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“But can you save the moldings and trims?” she asked.
“All the millwork, the floors and doors, yes, I would save them, or at least try to.”
He crawled around in the attic and then outside in the crawl space, coming out with muddy knees.
“You’ll need a drainage system underneath. All new services, plumbing, electric, and gas, including HVAC.”
He made notes on a large pad of yellow paper.
“Do you want solar? What kind of outdoor space? How about that garage? You have a granite floor out there.”
When he finished taking notes, he invited her to have coffee so they could talk more about design. She agreed, and they went to a diner on the outskirts of town, rather than have to see anyone they knew. It wasn’t guaranteed, of course, and when they were deep in discussion about the kitchen, none other than Dave Chastain and Amber interrupted them. Katrina’s heart rate increased exponentially and she tried to minimize her height by sliding down in the booth a little bit.
But they noticed and Amber pulled Justin over to the booth. Katrina noticed Dave’s curiosity right off the bat. That man had the most expressive face. Even his eyes smoldered a little. Shifting in her seat, Katrina didn’t say a word.
“You two are the last couple we thought we’d run into,” Amber said.
“It’s all business,” Luke quickly replied, holding up a design he’d sketched on graph paper. “Miss Blanchard has entrusted me with the renovation of Creole Cottage.”
“So, you’re not doing it yourself like Maggie Angel?” Amber asked with just a hint of derision.
Luke jumped right in. “She’s amazing, isn’t she? She did a lot of the work, but hired the plumbing and electrical out, and Justin is a natural woodwright, like yourself, Sheriff. He’s ready to do whatever Maggie wants.”
“Oh jeez, I’m hardly a woodwright. I just do what I’m told.”
They laughed, chatting about the barn building experience.
Finally, when they didn’t leave, Katrina piped up. “You’re welcome to join us. I don’t think I can drink anymore coffee though.”
“It’s about lunchtime,” Luke said. “They have great sandwiches here.”
She looked up at Dave first and smiled, and then because it would be rude not to, she acknowledged Amber, too. “I’ll have lunch if you’re going to sit.”
The couple looked at each other, and Amber shrugged her shoulders. They didn’t have that much to say to each other, so dining with another couple might be interesting.
“Sure, thanks,” Dave said, pointing to the booth so Amber would slide in.
Katrina wished Dave would have gone in the booth first, because now it would be more obvious if she stared at him. However, she needn’t have worried because amusingly, Amber was all about Luke, starting right in with a conversation, resting her huge breasts on the table while she gestured with her hands.
Looking up for a moment, Katrina realized Dave was staring at her again, and it made her smile, even wink at him, all the while pretending to listen to whatever Amber was droning on about.
Waiting for the server, Katrina realized she’d had enough.
“I’d love to stay, but on second thought, it’s time for me to get busy. I have a ton of work to do this afternoon, and then tomorrow I’m flying to Denver. Luke, you can stay.”
“Nope, I’d better leave, too,” he replied with a sense of urgency that Katrina found amusing.
Amber attempted to get them to stay, making feeble jokes about having run them off, but they ignored her. They got up out of the booth and said goodbye, not looking back, going to their separate cars.
“I’ll work up an estimate and get back to you by Tuesday at the latest. Are you eager to get started?”
“I’m ready,” she said. “You can start demolition while I’m away.”
“Okay, I’ll work on permits, too. Thank you. Have fun in Denver.”
“I will,” she said, waving before she got into the car.
On the way to her room, she stopped off at Alphé’s house. His sister-in-law, Calista, Alphé’s brother’s widow, was there with her two children, bringing the number of kids to six. Wondering about a possible spark Katrina had seen between Calista and Alphé, it was possible she’d be competition. Katrina grew weary of the chaos and said goodbye after half an hour.
