“She did an amazing job of remodeling the inn with her sisters. Would you mind if I look inside the cottage?”
“It’s not a good time. A team of electricians are rewiring, and the plumbers are working in the bathroom and kitchen.”
“I won’t get in their way.”
With her big blue eyes pleading at him, he was finding it hard to say no. “You can’t wander around on your own.”
“You could show me what you’ve done. It won’t take long.”
With a resigned sigh, he ignored the next call coming from his phone. “Don’t touch anything and watch where you step.”
“Yes, sir.”
Richard frowned. Not that Paris was paying him any attention. Her eyes were focused on the ceiling.
“I haven’t seen anything like this. It’s gorgeous.”
“It’s made from pressed tin. Once we remove the rust it will be even better. The first door on your right is the former living room.”
Paris stepped into the spacious room. After admiring the sash windows, she headed toward the fireplace. “Are you leaving this here?”
“We are. The tile surround isn’t part of the original design, but it looks good. The historical society thinks it was added in the 1920s.”
“That makes sense. If I wanted an art deco fire surround, I’d use black and white tiles like these ones, too.” Stepping around the electrician’s ladder, she looked at the bare timber framing. “I didn’t realize you were doing so much.”
“We’re taking the cottage back to its original framing. By doing that, we can insulate the walls, rewire everything, and replace the ancient plumbing.”
Biting her bottom lip, Paris moved through the large opening they’d made in the wall connecting this room to the next.
He’d better explain what they were doing in case she thought the entire house was turning into one room. “Because the cottage will be used for a small business, we’re opening up this side of the house. With some shelving and display cases, it will make a great showroom or open concept work area. The kitchen and bathroom are at the back of the cottage. They’ll stay where they are. The front bedroom could be an office, a reception area, or a large storage room.”
“It sounds perfect.” Paris moved out of the way of an electrician. “Penny said you hoped to have the first cottage finished by mid-March.”
“We’ve had a few issues with buying supplies, so that’s pushed the completion date out by a couple of weeks.”
“That’s better than I thought. From the outside, they look as though they’ll take a lot longer to remodel.” After a quick survey of the kitchen and bathroom, Paris walked into the former front bedroom. “It will be amazing when it’s finished.”
“I hope so. It’s an ideal location for a business.”
Penny appeared in the doorway. “Sorry I’m late, Paris.”
“That’s okay. Richard has been showing me around the cottage. It looks great.”
“I think so, too. All we need to do is find a tenant.” Penny took a notepad out of her pocket. “Thanks for meeting me here. I thought it would make designing the floral arrangements easier if you saw the cottage.”
“Tell me what you need.”
Richard’s cell phone rang. “I’d better answer this call.”
“Thanks for showing me around,” Paris said.
“You’re welcome.” And with his phone against his ear, he walked outside to discuss a missing order. It was a pity Paris couldn’t click the heels of her red shoes to make their building supplies appear. If they couldn’t find their drywall, the entire project would come to a standstill. And that would push the completion date into whenever.
Paris added a daisy to the bouquet she was making and glanced at Kylie. After leaving the cottage on Anchor Lane, she hadn’t stopped thinking about what she could do with the remodeled building. Although it wasn’t large, it had lots of street appeal and was in a perfect location to attract the tourists who came to town.
After spending most of the evening second-guessing herself, she’d come up with an idea so outrageous, so unlike her other harebrained ideas, that it could almost work.
She wasn’t sure what her boss would think, but she had to ask. “I’ve been thinking about the cottages on Anchor Lane,” she said to Kylie.
