Fragile Hearts (Poplar Falls #4) - Amber Kelly Page 0,27

and expand the attached bath and add two walk-in closets. That will take one of the smaller bedrooms, and it will end up as a four-bedroom home instead of five.”

As he explains his home plans, I can envision exactly what it will look like, and it sounds amazing.

I walk over to the stairs and run my hands along the banister. “It’s going to be spectacular. The mix of the new and the old world. The bones are lovely, and adding the modern touches is going to make it something special,” I tell him.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought too,” he agrees.

“May I?” I ask as I gesture up to the second floor.

“Please.” He extends his arm in invitation, and I make my way to the top.

I walk the circular, open layout, peeking into each room. They are very Victorian and nothing that I imagine Brandt would like.

“I’ll update these too. Bigger closets, fresh paint, and new furniture,” he says.

“I’m jealous,” I declare as we make it back to the staircase. “I do believe you are going to have a dream home when you finish.”

He looks around. “If I ever finish. It’s not like I have tons of free time lying around. But it’ll be a fun project. I’m looking forward to the work. Come on. You haven’t seen the best part.” He beckons, and I follow him out the back door and onto a concrete veranda that overlooks the yard.

“Wow,” is all I manage to get out as I take in the back side of the property. It’s better than I remember. So tranquil.

It’s hidden from the road, and I never realized how massive the land back here was.

“I thought maybe I’d have a pool put in,” he starts.

I vaguely remember this place being abloom with color.

“Are you kidding? This is meant to be a garden. One of those that has pathways and benches for meditation and reflection. A place for picnics and barbecues. You don’t want to ruin it with a pool that you can only open a couple of months a year. Besides, I bet the river is just beyond that tree line.” I point toward the wooded area off in the distance. “You can swim out there whenever you want.”

He considers me for a moment, and then he looks out over the space. I can see his mind working behind his eyes.

“A garden,” he repeats.

“A magnificent garden full of beautiful blooms and fruit trees and a gazebo,” I suggest.

“And a she-shed for Mom, one that looks like a cottage, there in that corner by the fountain.” He gestures toward the far right.

“I imagine she’d love it,” I utter. “Sounds perfect.”

“It does,” he agrees.

“What’s that?” I point toward a stack of lumber to the side of the patio.

“Building material. I had it delivered. I bought a tractor to start clearing the land, and I need a utility shed or garage to keep it in.”

“You planning to build a garage yourself?”

“No, ma’am. I plan to hire a contractor to build me one.”

“Foster is a master carpenter. He helped Myer build his cabin. I bet he’d be willing to do a side job, if you are okay with him working after hours. He does good work,” I recommend.

“Foster. Thank you for the tip. I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”

I look back at the house and then turn to him in question. “You wouldn’t happen to need any help demoing the kitchen, would you?”

He considers me.

“I guess another set of hands couldn’t hurt anything. Why?” he asks.

I shrug. “I feel like tearing some shit up.”

Brandt

I hand her a pair of goggles, not sure how I got talked into this.

“I wasn’t exactly planning to start on this tonight,” I tell her.

“Why wait?” she says as she looks at the tools I have laid out before us.

“Because I haven’t had a professional come in to tell me where the plumbing and wiring are located and which walls are load-bearing. We could potentially cave the whole house in,” I inform her.

“Oh, we won’t do all of that. Don’t be a drama queen,” she says as she rolls her eyes. “We’ll just pull off the cabinet doors and bust out the drawers for now.”

She chooses a crowbar and starts on the doors.

I watch as she takes her aggression out on the first one. And then the next. She goes down the line and uses the crowbar like a bat to knock each one from its hinges. By the time she gets to the last one, her face