it stuck?” Joss asked.

  “No. I mean, yes, but it’s not…I just…”

  Joss realized Olivia’s hands were shaking. Well, hell. It was impossible not to go soft on a woman who was trembling, especially about buying a house. She placed her hand lightly on Olivia’s arm and said, “It’s okay. This is a really big deal.”

  “Was I that obvious?” Olivia shook her head, but smiled. “We’re good. I’m good.”

  “Good.” Joss stepped back and tried not to think about the way Olivia’s hair smelled like almonds and cherries or the light dusting of freckles on her cheeks that she hadn’t noticed before.

  Olivia gave the door a good shove with her hip and stepped inside. It looked exactly as it did the day she’d been there for the inspection. Sunlight streamed in through the windows over the sink and in the small breakfast nook. Dust motes danced around in the beams of light. A mouse, clearly not expecting the intrusion, scurried under the door to the basement.

  Joss, with a voice that sounded more gentle than professional, said, “It’s a great house.”

  Olivia relaxed, reassured by Joss’s words. “Thanks. I think you’re right. Good bones.”

  “Good bones.” Joss nodded her agreement. “Let me show you what I think we can do with these bones.”

  Joss led the way to the counter nearest the windows and unrolled a set of drawings. The first one was the floor plan for upstairs. The only change they’d discussed was knocking out a wall to combine the tiny fourth bedroom and bath into a larger bathroom and walk-in closet.

  “The cost for this isn’t huge,” she said, “because we aren’t going to move any of the plumbing. The tub will stay exactly where it is and we’ll tie into the existing lines for the shower enclosure.”

  Although the blueprint only had circles and squares and lines to represent fixtures and walls and doors, Olivia could envision it perfectly. “Yes, it’s exactly what I want.”

  “Technically, you could be hurting your resale value by taking it from four bedrooms to three, but I think it’s worth it.”

  “I agree, and I certainly don’t need four bedrooms.”

  “Right. Now, for the main attraction.”

  Joss shuffled the papers to reveal a blueprint for the main level of the house. Olivia took in the images, overwhelmed by how perfect they were. Joss had taken everything she said in her email and created a plan that opened up the space while maintaining the integrity of the original design. Half of the wall between the kitchen and living room was gone. In its place was a massive island that literally doubled the work surfaces in the kitchen.

  “Doing it this way means you shouldn’t have to compensate for any load-bearing walls. Although I wouldn’t necessarily lay out the appliances this way, it’s functional, and not moving anything is going to save you on plumbing and electric.”

  Olivia could see it, and she loved it. “It’s absolutely perfect.”

  Joss couldn’t help but smile, at least a little. The house was going to be amazing, there was no doubt about it. Olivia’s face glowed with excitement; the sincerity of it proved irresistible. Joss pulled herself back to reality so that they could talk materials. This would be telling.

  “You don’t have to decide everything now, but knowing your general thoughts will allow me to give you a more precise estimate.” She expected Olivia to want granite counters and all the other must-have upgrades that seemed to be featured on every episode of every show on the HGTV channel.

  “My big indulgence is going to be high-end appliances. I want the six-burner gas stove, the refrigerator with French doors, the whole thing.”

  “Okay.”

  “Everything else is about balance. I want it to look nice and be durable, especially when it comes to things like counters and bathroom fixtures, but I don’t have my heart set on anything. I’d rather keep with the traditional farmhouse aesthetic than do anything really modern or trendy. Does that make sense?”

  Joss nodded. Damn it all if it wasn’t exactly what she would do. She scribbled some notes, punched numbers into her calculator, made more notes. When she looked up, Olivia was staring at her with what appeared to be a mixture of anticipation and dread. She handed her the paper with her estimate for the entire project. Olivia looked at it
, looked at her, looked at it again.

  “This is for materials and labor?”

  It was a very competitive estimate. If Olivia balked, Joss was prepared to walk away and wash her hands of the whole thing. Knowing that most of the other companies in town wouldn’t come close, or would do subpar work, would be her consolation.

  After what seemed like a long time, Olivia tapped her fingers together. “Let’s say, then, that I wanted to do the upstairs floors as well. If I rip out the carpet myself, how much to sand and refinish them?”

  Joss studied Olivia for a moment. It was hard to imagine this pretty woman, with her pretty dresses and pretty drawl, on her hands and knees with a crowbar. “Rip up the carpet, including the padding, pull out all the staples, and fill all the holes?”

  Joss enjoyed a small satisfaction in seeing Olivia’s eyes get big. To her credit, she regained her composure quickly. Whether it was pride or naiveté, Joss couldn’t be sure.

  “Yes.”

  “Full second floor minus the bathroom, including new thresholds and quarter-round where needed, stain of your choice, two coats of polyurethane, and you sign with me to do the rest of the work. Eighteen hundred more.”

  Olivia stuck out her hand. “Deal.”

  Once they’d shaken hands, Olivia cracked a grin. Joss got the distinct impression that she was on the verge of a happy dance. They’d see how happy she was after her fiftieth splinter.

  “We’re just finishing up a project. We should be able to start by the middle of next week. Will that work for you?”

  “The sooner the better.”

  The smile Olivia flashed was enough to send a jolt of heat right to Joss’s core. It was okay. She’d probably hardly have to see her. She’d do amazing work on this beautiful house that deserved to be restored, then she’d be on her way and that would be the end of it. “We do our best to stay on schedule.”

  “I’m sure you do. Oh, I should probably mention that I’ll be living here during the reno.”

  “What?” It wasn’t unheard of by any means, but given the extent of the work, it didn’t seem like the best idea. Plus, Olivia was so girly. In Joss’s mind, girly meant high maintenance.

  “I know it sounds crazy, but my lease was up a few weeks ago and I’ve been staying with friends. I really don’t want to impose on their hospitality any longer than I have to. Plus, I’d rather not move in the middle of the semester if I don’t have to.”

  “You realize there will be days where you have no running water, no electricity?”

  Olivia’s smile didn’t falter. “If there are a couple of days I need to stay with them again, I certainly can. And I’ll be leaving most of my furniture in storage so it won’t be in your way. Don’t worry about me. I like to be in the thick of things.”

  “If you say so.” Joss told herself not to worry about it. After two days of sawdust and hammering, Olivia would be running for the hills.

  “I’m tougher than I look.” Olivia winked at her.

  “Okay, then. Let’s tentatively set next Wednesday as our start day. We’ll take measurements and poke around, then demo will start on Thursday.”

  That was still two weeks before the semester started. “Sounds perfect.”

  “Great. I’ll plan to see you at eight. You can also decide whether you want to be here to let us in and out or give me a key for the duration of the work.”

  “I start teaching again in a couple of weeks, so I’ll give you a copy. Thank you.”

  “And thank you for choosing Bauer and Sons. We appreciate your business.”

  Whatever casual rapport they had while chatting about the house was gone and Joss was, once again, all business. Olivia sighed. It was okay. Joss would do good work and she’d still be nice to look at.

  They shook hands and Olivia watched Joss leave. She then broke into the happy dance she’d been holding in since she saw Joss’s plan for the house, and the estimated cost. Between the money her grandparents had left her and her own savings, she wouldn’t have to finance any of the work. And since she was going to pick out all the details herself, it was much more exciting than buying a more expensive house in the first place.

  She took a few minutes to walk around, soaking in the fact that the house was now hers. She decided the small sitting room downstairs, the one she was planning to use as an office, would be a perfect makeshift bedroom. Since it only needed a fresh coat of paint and to have the floors refinished, it would be one of the last rooms done. By that time, hopefully the upstairs would be finished and she could move into her actual bedroom.

  Olivia returned to the kitchen. Since she didn’t plan on keeping it, she realized she hadn’t even bothered to check and see if the refrigerator worked. She plugged it in, fiddled with the thermostat knob, and heard the compressor rumble to life. Fortunately, someone had thought to clean it and leave the door open, so it didn’t even smell bad.

  Olivia closed the door and put her hands on her hips. She looked around the room again and nodded. This was going to be so much fun.

  *

  Moving in was almost anticlimactic. When the movers showed up at the storage facility, Olivia was ruthless. She had them load her smaller guest bed, one chest of drawers, a futon for the living room, and a small rolling cart and folding table for the kitchen. The truck seemed oddly empty and she was pretty sure the movers thought she was crazy. She had them throw in a couple boxes of books and some basic kitchenware.

  Gina, who’d come to help, raised a brow. “That’s it?”

  Olivia shrugged. “I’m being practical. The less I bring now, the less I have to move around for Joss’s crew to work.”

  “I get it. I mean, I don’t know how you’re going to do it, but I get it.”

  Olivia smiled. “Do you still want to come and see the house even though there’s nothing for you to do?”

  Gina slung an arm over her shoulder. “Woman, that’s why I offered in the first place.”

  It took longer to drive back to her house than it did for them to unload everything. Since the movers seemed almost bothered by having so little to do, Olivia had them carry in the suitcases of clothes from her car that she’d had at Gina and Kel’s. That took them all of six minutes. Olivia smiled and shrugged, promising to call them again when she moved in earnest. She tipped them generously and sent them on their way.

  She spent half an hour showing Gina around, pointing out the wall that would be coming out and where the new kitchen island would be. Gina was enthusiastic, if a bit skeptical.

  “It’s not that I don’t believe it will be fabulous.”

  “But?” Olivia worried that Gina had picked up on something she’d missed in her giddiness and her vision of what it could be.

  “No but. I just can’t imagine starting with this. I don’t have a DIY bone in my body.”

  Olivia laughed. “You have so many other talents.”

  “Thanks. Really, though, do you know how to do any of this stuff?”

  “I’m leaving all the serious work to the professionals. Painting is easy and I like it. Wallpaper and carpet removal probably won’t be fun, but I want to get my hands in it, get dirty. You know?”

  Gina shook her head. “If you say so.”

  “And let’s not forget the sexy contractor.”

  “Right. You’re looking for some opportunities to brush up against her. Literally.”

  “If that happens to be a side effect of things, I certainly wouldn’t complain.”

  “I look forward to the tales of your exploits.”

  “And I look forward to having exploits worthy of tales.”

  After Gina left, Olivia stood in the kitchen. It felt nearly as empty as it did before. Olivia had a moment of alarm that this was how she was going to live for the next couple of months, but she brushed it off. It was all good. She was excited for her minimalist adventure.

  She thought Joss would be happy that she hadn’t clogged up the rooms with unnecessary stuff. Happy and impressed. She wan
ted Joss to be impressed. And to like her. And Olivia had a sneaking suspicion it was going to take a lot more than her usual tactics to get there.

  She took a little while to put away her clothes in the dresser and downstairs closet, then realized there really wasn’t anything else to unpack. Kitchen stuff would need to stay in boxes since the cabinets would be gone sooner rather than later. Since she hadn’t yet bought any supplies, there weren’t any projects she could start, either. As far as she was concerned, that could only mean one thing: shopping.

  Olivia drove into town thinking about what she’d need to start some of her projects. She took the winding road that skirted the lake, enjoying the glimpses of water through the trees. Halfway there, she remembered she’d neglected to locate the boxes containing towels and other bathroom items. It was the perfect excuse to indulge in a few new ones, along with a shower curtain and mat to tide her over until the renovations were done.

  She started at Bed Bath & Beyond, picking out a shower curtain covered in little gray whales and a matching bath mat. There were some bright pink towels on clearance and she figured why the hell not. That got her thinking about the fact that she needed a washer and dryer. Really, the sooner she bought those, the sooner she could stop dumping time and quarters into the Laundromat. It was the practical thing to do.

  She stopped by one of the big box stores, found a nice high efficiency set on sale, and arranged delivery for later in the week. Then she roamed the aisles, looking at paint colors and floor samples and everything in between. Although part of her wanted to buy one of everything, she decided to start with the supplies she’d need to take down the hideous wallpaper that seemed to be covering every flat surface in the house.

  After getting some advice and buying everything she thought she’d need, Olivia headed to Wegmans. While it was difficult, she managed to restrain herself from filling her cart with every spice and pantry staple she could think of. Since everything she put in her pantry would only have to come out again when the work started, she kept it to produce, things she could eat within the week, and coffee. Even with her restraint, she managed to fill five large canvas grocery bags. A lot of it was cleaning supplies, though, which made it seem better.