Marion may not be judgmental about me selling the house immediately after Aunt Lydia’s death, but that’s probably because they were friends, she thought.I know how gossip spreads on Dune Island, and once the residents find out about my plans, everyone will have an opinion… Even worse, they’ll start gabbing about what happened the last time I was here.
Caitlin decided to ask for Shane’s discretion before she provided any details about the project.If he’s as wonderful as Marion says he is, then he’ll honor my request not to tell anyone about the remodel, she thought as she tapped his number into her phone.
“Hello?” he answered, his voice barely audible over the sound of running water in the background.
“Hi. Is this Shane Adams?”
“Yup, sure is,” he said. “Who’s this?”
Thrown off by his unprofessional tone, Caitlin was suddenly reluctant to tell him her name and she stuttered, “You-you don’t know me. I got your number from a mutual acquaintance—she spoke very highly of you.”
“Oh, did she now?” He chuckled, as if she’d made a joke.
“Yes.”Although I’m starting to question her judgment. “She suggested you might be available this fall?”
“Available for…?”
Caitlin paused, uncertain how to describe the project without giving away too much information, just in case she decided not to hire him after all. “I need to have a room refinished.”
“Oh! Could you hold on a sec?” He must have turned off a faucet, because suddenly Caitlin didn’t hear the water running any longer. “Sorry, I didn’t realize this was a professional call. I thought you were calling to ask if I’d be interested in going out. You know, on a date.”
“No. That’s the last thing I want!” Caitlin blurted out. Okay, maybe that was overkill. But did he always assume his female clients were interested in going out with him? “I’m looking for a carpenter, not a date.”
He apologized again. “My mistake—I’m very sorry and completely embarrassed. It’s just that my cousin is constantly trying to set me up. So when you said a mutual acquaintance gave you my name, and then you asked if I was available, I thought, well, you know…” He sounded very contrite and Caitlin decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.
“I guess I can see how you might make that assumption.”
“Yeah, especially since no one calls my landline for business purposes.”
“This is your personal landline?”I guess that explains his unprofessional greeting. Marion must not have realized she’d given me the wrong number.
“Yes. My cell phone connection is iffy, so I have a landline at home for backup. My parents are getting up there in age, and my mom’s had some health problems lately. So I want to be sure they can reach me at any time of day or night,” he said. “Not that I could help if there was an emergency—they live in South Carolina now—but at least I could be on the first flight out to see them.”
Shane had shared a lot, virtually all at once, and she got the sense he was flustered. It was charming, though. And touched by his concern for his family, Caitlin said, “I didn’t realize the number my friend gave me was for your home phone. If you give me your cell phone number, I can call back during business hours.”
“Sure, I’ll give it to you for the future, but this is fine for now. I’d like to hear more about your project.”
“Well…” She stalled a moment, unsure how to describe it without mentioning the windmill.
“If you’re having second thoughts about hiring me, I understand. But I promise I’m a lot more professional than I came across just now.”
“No, no, it’s not that,” she said. “But before I go into detail, I should confirm that you’re actually available—for the project, I mean. Ideally, I’d love it if you could get started right away and finish it before the holidays.”
“Yeah, I’ve got some openings in my schedule. But before I can commit to a timeline for the project, I need to hear more about it. And I’ll need to come take a look at the space, give you an estimate and all that. What’s the address? I could stop by tomorrow afternoon and we can chat about it then.”
“That would be great, but there’s just one more thing,” hedged Caitlin. “I, um, I have a kind of unusual request. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone about the project, or even that I’m here visiting the island…”
“That’s not such an unusual request.” Shane assured her, “Discretion’s the name of the game in this business, especially with so many celebrities and politicians buying property and building or renovating homes on the island. You have my word, I won’t mention any specifics about you or your project to anyone else.”
“Thanks.” Caitlin gave him the address.
“Hey, I know that location—that’s where the windmill house is,” he said, which was how people often referred to Lydia’s place. “No wonder you don’t want anyone to know you’re on the island or what your remodeling plans are. The locals would really give you an earful.”
Caitlin’s heart sank. He knew about her history? “Wh-what?”
“That place is an iconic landmark. If the residents find out you’re going to alter it, even if it’s just painting the doors a different color, they’ll start spouting off their opinions…”
Relieved, Caitlin said, “Right, exactly.”
