rub D.A. when he leaned lovingly on her leg. “It mostly needs paint, and the bathroom there needs a new sink, that sort of thing. Freshen it up. You can spare a couple men while the floors are going in.”
“But—”
“We don’t want to leave this space empty, do we?” She put her hands on her hips as she turned a circle. “We’ll need a counter there, for the cash register, for checkout. Small again, nothing fancy. You can build that, can’t you, Owen?”
“Ah . . . sure.”
“Coward,” Beckett muttered as their mother walked back to study the closet-sized powder room.
“Bet your ass, bro.”
“Pretty little wall-hung sink, a new toilet, nice little mirror and light—done. Paint and pretty lights out here and upstairs. Oh, new exterior paint. We’ll go with what complements what we’re doing on the inn.”
“Mom, even if we could split some of the crew, get this done, you have to get somebody to run it, stock it and—”
“Already there. Don’t you worry about any of that. I’ve talked to Madeline—from our book club. You know Madeline Cramer,” Justine continued in her cheerful steamroll over objections. “She used to manage an art gallery in Hagerstown.”
“Yeah, sure, but—”
“She knows all sorts of local artists and craftsmen. We’re going to do all local art and crafts, showcase what we have, who we are.” Sunglasses perched on her head, paint fan at the ready, Justine beamed at the space. “It’ll be wonderful.”
He couldn’t argue with that. He couldn’t argue at all, Beckett realized. He was outgunned. “We’re only going to be able to send somebody over to work when we can clear them from the inn job.”
“Well, of course, sweetie. Ry, do you have time to help me figure out the wall there?”
“Sure.”
“Won’t this be fun?” She turned that cheerful beam on all of them. “We’ll add a fresh, new business to town, give local artists a wonderful venue, and have a nice little lead-in to the inn before it’s done and open.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Any of you have dates tonight?”
“Who has time?” Owen muttered. “No, ma’am, not me.”
She got shakes of the head from the other two, sighed loud and long before bending to address Dumbass. “How am I going to get girls and grandchildren unless they start hunting them up? Well, why don’t you all come to dinner? I’ll pick up some fresh corn on the way home, make you a feast.”
And rope them into refining details on her latest brainstorm, Beckett thought. But what the hell.
“I’m in.” He glanced around as Clare poked her head in the door.
“Hi. Family meeting?”
“Just adjourned,” Justine told her.
“Oh, it looks so sad in here now. I’m sorry to see The Gallery go, but I know she’ll love having a bigger space over in Shepherdstown.”
“It won’t look sad for long. You’re just what I need.” Justine held the paint strip up again. “Tell me what you think of this color for the walls.”
“I love it. Sunny. Warm, but not overbright. Do you have a new tenant already?”
“We’re the new tenant. I guess you haven’t talked to Madeline recently.”
“Not since our last book club meeting.”
While his mother filled Clare in—surely satisfied with Clare’s enthusiastic delight—Beckett walked outside, then sat on the steps leading up to the bookstore porch.
They’d figure it out, he decided. The scheduling of crew and work, the materials. He could eke some time out if it needed a bit of redesigning. No need for permits if they didn’t change anything structurally, and since it would remain a retail space.
Owen would deal with the business license, the paperwork, and the rest.
But, Jesus, the timing. Crap timing at the end of a crap day.
At least he’d get a home-cooked meal out of it.
His mother came out with Clare, repeated the process, this time holding a new strip up to the exterior wall before she frowned over at Beckett.
“You look beat, baby.”
“Hard day at the ranch. Ironed out,” he added before she pecked at him. “We’ll fill you in later.”
“See that you do. For now, why don’t you go ahead and run Clare home.”
“Oh no, I’m fine. It’s a nice walk.”
“Why are you walking?” Beckett asked her. “It’s nearly a mile.”
“Hardly more than a half mile, and I like to walk. My sitter’s car was acting up, so I left her mine in case. I don’t want her to have to pile the boys in and come get me.”