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“Tell me again what this room was originally.”
“The parlor.”
“Oh my, that’s right.”
“Yeah. The young Miss Vanderbilts entertained their gentlemen callers in this room.”
“Fancy. What are you going to do with it?”
“I’m going to put a pool table right here in front of the fireplace and a poker table over there.”
“That’s not keeping it as original as possible.”
He shrugged. “A man needs his space to bro out.”
“Right.” She patted him on the shoulder. “Because you are so much that kind of guy.”
“With all the new wives and kids joining the family, my brothers and I need a place to hang out.”
“This should do it. Did you get the pizza?”
“It’s in the stove, keeping warm.”
They left the parlor and headed for the kitchen. Like everything else in the house, it was huge. The entrance was through the dining room and could be closed off with solid oak French doors. “You’re keeping this cool tile, right?”
“It’s marble. Yeah, I'm keeping it. Leaded glass in the cabinets, soapstone sink, oak moldings. It’s all original. I just need to find a stove from that era. Or a really good replica.”
Rachel looked at the stove he’d bought to use until he found what he wanted. “Can I have this stove when you replace it?”
“You want my stove?”
“Yeah. I’ll pay you for it if you want. Mine is a piece of crap.”
“Sure. I can’t guarantee when that might happen, though.”
“Well, you know how often I cook. I’ll be fine.” She opened the oven, took out the pizza box, and brought it to the card table, which served as a kitchen table. “You need to start buying furniture.”
“I know. I’ll get to it. I have a good bed, a couch, and a television. I’m good for now.” He slid out one of the folding chairs and pointed at it. “Sit.”
Rachel sat down, and Frenchie came over and lay down beneath her chair. “Aw. Look who loves me the most.”
“Do you want a beer?”
“Yes, please.”
Milo grabbed two beers from the refrigerator and sat in the other chair across from Rachel. He opened them both, then set one in front of her. “Guess who is going to work on my roof?”
“Paul Jeffries?”
“No, he hates me. Wilda’s brother.”
“What? He’s a contractor?”
“Yeah. Hank at the hardware store told me about him, and I asked him to come look at the roof. I had no idea he was Wilda’s brother until he showed up.”
“That’s weird.”
“Yeah. I gave him the job.”
