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“I understand, but you have to try,” he said.
“No, you don’t,” she snapped. “You’ve never had a real relationship in your life.”
“My girlfriend left me a couple of years ago, and it was a difficult adjustment for me. That’s when I started going to therapy.”
“A girlfriend is a little bit different to a spouse of twenty-five years. We raised two children together,” she huffed.
His nostrils flared. “I understand that, Beatrice. I’m trying to be sympathetic, and all you’re doing is yelling at me.”
“I’m not yelling!” she shouted. She set her wine glass on the table, and it sloshed over her hand.
Bradford walked to the back door, then swung to face her. “I don’t know why you hate me so much.”
He slid the door open and stepped through, then shut it behind him.
Tears slipped from her eyes and down her cheeks. She dabbed at them absently with one hand. Did he really think she hated him? The idea hurt her heart. She loved him, but for some reason she reacted negatively to him even when it wasn’t called for, they’d lost their connection, and she didn’t know how to get it back.
Ten
The contractor’squote was within their budget, and both Bea and Dani were happy with him, so they returned the signed contract to his office the next afternoon in Kellyville, the small town by the ferry dock where most of the island’s businesses and residential houses were located. He would begin ordering supplies right away and would start work the following Monday. Bea was excited to get things started.
In the meantime, she and Dani intended to scour the island’s small number of shops to see if they could find anything to decorate the cottage. The rest of the items they needed would have to come from Airlie Beach or be ordered online. It took most of the week to do the shopping and sort out orders, but they had a lot of fun working together to find things that matched their shared tastes.
On Sunday, she and Dani made their way down to the cottage to get started on what they could do. They’d decided to demo the kitchen and bathroom so it would be ready for Brett on Monday. They’d borrowed sledgehammers, chisels and hammers from her father’s shed and drove down the narrow dirt track to the cottage.
Dad had wanted to drive them, although he’d had trouble with his back so wasn’t able to help with the construction work. But Bea had insisted he stay at home and take some pain killers. There was no point in him making things worse for himself.
It was late afternoon, and they’d only have a couple of hours of daylight to get the work done. But they could come back the next day to finish it if they needed more time. Bea wore denim overalls with a white T-shirt underneath, her hair tied back under a scarf. Dani was dressed in old jeans with a pink crop top and had her hair in a short ponytail.
It felt like they were headed to an adventure, something new they’d never done before. No one else would be helping them demo; they’d have to manage it between the two of them, and they were each a little nervous.
“Are you ready to do this?” Bea asked as they stepped out of the car.
Dani offered a hesitant smile. “I suppose.”
“We could let Brett do it tomorrow.”
“No, we can do this. Right, Mum?”
“Absolutely,” Bea agreed.
They set their tools down on the rotting timber deck, then walked inside. They had to dodge holes in the floor and tread carefully to avoid plunging through to the sand-covered foundations below.
“We should start in the kitchen. It’s the biggest job,” Bea said.
With safety goggles and masks firmly in place and gloves on, they got to work smashing down the cabinets, walls and bench tops that would be replaced by the contractor. They intended to open up the downstairs living area, making the entire place bright and airy.
After an hour, Bea felt as though her arms would fall off any moment. She stopped what she was doing and leaned on the handle of her sledgehammer, puffing. “I need to take a break.”
Dani wasn’t puffing nearly as hard, but gave a brief nod. “This is a lot more difficult than I imagined.”
“You thought it’d be fun, didn’t you?” Bea laughed.
“Of course. Why not? Knocking down walls and destroying cabinets — what’s not to like?” Dani grinned as they both went out to the porch and sat on the edge, legs dangling, to drink from their water bottles.
“I don’t think I can lift my arms,” Bea complained, raising one limply and letting it fall again to her side. “It’s permanently stuck in this position.”
“I know what you mean. Wow, I should work out more.”
