‘And by light and airy,’ she prompted, ‘you mean … remove the roof and ceiling altogether?’
He looked down at her, his face deadpan. ‘Ha. Funny. But no.’
She wanted to throttle him, but that was when he got animated.
He pointed to the left and his eyes lit up. ‘Imagine this. Relocate the laundry to allow for an open-plan living area—’ he swept both arms wide, ‘—then knock out the back wall and extend. Put in floor-to-ceiling windows. Maybe some bi-fold doors. Build a huge covered deck, right where we’re standing, creating an outdoor living space that’ll give you an incredible view of the river. And to the side, add on a new master suite, again with a huge window so that every morning—’ he turned and lifted his arms, encompassing the entirety of the panoramic outlook before him, ‘—you wake up tothis.’
She stared at him, her jaw slack, and realised that, at some point, goosebumps had erupted over her body. Now, lifting her hands and pressing them to her cheeks, she shook her head in disbelief, her gaze flitting from the house to the view behind them and back again. Noah had, in less than a minute, painted a picture she never could have imagined.
And she wanted it. She wanted all of it.
‘How long would option two take?’
Noah furrowed his brow, appearing as if he were doing a few quick calculations. ‘My guess is anywhere from about six to nine months, a bit longer if we run into any road blocks.’
‘And option one?’
He glanced back at the house. ‘Couple of weeks. A few months at most.’
Gnawing on her lip, she considered each scenario. She could go for option one, give the place a bare-minimum facelift, sell it as soon as she’d claimed her inheritance, then head back to Townsville and purchase the cottage.
Or—and, already, ideas were jumping out at her and stirring up a flight of excited butterflies in her belly—she could go for option two. With the cash she was set to inherit and the house as a valuable asset, she’d surely have no issues applying for a home loan to purchase the cottage. Then, once the renovations here were finished, she could sell for a more sizeable profit, which she could then use to pay off the loan. Or … maybe she could keep the place. Rent it out on Airbnb. With a large deck and a view of the river, it’d make a sweet country getaway.
She looked up at Noah, her mouth stretching wide in a grin she was powerless to contain. ‘Let’s do it.’
His eyes widened. ‘Option two?’
She nodded. ‘Option two!’
‘Yeah.’ He pumped both hands in victory. ‘Nailed it.’
‘You did, Noah. You really did.’ She allowed him a moment of triumph before turning for the front yard. ‘Now, let’s discuss your fee.’
CHAPTER
TEN
Over the week that followed, Beth spent the majority of her time second-guessing her decision. Had she acted impulsively? Too rashly? She’d have to throw a lot of cash at this renovation, but would it pay off in the end? Would she earn the money back, and then some?
She thought about contacting Noah and asking him to hold off, but by the time she even considered that as an option, he’d already organised for the site to be surveyed and the house to be tested for asbestos. And he was so excited to be sketching his ideas for the new layout that she didn’t have the heart to tell him to wait. She knew, of course, that he’d understand if she wanted more time to think about it, but the longer she held off saying anything, the more she believed this was the right course of action.
Still, that didn’t stop her from spending her free time worrying, which was why she relished her shifts at the cafe, especially when it was busy, and today was exceptionally busy, given that Lan was working the kitchen. Lan managed the canteen at the local primary school but sometimes filled in for Tom on Saturdays, and her pork bánh mí was wildly popular.
The bell over the door tinkled and in filed Flo and her craft group. Beth welcomed them with a cautious smile. She’d spent some time with Flo over the last month and they’d been getting to know each other over cups of tea, but this was the first time she’d seen any of the others since the day she’d fled from them in a panic.
‘Hello, ladies—Oh!’ Too late, she realised her mistake when she spotted Trevor bringing up the rear. ‘I mean,everyone. Hello, everyone.’
Trevor dismissed her correction with a wave. ‘“Ladies” is fine by me, honey. It’s Hana whose pronouns are they/them.’
Crap.How on earth was she supposed to get her foot out of her mouth after that? She wished she could disappear.
‘I amsosorry, to both of you. To everyone. That was really presumptuous of me.’ Logically, she knew her faux pas was insignificant, but that didn’t stop her face from heating with embarrassment, which only heightened her anxiety because what if the others noticed how red her cheeks were? Normal people didn’t let such silly mistakes get to them. This was why it was easier to just keep her mouth shut.
Willing her body temperature to return to normal, she did a quick head count, then rearranged some tables, pushing two together to accommodate the group. When she was done, she turned and ushered them forward, confident that her blush had eased.
Elsie and Carmen chatted animatedly as they took their seats and Flo patted Beth’s cheek gratefully as she passed.
‘We heard Lan’s working today,’ Trevor said as he sat down. ‘So bánh mí all round, if you please!’ Waving Beth over, he whispered, ‘Extra pork in mine and all is forgiven,’ then gave an exaggerated wink.
