“Or maybe you had something else in mind?” he offered, with an expression that said he very much hoped she didn’t.
“Yes, why don’t I just tell you what I had in mind,” Hailey said carefully. “I thought maybe we’d refinish the floors if you really think they need it, and paint the existing cabinets, maybe hang some wallpaper and buy updated furnishings from local shops, and then add some fixtures to brighten the place up.”
“So, you asked an eminent designer to come down from Manhattan, not to restore this hopeless hovel, but topaintit?” he asked her, eyes wide. “May I suggest you hire apainter?”
“I’m so sorry, Dominic,” she said, as he gathered up his samples and slid them back into his briefcase. “Maybe I’m explaining it wrong, but what I want is youreyeand your style.”
“Follow my socials if you want to see my style,” he said brusquely, grabbing his briefcase from the table. “Or maybe just look for the shabby chic line at a discount department store if you’re on a tight budget. I’m sure there are plenty of those out here.”
“I’m so sorry if I’ve offended you,” she said, jogging tokeep up with him as he marched toward the front door. “I’m happy to pay for your expertise and guidance on this project. I just can’t afford to replace everything in the house.”
And I don’t want to.This place has memories.
He stopped in his tracks and turned back to her.
“You mistake me if you think this is about the money,” he said, looking more offended than ever. “I can’t have my name attached to a project when I know the house won’t be elegant and functional when it’s done. I do have some professional pride. I’m sure you understand.”
“Of course,” she told him, knowing it was best to admit defeat. “Can your contractor still come down?”
“My contractor is a part of my team,” Dominic said. “You’ll have to find someone local.”
“Well, thank you for all the time you’ve already taken. It was an honor to meet you.”
He didn’t say anything, just nodded to her and hurried off through the front door like the house was on fire.
She watched after him, long after his car had disappeared. Then the reality of her situation finally hit her.
I don’t have a designer or a general contractor. And at this rate, I might not find anyone.
Panic began to rise in her chest. What if no one wanted to fix up a house with old features? It certainly wouldn’t pay as well as a complete renovation. And she knew no one out here for this kind of thing. She’d been a teenager when she left Trinity Falls, with no need to even think about house remodeling.
I have to get this place ready as soon as possible, so I can start booking it. My savings won’t last long…
Exhaustion from the last month of panic, sadness, anger, and transition hit her at once, and she sank to the porch steps with her head in her hands, willing herself not to fall apart.
But it was hard to imagine how she was going to turn this situation around. She felt like an idiot for not anticipating that it might be a problem to get the work done.
And she’d also been relying on the designer’s reputation to help her book the place. Saying the farmhouse was a pet project of Dominic Leonardo’s would have been a huge selling point.
I never thought he could see it and not even like it…
How could anyone see this place and not fall in love?
But maybe she was overly sentimental because this was the first place she had fallen in love herself. Of course, that had ended with her having her heart thoroughly broken. So maybe it was better this way.
“Jessica Sugar Bomb,”a familiar little voice called out across the yard.
She looked up to see Ransom walking toward her from the direction of his place, the kids running across the snowy field in front of him.
He gave her a wave, and she quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and stood to wave back.
“Hi,” Mae panted as she reached the porch steps. “We came over to see your belt, but you weren’t in the cottage, and Daddy said we should check the big house.”
“Good morning, Mae,” Hailey told her, feeling happier already.
“Hey, you were crying,” Mae said accusingly. “Your eyes looksad.”
“Hi, Hailey,” Travis said, joining his sister with his father in tow. “Mae, you aren’t supposed to talk about stuff like that.”
