Chapter 16
The morning flew faster than expected and Harper hadn’t even noticed that there was someone else besides Brookes at the inn. When she checked the time, it was already lunchtime and she heard voices coming from downstairs. She found Brookes and Tyler looking at exposed wiring in the hallway wall.
‘I didn’t even hear you come in,’ Harper said giving her younger brother a hug. It felt like she hadn’t seen him at all since she’d been back, he was always coming and going.
‘Hey sis,’ he said. ‘Brookes slipped me in the back way.’
‘That does not look good.’ The wires were everywhere and it looked like an electrical fault waiting to happen.
‘Not as bad as it seems. We had to open it up to see if there were any issues. I’ve gone through the property, checked most of the wiring and it all looks in working order. Hugh was good at keeping everything updated and serviced so you’re definitely in luck with that department. I’m not sure about that wall, though. It looks like it’s taken a beating.’
‘It’s definitely seen better days,’ Harper said.
‘It was in the way,’ Brookes said. ‘I had to check whether we can rip it out and expand this space.’
‘Hmm, I’m not sure I like the sound of that.’
‘You’re going to love it when it’s finished.’
She wasn’t certain, but she wasn’t going to argue. She just hoped that Brookes knew what he was doing.
‘You should grab a hammer too, Harper,’ Tyler said smiling. ‘Wall smashing can be quite therapeutic.’
‘Are you implying I need therapy?’
‘You have been a little tense,’ Tyler said defensively. ‘I mean no offence.’
‘None taken. I think I’ll leave the bashing and smashing to Brookes.’
‘Fine by me, not sure if my first aid skills are up to scratch.’
Harper rolled her eyes. ‘I’m more than capable of handling a hammer.’
’No doubt about that,’ Tyler said.
Harper picked up the hammer, lifted it above her head and aimed at the wall.
‘Wow hold up. How do you know that this spot isn’t going to cause the entire place to crumble down?’ Tyler jested.
Harper raised an eyebrow. ‘Um, probably because there’s already a hole in it.’
‘Yeah, I suppose that’s a fair call.’
‘I’ll leave you two to it, there is still a heap of stuff to do upstairs,’ she said putting down the hammer. ‘Just don’t get electrocuted.’
Harper left them debating the electrical work and went into the kitchen to grab a banana from the fruit bowl and ate it as she admired the view from the window. The midday light showed the vineyard at its brightest and the winter sun was pulling all sorts of magic today. For a moment, she found herself imagining the hillside crowded with patrons, romantic rendezvous and families with kids running around. There was room for a small paddock with farm animals which would be a cute feature near the pond, maybe a kayak or two for those who wanted a paddle. Brookes was right, there was ample opportunity here for an incredible experience and he was the perfect person to do it. She couldn’t take that away from him by selling this place, and she wasn’t going to get in his way by staying after Christmas in July either.
‘Penny for your thoughts?’
She turned to see Tyler standing in the kitchen doorway. ‘Just enjoying the view. It’s a beautiful day out there.’
‘Sure is. I miss it every time I leave.’
‘And you always come back.’
‘I can’t imagine settling anywhere else. Once I’m done with the army, I’ll buy a little cottage, grow some vines, maybe get a couple of cats, and make an honest man out of myself.’
Harper laughed. She couldn’t imagine Tyler with anyone. He was a bachelor through and through, and it wasn’t just that the army kept him travelling abroad, but a lifestyle choice. He was attractive and kind and girls fell over him, but he had never bothered to get involved.
‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’
‘When the time is right, it’ll happen.’
‘I’m sure it will.’
‘I’m going to head off now. The wiring looks good, you have nothing to worry about. Just keep Brookes away from cutting up any other walls. He’s lucky there were no wires in the one he started demolishing.’
‘I’ll do my best.’
He glanced at his watch. ‘I promised I’d deliver some tools to Lisa and give her a hand with a bit of heavy lifting.’
‘Be careful with that one.’
Tyler laughed. ‘Yeah, she can be a handful, but I’m keeping things strictly professional. Lisa is not my type, and besides I think she has a thing for someone else.’
‘Oh I know she does.’
After Tyler left Harper allowed herself a few extra minutes staring out the window. The vast space outside allowed for many options even in winter. They could get a few fire pits that patrons could hire out and sit by with bottles of wine and charcuterie boards, even roasting marshmallows as they admired the view by a crackling fire. There was something to do here for every season and she started to feel a little of the excitement that Brookes emanated from the start. It didn’t change the fact that there was a lot of work still ahead of them and it was time to stop the daydreaming and get on with it.
‘We need a blank slate,’ Harper said when she found Brookes on his knees with a measuring tape. ‘Probably best to start clearing out the stuff. Segregate it between what can be sold, donated or has to be thrown out. There might be a lot of sentimental items. I might run those past Georgia.’
‘That’s a good idea. She’ll know what Hugh might have wanted done with them,’ Brookes said getting to his feet and rolling back the tape measure. ‘Pete is going to stop by later. He closes at three, so should be here by four, just after the structural engineer.’
Harper checked her watch. ‘That gives us about three hours of solid work. Let’s get to it. We’re time limited as it is.’
‘It’s going to be okay,’ he said, his gaze fixated on her. It was that look in his eyes, the deep connection. She had to look away to not get lost in his gaze.
‘There’s a lot of work. I don’t want to waste any more time. I’ll start with upstairs and work my way down.’
‘The most important thing will be this area. If we want the Christmas in July function to go well, we need to make sure that the living area is larger and more comfortable. The rooms upstairs are important, but unnecessary for the event to go ahead.’
‘What if people want to stay the night?’
‘Do we give them that option?’
‘They will drink, so they probably shouldn’t be driving.’ Harper focused on the practical things, and safety was paramount, although he had a point. They were to host a dinner, not offer the entire venue. It would be good to at least declutter the place so that there was a room available if anyone needed to crash for the night. Plus, she was curious about all the history in those rooms. The photos on the walls told one story, and it only piqued her interest to know more. Hugh had been a pillar in the community for decades. He had helped build the town and the wine industry in the area, but there was still so much they probably didn’t know.
‘We can be in the same room together, Harper.’
‘I know. But this is more efficient.’ Harper grabbed an empty couple of boxes that lined up against the wall and went upstairs again, and the tension she felt shrunk, slightly. How in the world was she going to get through the next week and a half in the same house with Brookes? She couldn’t avoid him forever and she knew that there would be difficult questions popping up as the days went by. It was inevitable. But she couldn’t get close to him. She would help with the revamp and then she’d get in her car and go back to the city. Ten days. She could do this. She had self-control. More than that, she knew Brookes was not the man for her. They wanted two completely different things out of life. She wasn’t going to get in the way of his.
Upstairs,Harper struggled with the window latch before it slid open, letting a gush of cold winter air into the room. She stood staring out to the yard and she could see the potential. With a good clean up, the place would look incredible, but it would take time. There was only so much they could do in ten days. Wasting no more time, she got to work.
The first two rooms were simple. Besides the queen-sized bed, two bedside tables and a chest of drawers that held an old Bible and spare sheets, and dust, there was nothing else. After a good laundering, the sheets could still be used for future guests. She stripped the bed of the blankets and pillows and carried them downstairs to be laundered.
Back upstairs, she gave each room a closer inspection. A fresh coat of paint would go a long way, as would new carpets, but that wouldn’t be done this week. The room would do with a decent clean. Already, with the fresh air coming in, it seemed lighter and more inviting. She wanted to move on to Hugh’s room, but she wanted Georgia there to guide her.
‘I’m just in the middle of something, my dear. I can be there later this afternoon. Will that work?’ Georgia said when Harper called.
‘Sounds perfect.’
‘You’ll be starving too, no doubt. I’ll bring some dinner.’
‘Thanks Georgia. See you soon.’
Harper found the laundry and found a bucket she filled up with water, and added some detergent, then grabbed a duster and two old rugs from the laundry cabinet.
Back in the first room, she dusted the furniture and the walls. Once that was complete, she gave the walls another wipe down with the damp cloth, followed by the furniture, before using the dry one to get rid of any moisture that could damage the wood. When she was done, she grabbed a vacuum and went over the carpets. A bunch of fresh flowers and bedsheets would finish the look and make the place even more inviting. It wasn’t much, but she felt a sense of accomplishment. Going for the easy wins to start with would make this project seem more achievable. Harper repeated the process in the next room.
Her thoughts drifted to Brookes, and she paused to look out the window and as if right on queue he was crossing the footpath carrying a toolbox in one hand and hammer in the other, with Pete trailing behind him, his gaze fixated on the screen of his phone as he walked. Where had he come from? She hadn’t even heard him pull up earlier and how in the world had three hours already gone by?
Brookes looked up and waved at her. She waved back and stepped away from the window, annoyed that he had seen her looking at him. The last thing she wanted to do was give him the wrong idea. She had to go downstairs. It would be rude not to. She gave them a few minutes, got her bearings and went down, hoping that Georgia would be here shortly.
‘Hey Pete,’ Harper said.
Both Pete and Brookes turned around from the wall they were facing.
‘Harper, so the rumour mill is true,’ Pete said, coming up to her and they embraced in a hug. ‘How’s life treating you?’
‘As well as you can imagine. We’ve got our work cut out for us here.’
‘Incredible property. Hugh knew what he was doing.’
‘I’m not sure we do.’
‘Everyone in town is excited and talking about bringing back Christmas in July at Mathers Vineyard. It was always the most memorable one and since it stopped, what, I’d say five to six years ago, it’s been a missing event,’ Pete said.
‘Other venues host it too,’ Harper said. How in the world had word spread so fast? They’d only found out about it a few days earlier and the entire town was now aware.
‘Yeah, they do, but it’s not the same. This was the original one. Hugh had a talent for making it magical.’
‘We’ll do our best to do the same,’ Brookes said.
She smiled lightly, but the anxiety of what they were undertaking grew inside her again. She’d been foolish to think that the clean-up she did upstairs had any significant impact on what they were doing here. ‘What happened to the structural engineer?’
‘Something came up and he had to reschedule. Pete used to work in construction. He can confirm which wall we can knock out and which one should stay. And with Tyler’s tips from this morning, we should be fine.’
‘I better leave you to it. Don’t want you tearing down the wrong wall,’ she said. ‘And I think I hear Georgia’s Mustang pulling up.’
‘Good to see you, Harper. I’m sure we’ll run into each other again at some point.’
Outside,the refreshingly cool air hit her immediately. She made her way towards the driveway where Georgia was getting out of her yellow Mustang.
‘Anything I can help with?’
‘If you can get the bag out of the passenger seat. I packed up some leftover curry and orange almond cake.’
Harper did as asked and as soon as she grabbed the bag, the aroma of the meal hit her, and her stomach grumbled. ‘This smells delicious.’
‘How are things going?’
‘I’m just not sure how this is going to work.’
‘Rome wasn’t built in a day. You have ten days and the foundation is already here. I believe in you. The town believes in you.’
‘That’s what makes me worry even more. The fact that everyone seems to know about this arrangement.’
‘Well, you know how it is. News travels fast in small towns. Nothing gets kept a secret. One person tells another, before you know it, it’s multiplied, and you’re the odd one out if you don’t know everyone’s business.’
‘That’s pressure we don’t need.’
‘You’ll be fine. Let’s go inside before this food gets cold,’ she said and looked over at the Hilux parked by the other side of the drive. ‘Pete’s here too?’
‘Brookes is getting him to assess the structure. Seems he wants to tear down more walls.’
‘Oh dear.’
‘My thoughts exactly.’
‘He probably knows what he’s doing.’
‘Let’s hope so,’ she said. ‘Georgia, while you’re here, I was hoping you could help me out with some of Hugh’s things. I’ve gone through two of the rooms, but they were mostly empty. There’s one that appears to have been Hugh’s. There are things I don’t want to throw out in case they have sentimental value. Would you have the time to go through them with me?’
Georgia smiled. ‘I would love to. But first you have to eat. I’ll come back tomorrow and we can go through everything. I have to get to an appointment this afternoon.’
‘Is everything okay?’
‘Absolutely fabulous, my dear.’