Caitlin’s sister-in-law directed the camera toward the front step, so Caitlin could see it. “He looks so real that if it wasn’t for his orange noggin, I’d think it was your daddy sitting there,” she raved.
“Can you show us what the windmill looks like on the inside?” interjected Caitlin’s niece, Maya, keeping them on topic.
“Okay, I’ll give you a quick peek, but then I have to go—I have a meeting with the carpenter who’s going to fix it up.”
The children oohed and ahhed when they saw the rustic, rough-hewn, eight-walled interior of the windmill.
“It’s like a fort,” Logan said.
“No, it’s like a log cabin,” countered Maya. “What’s that ladder for?”
“That’s a staircase. It leads to the loft on the second story.”
“Cool. Can you show us what’s up there?”
“Mm, maybe another time.” Despite resolving to be braver, Caitlin still felt apprehensive about being on the phone with the children the first time she went into the loft. “Right now, I have to hop into the shower before the carpenter comes.”
“Okay, you guys, let’s say goodbye to Auntie Caitlin,” her sister-in-law instructed, and the children chorused their farewells.
“Bye-bye, everyone. I love you,” Caitlin echoed.
After going outside and locking the door behind her, she lingered next to the windmill for a moment, smiling at her niece and nephews’ childish excitement about its old, skeletal and somewhat drab interior. Funny, how seeing it through their eyes had made being inside “Auntie’s Auntie’s windmill” feel a little less daunting.Now, my next challenge is to get over my hangup about going into the loft…
When Shane showed up at 2:00 on the dot, Caitlin’s first thought was,Why on earth would his cousin think he needs help finding a date? I bet women hit on him all the time—he’s the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome!He was also incredibly muscular, neatly dressed, and he had a cleft in his clean-shaven chin.
“Hi, Caitlin,” he said, extending his hand. Little surprise that his skin was smooth and warm, and his grip was firm.
“Hello, Shane,” she replied, hoping she hadn’t squeaked. Usually, Caitlin wasn’t flustered like this by a man’s appearance. Maybe it was because after he’d made such a poor impression on the phone, she wasn’t expecting him to look so pulled-togetherin person. “Should I show you the space, first, or do you want to hear what I envision for the remodel?”
“We can do both at the same time.” He gave her a friendly grin, and Caitlin felt oddly relieved to notice his teeth were a little crowded.
“Okay, sure.” She moved toward the windmill. Patting the gray shingled exterior, she said, “So, the project is to convertthisinto a living area. It has a loft, which will need to be remodeled, too.”
“This is my lucky day.” His grin broadened. “When you told me your address, I was hoping the project would include the windmill.”
“You might not feel so lucky when you see the interior,” warned Caitlin, although she was pleased by his enthusiasm. “The windmill was built in the mid-1800s, so obviously it has been structurally restored a couple of times since then and it’s had some minor repairs, too. Sadly, the previous owners gutted it in the 1960s so they could use the space as their rental office. If you ask me, it was a shame to destroy all that history, especially since they only needed room for a desk, a chair, and a filing cabinet, which they could’ve squeezed in if they’d really tried. At least, that’s what my uncle said when he and my aunt bought the property twenty-some years ago.”
“So the previous owners didn’t leaveanyof the functioning machinery?”
“Only the gear shaft mechanism near the ceiling, and this.” Caitlin tapped her foot against the millstone that had been repurposed into a step in front of the windmill door. She’d always loved that feature. “And wait till you see the beams and rafters. Some of the wood is original—or nearly original—and I have a feeling that beneath the grime, it’s gorgeous.”
She unlocked the door and pushed it open. Shane followed her inside and almost immediately gave a low, appreciativewhistle. “Wow, you weren’t kidding. This wood is amazing. Please tell me you don’t want to cover it up with drywall?”
“No way—I want to keep as much of it exposed as possible.”
“Phew, that’s good. ‘Cause if you wanted to cover it up, it would be such a travesty I’d have to turn down the job on principle.”
Caitlin laughed, something she wouldn’t have pictured herself doing inside the windmill. “I do think the stairs will need to be completely replaced though.”
“Agreed.” He sidestepped the lawn equipment to examine the staircase. “We’ll have to get creative because of the shape of the walls, but I’ll put in something much safer. Although this is sturdy enough for now. Can we go up and take a look around?”
“Sure.”
“Great. After you.” He stepped back and gestured for her to go first.
I can do this. I can do this, she thought but she couldn’t seem to move.
Her hesitation was so prolonged that Shane suggested, “I can go alone if you’re uncomfortable with heights? Or with… bats?”
