Holly sat taller in her chair, her heart hammering. Youve done construction? Are you good with renovation work? Drywall, molding, plumbing, that sort of thing?
He flipped up his palm and blinked. I suppose. Im not an expert, but I hold my own.
Holly bit her bottom lip, calculating, weighing her options, sizing up the uncertainties. An excited flutter stirred in her belly.
She could help Matt. He could help her. The plan was perfect.
Come work for me.
Matts eyebrows drew together in a skeptical frown. You?
Im renovating the house, and the process has dragged on far too long already. I want to be done by the end of the year, but my brother-in-lawJon, not Robertis doing most of the work and, frankly, hes been unreliable at best, only showing up half the time and working far too slowly. A pitfall of having a family member doing the jobhard to fire them. Butyou could help him, she said without taking a breath, her hands motioning as she talked. What with teaching, I only have weekends to give to the project right now andwell, what do you think? Im redoing the master bathroom at the moment and still need to take out a wall in the study and fix the molding and paint andwell, theres no shortage of work. Ill make the arrangements with Jon.
Matt stared at her, looking a bit pole-axed. I, uhI appreciate the offer butare you sure you want me?
Why not you? You need work, and I need a reliable handyman to finish whats been started. When my husband and I started these renovations, we had no idea how much work was really needed and how long it would all take. She was chattering again, gushing without taking a breath, but she couldnt seem to curb her nervous habit. The work was fun at first. We spent weekends and vacations hammering and painting and papering, but after Ryan died She curled her fingers into her hands, waiting out the stab of pain that assailed her.
The project lost its meaning, Matt finished for her. The fun was gone, but the work was still unfinished.
Her breath caught, and she gaped at him. Hed nailed it. But how did he know how she felt, where her thoughts were headed?
He lost his wife. He knows. He understands.
Holly nodded. Yes. Exactly. I just want to be done with it. Its become more of a burden now than a hobby. Jon, Ryans brother, took the job on as a favor to me, but he has other responsibilities. Hes a firefighter for the county department down in Crenshaw, and he works one day out of three, has a girlfriend in Asheville. Holly paused for a breath, gauging Matts expression. Mostly he looked shell-shocked.
She had a way of doing that to peopleoverwhelming them with her chattering, her openness. Her blind trust in the goodness of people worried her family, but her gut instincts had never let her down. Even Ryan, Mr. Methodical Thinker, had learned to trust her sixth sense about people and impromptu plans.
Will you help me? Ill pay you what I would pay a contractor. Ill talk to Jon about it and make all the arrangements.
Matt opened and closed his mouth, speechless for the moment. Idont have a car or any way to get out here every day.
Oh. She gnawed her lip some more as she thought. Well, Ill come get you on the weekends and drive you back to town when were done for the day. And I could pick you up around three oclock when I leave the school, so you could get about four hours of work done in the evening. Ill fix us dinner, then take you home.
He still looked dubious. Thats a lot of driving back and forth over the mountain for you. Are you sure about this? Why would you do this when you dont even know me?
Holly rocked back in her seat, rattled. I thought it was a good
solution to both our problems. IIve already had Robert vet you. You dont have a record. You could give me the name of the guy you worked for this summer for reference, andI plan to check you out through the Community Aid Center records. But She smiled. Im guessing I wont find anything worrisome. You seem like a good guy to me.
He returned a lopsided grin. I try. Lifting a shoulder and giving his head a befuddled shake, he offered her his hand. All right. Pending your reference check and consult with Jon, I accept. With gratitude. I will finish your renovations for you.
Great. Hollys grin rose from somewhere deep inside her and blossomed on her lips. This plan felt right. You can start tomorrow.
After dinner, Holly gave Matt a quick tour of the house, showing him what shed already accomplished and what needed to be done. Based on the state of the unfinished rooms, Holly and her late husband had been ambitious and visionary in tackling the old farmhouse. But the transformation was amazing. Holly had breathed new life into the old house and made it a warm home.
Matt followed Holly up the curving staircase, admiring the polished wood railing and beautifully sculpted posts. He found himself caught up in Hollys enthusiasm for the project and the allure of transforming the house, restoring it to its previous glory.
The guest bathroom where hed showered had new brass fixtures and white tile but no wallpaper, and the carpeting in the halls was threadbare and ratty. Clearly floor coverings were a final step, once the other work and painting were finished.