there’s plenty of light, the whole house still feels drab.”
He was talking about the light from the large ceiling-to-floor sash windows in every room. She pushed her point. “Well, even though a few of the upstairs rooms are small, there’s so much light they don’t feel cramped. Besides, you could easily join some of the smaller rooms together or convert them into en-suites without much affecting the house. And Barrowdene is not really that drab. A touch of polish and paint, and the whole house would be as good as new.”
He grinned at her. “I think if you had your way, you’d leave the entire house untouched.”
They’d reached Rose Cottage, and she turned to him. He would renovate Barrowdene and he would sell it on, just as Martin had said, but she wasn’t going to let the beautiful house she loved lose its identity without a fight. “I realize it needs work, but maybe not as much as you think. It would make a wonderful and unique family home, Jake, just don’t destroy its heart.”
He regarded her in silence for a moment. “How about I let you take the lead in this? You work with me, and I’ll update Barrowdene to your standards.”
“Take the lead?” She looked at him cautiously, unable to believe her ears. “You mean… like… have a say?”
He nodded. “So, we have a deal? I get you by my side throughout this.”
A chance to have her voice heard on how Barrowdene was redone? A smile of pure delight welled from her. “Yes!”
Jake stared.
When she smiled like that, the sheer joy and unaffected beauty of her nearly knocked him off his feet. His mouth curved into an answering grin. The chase was on.
This was going to be interesting.
Molly burst into the cottage, a huge grin on her face as she shrugged off her suit jacket and hung it on the round staircase post.
He’d been indulging her. No way would Jake Hennessy allow her to hijack his plans for Barrowdene, but he’d given her a small opening, and she’d make damn sure as much of the original house was preserved as possible.
Nan came out of the kitchen. “My, don’t you look happy. Anything to do with a certain handsome young man visiting today?”
Molly’s grin snapped to a frown and her cheeks burned hot as she gathered herself. “Jake Hennessy, you mean?”
“What did you think of him?”
“What should I think? Francine seemed keen to impress him.”
Nan chuckled. “Yes, and hence a restaurant dinner. My simple home cooking wouldn’t be doing much impressing, would it?” She turned and headed back in to the bright kitchen.
“I love your cooking,” Molly said, following her. “But since you have the evening free, why not put your feet up and let me make dinner for you.”
“Now that sounds nice.”
The remains of lunchtime’s roast lamb rested beside the stove, and washing her hands, Molly picked at it. “How about super-speedy hotpot? I’ll cook the vegetables first.”
“Pass me those onions then, and you can get on with the rest.” Nan took a chopping board over to the round oak table. Reaching up to the old radio on the shelf behind her, she pushed a button, and the melodic strums of B.B.King’s guitar floated into the kitchen.
Slipping Nan’s pink frilly apron over her silk camisole and trousers, Molly got to work washing carrots and potatoes in the white ceramic sink.
“So you weren’t much impressed?” Nan asked, peeling the onions without shedding a single tear.
“What does it matter what I think of him? He’s buying Barrowdene and that’s that.”
“Well, I thought him a nice, polite young man, and good looking too. Always a welcome combination.” Her eyes twinkled as she glanced at Molly. “It’s no wonder Francine’s fluttering around him. Many a woman would. Though, I didn’t think younger men were her type, seeing as he’s only thirty.”
Francine and Jake. Sudden jealousy knotted Molly’s stomach, and she forced the image from her mind, frowning. “How do we know what
He was talking about the light from the large ceiling-to-floor sash windows in every room. She pushed her point. “Well, even though a few of the upstairs rooms are small, there’s so much light they don’t feel cramped. Besides, you could easily join some of the smaller rooms together or convert them into en-suites without much affecting the house. And Barrowdene is not really that drab. A touch of polish and paint, and the whole house would be as good as new.”
He grinned at her. “I think if you had your way, you’d leave the entire house untouched.”
They’d reached Rose Cottage, and she turned to him. He would renovate Barrowdene and he would sell it on, just as Martin had said, but she wasn’t going to let the beautiful house she loved lose its identity without a fight. “I realize it needs work, but maybe not as much as you think. It would make a wonderful and unique family home, Jake, just don’t destroy its heart.”
He regarded her in silence for a moment. “How about I let you take the lead in this? You work with me, and I’ll update Barrowdene to your standards.”
“Take the lead?” She looked at him cautiously, unable to believe her ears. “You mean… like… have a say?”
He nodded. “So, we have a deal? I get you by my side throughout this.”
A chance to have her voice heard on how Barrowdene was redone? A smile of pure delight welled from her. “Yes!”
Jake stared.
When she smiled like that, the sheer joy and unaffected beauty of her nearly knocked him off his feet. His mouth curved into an answering grin. The chase was on.
This was going to be interesting.
Molly burst into the cottage, a huge grin on her face as she shrugged off her suit jacket and hung it on the round staircase post.
He’d been indulging her. No way would Jake Hennessy allow her to hijack his plans for Barrowdene, but he’d given her a small opening, and she’d make damn sure as much of the original house was preserved as possible.
Nan came out of the kitchen. “My, don’t you look happy. Anything to do with a certain handsome young man visiting today?”
Molly’s grin snapped to a frown and her cheeks burned hot as she gathered herself. “Jake Hennessy, you mean?”
“What did you think of him?”
“What should I think? Francine seemed keen to impress him.”
Nan chuckled. “Yes, and hence a restaurant dinner. My simple home cooking wouldn’t be doing much impressing, would it?” She turned and headed back in to the bright kitchen.
“I love your cooking,” Molly said, following her. “But since you have the evening free, why not put your feet up and let me make dinner for you.”
“Now that sounds nice.”
The remains of lunchtime’s roast lamb rested beside the stove, and washing her hands, Molly picked at it. “How about super-speedy hotpot? I’ll cook the vegetables first.”
“Pass me those onions then, and you can get on with the rest.” Nan took a chopping board over to the round oak table. Reaching up to the old radio on the shelf behind her, she pushed a button, and the melodic strums of B.B.King’s guitar floated into the kitchen.
Slipping Nan’s pink frilly apron over her silk camisole and trousers, Molly got to work washing carrots and potatoes in the white ceramic sink.
“So you weren’t much impressed?” Nan asked, peeling the onions without shedding a single tear.
“What does it matter what I think of him? He’s buying Barrowdene and that’s that.”
“Well, I thought him a nice, polite young man, and good looking too. Always a welcome combination.” Her eyes twinkled as she glanced at Molly. “It’s no wonder Francine’s fluttering around him. Many a woman would. Though, I didn’t think younger men were her type, seeing as he’s only thirty.”
Francine and Jake. Sudden jealousy knotted Molly’s stomach, and she forced the image from her mind, frowning. “How do we know what
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