Rhett could name a dozen things that he wanted, and they all centered around a prickly redhead. His brother sat back with a smug grin. “That’s what I thought.”
Chapter Fourteen
Dating Tips from Elsie Dodd
No expectations, no disappointments.
Elsie stood in the music room, gritting her teeth, trying to contain her temper as the county inspector, who was there to sign off on the new plumbing in the guest bath, hemmed and hawed. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the work,Stanwas expecting to deal with Big Pete. Except Big Pete had moved on to his next job and Elsie was finishing the remodel, including the guest bath, on her own.
She’d located a refurbished, 1960s chest of drawers converted to a modern vanity. Made from teak, it had sleek, clean lines and curved edges, with two square brass handles located in the middle, making it look more like a piece of art than bathroom furniture. She’d also planned on replacing the flooring with narrow, rectangular stone tiles and adding an extra sink, which was where the inspector came in.
In order to turn the single sink vanity into a double, they’d needed to move around some piping, which introduced the need of an inspector. All she required was his signature, then she could repatch the wall and begin the install.
Stan was going on and on about needing to see the original plans Big Pete had used, which was a problem since Big Pete, she’d learned, was more of a go-by-touch sort than a by-blueprint contractor. He got the job done, and it was good work, it just didn’t always follow the layout to the letter.
Stan’s lips were flapping about why protocol was important and how wasting the county’s precious resources should be punishable by law, and something about eating into his lunch hour—she couldn’t be sure since she was yawning.
Yesterday, after her time with Carla, she came home feeling confident in her decision. She’d wanted to talk to Rhett, but he’d been a no-show—which left her uncertain. She tried to tell herself it wasn’t any of her business what he did, they weren’t committed. Heck, they hadn’t even agreed on what that kiss meant or how his proposition would work. Did it leave room for other women? That would be a hard no for her. Then again, she didn’t see Rhett as a woman juggler like Axel.
What did she know? Maybe he made these kinds of offers all the time. Who was to say she was the only woman to capture his short-term interest? The idea sent a shot of white-hot jealousy crashing through her. Silly because they’d engaged in a little touching and a little kissing. Nothing more. She had zero claims on him.
But you want to.
With idle hands and all of that, Elsie had worked well into the night preparing the subflooring for the new tile. This morning she’d awoken at dawn to put the first coat of paint in the music room so it would be dry enough for its second coat.
“The next appointment I can give you would be a week from Tuesday, assuming you can get a hold of the contractor,” Stan said.
That snapped her wide awake. “I am acting contractor, completing the renovations myself. And a whole week would put me behind schedule.”
Dangerously behind schedule. Carla was coming on Saturday with her photographer to shoot the new rooms and Elsie needed the house looking pristine, just in case the impossible became possible.
“Until I can get the contractor to sign off on the work he did do, I’m kind of stuck.”
“I did the work.” Big Pete had been securing the three wooden beams to the ceiling in the music room and prepping the walls for paint. Elsie had taken over the bathroom.
Stan scratched the balding spot on his head with the tip of his pen, leaving behind a blue line. “You the owner?”
Wasn’t that the question of the hour. The truth was, today was closing day and she wasn’t sure if escrow had closed or if she was still the owner. She’d received a call from Axel and two from her banker, but she’d sent them to voice mail. Her gut told her that the house was no longer hers, buthearingthose words would change everything. She would be nothing more than a hired gun renovating a beautiful house that was no longer hers and that Rhett was now the rightful owner.
She’d even brought out a bottle of bubbly she’d been saving for her last night in the house. She’d imagined it would be her alone, saying goodbye to an old friend. Instead, it was a celebration of Rhett closing on his new house. It was hard to let go, but she was discovering it was even harder to hold on.
“No, as of today I’m not the owner,” she said honestly. “But the owner and I have an understanding.”
“So he hired you?”
“Not really. More of a favor.”
He didn’t look like he believed her.
She flashed a smile. “Carte blanche was the term used.” She’d used the term, not Rhett, but what Stan didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.
With a sigh, Stan flipped through his clipboard at the stacks of inspection sheets he still had yet to complete. She knew she was losing him.
“Okay, so here’s the truth. Up until twenty-four hours ago this was my house. But my cheating bastard of an ex sold it right out from under me. Now I have this once in a lifetime opportunity to be featured inModern Masterpiece. You heard of it?”
Stan crossed his arms across his chest, looking unimpressed.
“It’s a magazine and a big deal in my world. If I’m chosen, and that’s a big if, then this house will be showcased in their Portland edition.”
