“Of course not. We can eat first and let them run around the apartment while we talk about decorating ideas. I put some vintage cottage-chic stuff that might go well in your cottage aside, but you can poke around down here in the shop later if you want.”
Upstairs, Andie let the kittens out. She couldn’t resist scooping up the white one right away. His fur was so soft, and when she held him under her chin, the low hum of his purring was soothing. “This one is Picasso, right?” Andie held him up in front of her face, looking into his sweet kitten-blue eyes.
“Yep. He’s a little devil, so watch out.” Maxi was over at the tall windows that looked out onto the street. She turned, surveying the space. “This place is great. It’s almost like a city loft, but right here in our little town.”
Andie had been surprised when she’d viewed the place before buying it. Rita Duvalle was well into her eighties and had lived here for decades. Andie had expected it to be outdated with 1970s wallpaper, shag carpet, and doilies, but the apartment actually had a modern vibe with its exposed brick walls, high ceilings, and hardwood floors. Rita had had the whole thing redone before she had to move to Tall Pines, and the kitchen boasted granite counters and gray custom cabinets.
Andie put Picasso down, and he scampered off to join Rembrandt, who was exploring the bedroom.
“We can sit at the breakfast bar.” Andie nodded at the two stools that were the only furniture she had as she pulled plates out of the cupboard. “I sold my condo in New York with all the furniture in it and haven’t gotten around to buying anything yet. Still trying to decide exactly what I want.”
“It’s always smart to live in a place for a while and let its personality develop. This apartment has great bones.” Maxi helped set out the plates, forks, spoons, and napkins. “I’m picturing a sectional facing the fireplace and maybe some industrial-style tables, accessories, and lighting to go with the loft look.”
“That’s what I was thinking. But also maybe go eclectic with industrial furnishing and antique nautical accents. I have to have my antiques, and I set aside a great brass porthole and an old seafarer’s chest for the shop.” Andie bit into the lobster roll. The meat was sweet and the mayonnaise tangy—just the way she liked it.
“Some long drapes with one big, bold horizontal stripe like a lighthouse would look great on those windows.” Maxi gestured toward the windows with a forkful of coleslaw.
“I was thinking a seascape would be perfect on the wall in the dining area.” Andie looked up at Maxi, who was focusing on forking lobster meat out of the overstuffed hot dog roll. “If you’d let me commission one from you.”
Maxi looked up, surprise in her blue eyes. “Commission? I’m not taking your money. I’d love to paint one.”
“I don’t want you to do it for free. You should get paid for that now.”
“Pfft.” Maxi waved her objections away.
Before Andie could insist, the kittens came chasing each other down the hall, and Maxi focused her attention on them. Andie let it ride. She could argue with her later, or if Maxi insisted, she’d pay her back in some other way, maybe barter for the vintage items she wanted for the beach cottage.
When they were done, Andie put the dishes in the sink and got a small piece of tinfoil out of the drawer. She rolled it up into a ball and tossed it at the kittens, watching them skitter and slide as they batted it around the room. “So things are working out good for you at the cottage?”
“Wonderful.” Maxi looked content. “James has been so agreeable I can’t even remember why I thought we should break up. Looking back, I realize how silly it was, but I guess when something is missing from your life, then nothing in your life seems right.”
She had a point. That was why Andie had been thinking she’d made a mistake to move here. Would she find what she was seeking at Sadie Thompson’s house? “I’m going to be helping Sadie Thompson sell some of her things.”
“Oh? Wow, I bet there’s some cool stuff in that house. When we were kids, we used to be afraid it was haunted,” Maxi said.
“I remember. And there were rumors of pirates and something about the Underground Railroad.”
“Maybe you’ll find pirate treasure or a secret passage,” Maxi joked.
“I doubt that, but there could be something of value there. At least I hope so.”
Maxi studied her quietly. “I do too. I remember you told me that you always wanted an important find.”
That was during one of the heart-to-hearts when they’d been working on renovating the bathroom at Tides. Andie had been conflicted over whether to move back, afraid to make the wrong decision. Maxi’s advice had helped.
“In all those years at Christie’s, I was lucky enough to handle a lot of great pieces but nothing really noteworthy. It was still fun though, and I bet Sadie Thompson’s place has a lot of fun stuff to discover too.”
“I’m sure it does, and I hope you find exactly what you’ve been looking for.”
Chapter Six
The next morning, Andie left the By Appointment Only sign on her door and headed to Sadie Thompson’s house. She’d decided to keep the antiques shop open by appointment or chance for the next few days. She still had duties at Tides and wanted the freedom to come and go as she pleased, only opening for business when she wanted to. Being single most of her life, she’d saved up a good nest egg and didn’t need to make a lot from the antiques shop.
As she drove toward the Thompson house, a feeling of unease crept over her. Sadie wouldn’t be there, and her daughter, Emily, had made it pretty clear she didn’t like Andie. Would they be able to work together?
Andie knew firsthand how some clients could be difficult at the best of times. Selling items that had been in the family for generations was emotional, and many times people thought things were more valuable than they actually were. With Emily already not her biggest fan, maybe this was going to turn into a big mistake.
The house was in worse shape than she’d thought. The grass was overgrown, the shutters hung askew, paint peeled off the siding—but the view!
