“I was thinking of sending Josie over to give you a hand.”
“No need for that.”
“Well, she might like to. Anyway, I wanted to let you know the estate sale went very well today. I honestly think you’ll make enough to cover some of the renovations at the house. Also, I spoke to my friend Donna—the designer I told you about. She would absolutely love to get her hands on yourhouse. She wants to pop in tomorrow to look around. During the sale. Do you mind?”
“No, no ... that’s probably a good plan. It’s sensible to have some improvements made. I’m afraid I’ve been negligent.”
“Not really. The house is in good, solid shape, George. You’ve maintained it well. It simply needs some updates to bring it into the current millennium.”
“Well, I did like your suggestions for the kitchen renovation. Perhaps you could tell your friend Donna your ideas. And I agree it needs some lightening up in the other rooms. Perhaps you could communicate that to Donna for me. If it’s not too much trouble.”
“Not at all,” she assured him. “I’m happy to help.”
“You’re a good friend.” He sounded weary ... and sad.
“Well, I won’t keep you. I hope you’re eating healthy and taking good care of yourself.”
“The doctor suggested some vitamin supplements. I picked them up on my way home.”
“Well, let me know if you need anything. And take care to get better,” she said brightly. But as she hung up, she wondered. Was George seriously ill? She wanted to be a good friend to him ... but it scared her too. What if whatever he had was terminal? It was painful to help someone who was dying. She wasn’t sure she could take it again. But she was helping him with his house. And it hadn’t been easy neglecting the gallery this week. At least she had a full crew of employees now—and sales were picking up. And Savannah, who had shown excellent people skills at the estate sale, had even expressed interest in some part-time work at the gallery. Naturally, it had made Josie a bit jealous.But like Willow had reassured her, Josie was an artist, not a salesperson.
On Saturday morning as they drove over to the estate sale, Willow tried to convince Josie that the best way to help George might be to pay him a visit. “He sounded very down last night,” Willow explained. “And he might even need help with his housework.”
“Is he really sick?” Josie frowned. “Like contagious?”
“I’m not sure what’s wrong exactly, but he’s definitely not himself. I doubt that it’s contagious. But I thought maybe you could pick him up some chicken stock at the natural food store. It’s made the old-fashioned way and is supposed to be really good for whatever ails you.” She parked her car then handed Josie some money. “You go ahead and heat up the stock and insist he have some.”
“You really think he’ll do what I say?” Josie looked doubtful as they got out of the car. “He can be pretty stubborn.”
“If he’s feeling as bad as he sounds, I think it’s worth a try.”
“Okay.” Josie pocketed the cash.
“Try to cheer him up,” Willow said as she unlocked the front door of the Rockwell house. “You know, he’s got a bunch of really good old movies. Maybe you could ask to watch some with him.”
“That’s a lot to expect, Mom. It’s not like I’m a miracle worker.”
Willow smiled. “Just do your best.” As Willow went inside the house, she wondered about George’s recent disconnect with this place. It was as if he’d handed it over to herto manage. But if he was seriously ill, that probably made sense. He might be concerned about wrapping up his affairs. Of course, the thought of this simply filled her with fresh dread. But customers began to trickle in and, since she was the only one there to assist them, she had little time to fret about George.
Betty and Savannah arrived by ten, so Willow busied herself with tidying things up and rearranging. It was impressive how many things had already been sold. Hopefully they’d have the place nearly cleared out by the end of this sale—and hopefully with enough money to make a good dint in the cost of the improvements needed. Willow had already started to list her ideas for George’s house in a little notebook.
When her designer friend arrived, Willow was ready for her. She started by giving her a full tour of the house. “The kitchen is the biggest challenge.” She explained her vision for it. “And beyond that it’ll mostly be painting—light neutral tones to brighten and freshen the place up.”
“What about the woodwork? Will we be painting that?”
Willow considered this. “I think some of the worn pieces—like baseboard and window trim—might look fresher with some paint. But I think the stair banister and the doors and a few other carved pieces should remain natural wood.”
“A lot of people are painting all the woodwork in these old homes. It really gives them a more contemporary look.”
“I know.” Willow ran her hand over the dining room doors. “But I think these are too beautiful to cover.”
“So are you in charge of this project?” Donna removed her glasses to peer curiously at Willow.
“Well, yes.” Willow felt uncertain. Perhaps she’d been mistaken to ask Donna to consult on this.
“Are you and Mr. Emerson, uh, involved?”
“We are very good friends,” Willow said. “He asked me to handle this for him. He’s been a little under the weather.”
