“I was getting some supplies from the general store. By the time I returned, you’d left, but the construction crew told me about the little pixie who came to see them in a bright red tutu and golden wings.”
A blush heated Daniella’s cheeks. “I’d come from a Valentine’s Day party at The Fairy Forest. And, just for the record, pixies are completely different from fairies.” She took the yellow hard hat Harrison handed to her and placed it on her head.
“Keep the hat on at all times,” he told her.
Daniella looked behind him at the table beside the entryway. Do you want me to sign the visitor’s book, too?”
Harrison didn’t seem surprised she’d remembered. Handing her a pen, he waited while she signed on an empty line. She moved sideways as an electrician walked past them and into the cottage. “How many contractors are working on the cottages at the moment?”
“There are fifteen spread across the four cottages.”
Daniella was surprised there weren’t more. “Do you manage all the builders?”
“I don’t manage their day-to-day activities,” Harrison told her. “I have more of a project management focus. Most days, I spend three hours doing whatever construction work is needed. The rest of the time, I make sure we have all the materials and subcontractors organized for the next stage of the project.”
Daniella had a feeling he was downplaying what he did. Penny wouldn’t hire anyone who couldn’t deliver high-quality work. “Where did you learn to build things?”
Harrison placed his hard hat on his head and waved her into the cottage. “A friend’s father owned a construction company. I worked there whenever I could. It was the only way I got through college without starving.”
She knew how that felt. “I was the same, except I worked in an ice cream parlor when I was at college. I shared an apartment with some friends and, even if we had nothing else to eat, we always had ice cream.”
“I bet your friends enjoyed having you live with them.”
Daniella grinned. “They all worked part-time jobs in the hospitality industry. Their bosses must’ve realized we were living from one meal to the next. They gave us leftovers from the cafes and restaurants where everyone worked.”
“It sounds like heaven. We survived on bread and noodles. The highlight of each month was when our parents sent us food packages.” Harrison looked over her shoulder at a man standing on a ladder. “I’d better show you around before the rest of the crew arrive. We’ll look in the living room first. If you want to see the other cottages, I’ll show you them next.”
As they stood in the middle of the room, she admired the balance of old and new. The remodeling had been done carefully, preserving the original character while ensuring modern comfort. “You even kept the pressed tin ceiling.”
Harrison looked above them. “Penny was keen to preserve as much of the original features as possible. Because the condition of this cottage was one of the worst, some things had to be removed, but it still looks like a hundred-year-old building.”
Daniella ran her hand along the top of the wooden mantlepiece. The cottage wasn’t a lot different from what she’d imagined. But there was more light and a lot more character than when she’d first seen the building. “The cottage is gorgeous. Let’s look at the rest of the rooms before I show you what I’d like to do.”
Harrison led the way, explaining what they’d done in each room to give the new tenants the conveniences of modern-day living but still preserving the story behind the buildings.
When Daniella saw the claw-foot bath, she couldn’t help but sigh. “I’ve always wanted one of these,” she murmured, her voice tinged with longing.
Harrison looked at the cast iron tub. “It’s a nice touch, especially if you have children. You could put everyone in there at the same time.” When he saw Daniella smile, a self-conscious grin appeared on his face. “Not that I have children, but my sister does. She puts them in the bath at the same time, so she knows where everyone is.”
Daniella was intrigued. “How many children does she have?”
“Four. The eldest is nearly seven, and the youngest is two.”
“They must keep her busy.”
“They do. Her husband travels a lot with his job, so she has to have a good routine to keep track of everything.”
They stepped into the bedroom and Daniella sighed. “It’s huge. Imagine waking up to all the sunlight coming through the windows.”
Harrison looked around the room. “When I started working on the cottage, this bedroom was full of rotting timber. The roof had been leaking for years. We replaced most of the framing, sprayed in foam insulation, drywalled everything, and then painted it white to make it brighter.”
“You’ve done an amazing job.” Daniella imagined her bed against the wall and the dresser she’d restored on the opposite side of the room. With some colorful cushions on the bed and a few pictures on the walls, it’d be perfect. “Do you know if Pastor John’s found anyone to rent this cottage?”
“No one’s said anything about a new tenant. Where are you living at the moment?”
“On Bluewater Road. My landlord’s selling the house.”
“That’s tough,” Harrison told her. “It isn’t easy finding somewhere to live in Sapphire Bay. It took me nearly two months to find the house I’m renting.”
