Chapter 21
Samira unpacked the last of the dishes and put them in the cabinet while she waited for the movers to finish unloading her items into the rest of the house. She had hoped to get everything unpacked by Thanksgiving weekend, but with Andy’s dad passing away just before the holiday, all of her plans were delayed. She didn’t end up coordinating the movers to show up until the following Monday, which meant the movers had to work around the contractor, and the contractor around the movers.
She didn’t have even one day to spare if she hoped to open up by Christmas. Two of the guest bedrooms shared a connecting bathroom. Although it was doable, she preferred each bedroom to have its own bathroom. She also had to remodel the kitchen to allow for a commercial stove and dishwasher. She wouldn’t be doing a complete remodel of the kitchen, so she requested all the work to be done at the same time.
“Miss Wylder?” the contractor called from the entrance to the kitchen.
“Yes? Do you have good news for me, George?” she asked hopefully. “And please, call me Samira.”
“Actually, I think I do. We should be able to add a small full bath to that bedroom if we put it where the closet is, because it’s right up against the bathroom next door. It will have to be a walk-in shower if you don’t want to lose much square footage to the bedroom, but we can do it,” he explained as he walked the rest of the way into the kitchen. “And the kitchen should be relatively simple for a kitchen. We can install an industrial stove and dishwasher and only lose about one or two cabinets. But if you want to put an island where the kitchen table is, we can make up for any lost cabinet space as well as add counter space.”
“That is good news. It will be even better if you tell me you can start right away and get it finished before Christmas,” she said hopefully.
“We can get started on the demo and set some of the framework up tomorrow while you pick out the materials and fixtures. No promises, but if everything goes smoothly, we might be able to finish by then. New Year’s might be a safer bet, though.”
She was so excited she ran over to George and wrapped her arms around him. She couldn’t believe things might actually fall into place. There was no rush, but opening when everything was cheerful and decorated for Christmas would be a dream come true. Even if she just had it open for a few guests and to take pictures for advertisements.
She stepped back to see Andy standing in the entryway with a puzzled look on his face. He had his hands casually inside the pockets of his jeans, and he looked back and forth from Samira to George.
“Andy!” Samira exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
“I came by to ask you the same thing. I drove by and figured the new owners were moving in when I saw the moving truckand work truck, but then I saw your car in the driveway. Did they request a lot of work done before closing?”
“I’ll just be outside,” George nodded toward the door as he made a quick exit.
“Not exactly,” she answered quietly.
Andy took a hard look at the movers who were moving boxes in, before he turned his attention back to Samira.
“I didn’t sell it. The woman was talking about all her plans for a bed and breakfast, and I just couldn’t do it. My mom wanted to turn this place into a bed and breakfast, so if anyone is going to do that, it’s going to be me.”
Hurt briefly crossed Andy’s eyes before his lips curved into a small smile. “That’s great! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wanted to tell you. There’s just been a lot going on, you know. I came down here last weekend to sign the purchase agreement because I really did plan to sell. That’s how I got to you so fast when I heard about your dad. I was already here,” she explained.
Andy took a step forward. “Are you working from home, then?”
“About that,” Samira hesitated. “This is going to be my job. I’m technically on vacation until the first of the year, but I won’t be going back. I’m opening this up as a bed and breakfast as soon as renovations are complete.”
Andy pulled her close. “That will make you happy?”
She nodded before she could find her voice. “Yes. This is what I want to do.”
He hugged her. “Then I’m happy for you. I’m not sure why you didn’t want to tell me, but I’ll help you any way I can.”
“It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you. I just didn’t want to go and make things about me with everything that’s going on. My big announcement wasn’t going anywhere,” she explained.“Also, I didn’t want you to think I quit my job for you and would expect you to do the same.”
He studied her for a moment before responding. “I know this doesn’t change things with us. But I think we’re in a good place, and I want to help if you’ll let me. You want this place ready by Christmas?”
“I know it’s pretty far-fetched…”
“It won’t happen if you don’t try. What can I do?”
Even though he appeared to be genuinely interested in helping, the smart thing would be to pass on his offer if she wanted to keep her distance. Being near him clouded her judgment. She supposed there were things he could do that wouldn’t require them to spend all of their time together.
“Are you sure you have the time? My aunt was telling me about your grand opening.”
Andy smirked at that. “Well, your aunt has told you more than my mom has told me apparently. We’re busy, but Josh’s cousin has been a big help, and believe it or not, my mom started helping out at the shop today to keep herself busy. So, I’m good. What do you need?”
