Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
ISABEL
C hase Wilson’s truck had just disappeared around the corner when a red pickup pulled up. The truck was not probably as new as Chase’s shiny model but its built-in tool chests looked they’d been used for hard work. Noon and Izzy was already exhausted. But she put on a smile. This time she’d pretend she was Marlowe, with a swagger in her step and absolutely no time for listening to a guy tear down her family home.
Moving to the top of the stairs, she waved and hoped she looked welcoming. But she nearly lost her footing and had to grab the railing. Boy, that metal was cold. She jerked her hand away fast. Izzy chuckled, picturing herself falling flat on her face. That’s just what her family needed right now. Izzy with a broken leg.
The wind caught the longish hair of the guy who swung out of the truck. He wore a bulky corduroy jacket, jeans and leather work gloves. Nothing about him looked new and a strange reassurance filled her. A yellow pad was tucked under one arm. “Hi, you must be Izzy,” he said as he took the steps two at a time. His jacket hung open, like he was daring the cold weather to take him down.
“Yes, come in,” Izzy said, scrambling back onto the porch. They both escaped into the warmth of the house. He immediately kicked off his boots and stood there in thick gray socks.
Taking off his gloves, he extended one hand. “I'm Seth Barrett. Thank you for inviting me to bid on your project.”
Lizzy sucked in a breath and took his hand. “Thanks for coming.”
The handshake was short and warm. Seth was busy looking around the front hall. “This house sure has beautiful bones. I've driven past it a ton of times. Always wondered who lived here.”
Izzy smiled, liking him immediately. “Do you know most of the people in Charlevoix?”
“Some of the old families. My family's been here for a long time. We're up in Petoskey.”
Seth was relaxed and curious. Izzy began to feel that way too. Staying in her Marlowe mode, she took him through the same tour she'd gone through with Chase Wilson. This time she rattled off information as if she was a realtor, selling the place. Izzy gave him no time for responses that might hold words like “relic” or “demolition.”
Seth made no comment about the Christmas tree and decorations. But when they passed the steps, he fingered one of the holiday cards and smiled. “My mom still does her stairway like this.”
Izzy took that as an approval and led him into the kitchen. Then she held her breath. What would Marlowe say now? This room with its peeling linoleum and battered cupboards was a disaster.
Seth glanced around and when he smiled, laugh lines radiated from his brown eyes. “I’ll bet a lot of pies have been baked in this kitchen.” His voice was warm with anticipation, as if he’d like a slice right now.
How amazing. Tears came to her eyes. But she was trying to be like Marlowe and her big sister almost never cried. Not that Izzy saw, anyway. Izzy swallowed hard and thought about her mother’s apple pie. She could almost smell the cinnamon and she wanted Seth to smell it too. “Yes, my mother loved to bake. Her crusts were light as a feather, that’s what my daddy always said. And she used a lot of cinnamon. Nutmeg too.”
Seth turned to her as if he was lapping up her words with a big fork, tasting the flaky crust, the aromatic spices and the tart apples Izzy would peel and slice for her mom. “This year my sisters and I baked a lot of Christmas cookies with my aunt.” She smiled, remembering. A tin of cookies still sat in the pantry. She wasn’t going to tell him that her aunt often bought tubes of cookie dough to hurry the process along.
Sometimes at night, she heard Aunt Cate down here, making brownies for the next day. Like her cookies, Aunt Cate often baked brownies from a box but Izzy didn’t care. Piper smelled the chocolate too. Lifting her head from where she was curled up at Izzy’s feet, she’d give a low growl of longing until Izzy quieted her down.
The enticing smell of chocolate would drift up the stairs, and Izzy had to explain to her pet that chocolate was not good for dogs. In the morning, she’d hand Piper a dog biscuit while she nibbled one of those brownies with Aunt Cate. They’d decided that chocolate was a vegetable.
“So you want to update the kitchen?” Seth’s voice broke into her dreams.
“Yes, definitely and we're open to any ideas.” Izzy straightened her shoulders, trying to think like Marlowe. What had she heard her sister say? “An island or whatever.” Whatever? Chase had suggested a lot of whatevers and she hadn’t been thrilled with his ideas.
A thoughtful smile on his face, Seth was busy running a hand over the outdated formica counter. Then he reached up and flipped open a chipped cabinet door. “Sure, we can talk about options. If I take this project on, I usually donate any cabinets to Habitat for Humanity, with the owner’s approval of course. These cabinets are old but still useful.”
“That would be great.” She loved the idea of the cabinets being of use to someone. Chase’s word “demolition” had left a bad taste in her mouth. Her parents would probably totally approve of giving these old cabinets to Habitat for Humanity. “A lot of the knobs are off. We never had time to replace them.” Am I apologizing again? Izzy mentally kicked herself. Marlowe never apologized.
“Knobs aren’t a problem. Those are easy enough for my men to fix or replace.”
As they walked around the house, Seth threw out ideas but always seemed to wait for her input. “Are you planning on working with a decorator?” he asked when they got to the dining room. “I'm just wondering about these plate railings and the wainscoting. Stuff like that.”
“Decorator? I think so. This is kind of a group project. I hope you’re open to that.” Had she actually said that? Seth was such a nice guy and seemed easy to work with. She didn’t want to scare him off. Would he mind that they would make joint decisions?
“A family project. That’s great.” He paused, running a hand over the wallpaper. At least none came off in his hand. “You must all get along.”
“Yes, sir. We sure do, Mr. Barrett.”
“You can call me Seth,” he said with a chuckle. “Mr. Barrett is my dad. He sometimes does my cabinetry work.”
“Wow, that’s wonderful.” Izzy was impressed but she paused. Did Marlowe ever say Wow ?
When they reached the door to the side porch, she held her breath. Would this be a deal-breaker? Would Seth want to tear off the porch, add it to the kitchen or make it into a powder room?
But he said nothing for a while. Just rocked back in his stocking feet and looked at the porch as if it was one of the major marvels of the world. “You are so lucky. What’s a house without a screen porch? Especially up here.” He stepped out and motioned to the double hammock. “You could read a book out here and catch a breeze from the lake.”
“I know.” Izzy expelled a breath, feeling almost dizzy with relief. Mounds of snow still cloaked the woods in back, but she was feeling warm. Seth sat down in one of the rattan chairs, looked up and smiled. You would have thought it was eighty degrees outside instead of twenty-four and dropping. She was shivering by the time they went back inside and climbed the steps to the second floor.
Seth didn't ask her about the attic but he did ask about the hardwood floors. “Do you have anything in mind? Gray is the color right now. But what you have here is classic. This wood will be beautiful if it’s sanded and refinished.”
“Gray?” Izzy could not picture gray floors in this house, but that was just her. “I'll check with my sisters.” That's the way it went as they moved from room to room. Seth asked questions and she gave him what information she had. Izzy hoped that she was representing her sisters and Aunt Cate accurately. Maybe she should be taking notes too. He wasn’t a man who printed his notes neatly like Chase. No, instead he scrawled, humming every now and then. He raised points Izzy would have to bring up with the others, and she sure hoped that they would all agree. Then Seth and Izzy went back downstairs.
While they were standing in the hall talking about the living room and dining room areas, Skipper arrived with Holly in his arms. Thank goodness he hadn't minded picking up her baby girl from daycare. Finding the service had been such a relief but it was still new. Izzy had decided to stay home that afternoon with Holly and Skipper would lock up.
The pair came in with a cold breeze. Izzy was waiting. “How did my little girl do today?”
Cheeks rosy from the cold, Holly beamed up at her while Izzy unzipped her quilted onesie.
“What a nice little family,” Seth said, smiling.
Looking like a deer caught in the headlights, Skipper hadn’t expected that comment. So Izzy got there first. She didn’t want Skipper to feel weird. “Oh, we're not a family. Skipper works for me.” She left it there. No need explaining.
“What a happy little girl,” Seth said, smiling down at Holly. “I noticed all the baby stuff around the house. Enjoy it. Those years don't last very long.”
“Do you have children?” Seth wasn’t wearing a ring.
“A son. He’s in college now and when he’s home, he splits his time between his mother and me. My ex and I have a good relationship, which helps.”
“That’s nice. That’s what we are. Skipper and me. Ex’s.” Skipper didn’t look very happy with that comment. In fact, Izzy thought Skipper's nose was a little out of joint.
Was Skipper jealous? That was kind of silly. Seth was an attractive guy but he was older, at least that's what she would guess. Probably in his late forties or early fifties, with his hair showing a lot of gray. Some men looked distinguished with gray streaks. Seth was one of those guys but he sure didn’t put on any airs. And he hadn’t talked down to her the way Chase had.
As they stood in the front hall, Izzy heard Aunt Cate’s rental car in the driveway. Thank goodness. Izzy wanted her to meet Seth. Although it was great to pretend to be Marlowe, Izzy did not want to make this decision by herself.
Within minutes, Aunt Cate swirled through the front door in her camel cape. “Hello, hello! My, don’t we have a nice group here.” Her bright eyes quickly took them all in. Looked like she’d had her hair done.
“Seth, I want you to meet my aunt, Cate Conway.” The two shook hands.
“Did Isabel tell you that this is a family project?” Aunt Cate asked as Skipper helped her off with her cape and hung it on the hook.
“She sure did. You have a beautiful house here, ma'am.” Seth was probably good with people. Izzy could see that.
“It’s a great house but my nieces and I think Sunnycrest could be even better with an update,” Aunt Cate said briskly, but her blueish green eyes were sparkling.
“And I agree.” Jamming his feet into his word boots, Seth said, “I've got my notes. Let me know if anyone has anything major to add. I'd like to do a couple rough sketches for some of these rooms so you can see how I work. But I’m not a decorator so it will be rough. If you don't mind, I might run some of this past Gabby…”
“Gabby?” Aunt Cate’s brow wrinkled.
“The woman Marlowe met on her flight home,” Izzy said. “Gabby Driscoll gave us the names of the architects.”
“Oh, right. Right.” Aunt Cate went back to studying Seth. Sure looked as if she approved of him.
“I do a lot of work with Gabby,” Seth said. “She has great ideas.”
Now, the sketches made Izzy a little nervous. She didn't want to run up a bill on drawings that they might not like. Thank goodness Aunt Cate jumped into the conversation. “That would be just great. We're interested in anything you have to offer.”
“The drawings are on my dime,” Seth said matter-of-factly and Izzy liked him even more.
“Fine. Can’t wait to see them.” Aunt Cate was studying his work boots, a little smile lifting the corners of her lips.
With a wave and a promise to call, Seth was gone, whistling as he went down the front steps. Her aunt stood in the doorway, watching him get into his truck. She was so thorough about everything. What did she think of him? Izzy wished she could have met Chase Wilson.
“Do you think we should have a Facetime call with Sam and Marlowe?” Izzy asked.
Her aunt turned. “Whatever for? We just had a joint call.”
“I know, but maybe they should both meet Chase and Seth. We can see what they think.” Izzy’s voice faltered. It had been exhausting being Marlowe. How did her sister do this every day?
“But darling, what do you think?’ Aunt Cate swung an arm around Izzy’s shoulders. “We haven’t seen his drawings yet, but unless I’m wrong, Seth is probably the man for the job.’
Relief swept through her like the waves on a sunny July day. “Oh, good. Yes, you’re right.”
“You have good instincts, Izzy. Trust them. But sure, let’s have a call with Sam and Marlowe. We’ll get them excited too.” Her aunt gave her a hug and they all trooped into the kitchen. Holly was happily babbling away. She loved being in the heart of the family.
But Izzy was turning over her aunt’s words in her head. Good instincts? She was thirty-six and had been divorced twice. But with Skipper here, this wasn’t the time to mention that.
Five minutes later, Izzy was having coffee in the kitchen with her aunt and Skipper. He had tucked Holly into her highchair and she was playing with her teething biscuit.
“So how was the other one?” Aunt Cate asked.
“Chase was fine but I think Seth is the one we should work with.” Izzy was surprised by the newly discovered certainty in her voice. “Might sound silly but he has respect for the house.”
“I’m all for that.” Aunt Cate looked happy and Izzy felt that she’d succeeded. But Skipper was giving her one of those looks. Really, after all this time? Was this about Seth? Skipper had always been a little jealous.
While Izzy sat there fuming, Aunt Cate turned to Skipper. Fussing now, Holly was probably hungry. Going into the pantry, Izzy grabbed a packet of chicken and sweet potatoes.
“Skipper, if we ordered pizza for lunch from the Back Lot, could you go pick it up?” Aunt Cate asked.
“Absolutely.” A cheerful tone lifted Skipper’s voice. This was how he sounded when Izzy told him his pear tart had gone over well in the shop. “But then I have to get back to Coffee and Cupcakes.”
“You are such a blessing, Skipper.” Her aunt beamed at Izzy’s ex. “Let me get my purse.”
Izzy’s mouth was already watering. “Can you call it in, Skipper? We’d like…”
Phone already in hand, he turned and gave her his impish smile. “Large pizza, thin crust, everything on it.”
“Amazing,” Izzy said, going into the pantry. Holly was ignoring the chicken and sweet potatoes. Maybe she needed to tease the baby’s appetite with Lucky Charms.
“Amazing? Not really. Skipper knows what you like.” Her aunt snorted, like she found this funny. What? She might wonder why Izzy let Skipper hang around all the time. But she needed help. And he never seemed to mind.
While Skipper was pulling on his coat a few minutes later, Aunt Cate turned to him. “Do you live here in town?”
“Sure do,” he said. “Live with my mom.”
“Oh, my.” Her aunt’s face softened. They all knew that Mrs. Malone had been widowed for a long time. “How nice. For both of you.”
Skipper was sensitive about living at home. Izzy wondered what he would say. “She’s having some health problems so I thought I’d just bunk there for a while. She can’t keep the place up alone.”
“Oh, Skipper, I think that’s wonderful. Very generous of you.” Yep, Aunt Cate now thought that Skipper hung the moon.
“Right.” Cheeks pink, Skipper took his keys from his pockets. “I’ll be right back.”
The front door hadn’t even closed behind him when Aunt Cate turned to Izzy. “What a fine young man. “
“He is. And a great friend.” Skipper Malone was one of her past mistakes. Izzy wasn’t going to even consider going that route again.
“Friend? Nothing more?” Mouth twitching, Aunt Cate gave her a curious look.
Holly was still fussing and Izzy’s head was swirling. Was there more to this with Skipper? Reaching for the box of cereal on a pantry shelf, Izzy almost dropped it on the floor.