Wolves at the Door - Lidiya Foxglove Page 0,55
I said. “And go shopping together. You’re right. We took over the house. But I also really need your help with the menial labor. We all have to bring it together in a race to get the kitchen done so we can move on.”
“Am I glad to hear you say that! I actually painted up a design of how I thought the kitchen might look. I saw this adorable yellow kitchen in a house I flipped in Mississippi and I’ve always wanted a kitchen just like it. This house is so bright and cheerful that if any house was asking for a yellow kitchen, it’s this one.”
We compared Jake’s iPad computer-generated room of a shiny modern kitchen to Bilie’s watercolor pencil sketch of a sweet yellow room with white cabinets, many with glass panes in the doors, plus she drew hers with flour and sugar jars on the counter and a painting of a cow on the wall. “That’s just for examples of the sort of things I might decorate with,” she said.
I still liked Jake’s high-end kitchen better. But Billie’s had heart, I’d give her that.
And it was crunch time. My brother was sending over some buyers soon, and we would be moving on to the last piece of Pandora’s Box. It seemed like, all things considered, it had been a little too quiet around here.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Helena
“Close your eyes,” Jasper said.
“Why?”
“What do you mean, ‘why’? It’s more fun that way, isn’t it?”
“You guys just want to take my hands and guide me.”
“Is that so bad?” Jake said. “But the reveal is a classic part of any good renovation.”
“I’ve already seen the bathroom!”
“Not like this.”
I shut my eyes and they walked me in.
This bathroom had already turned out luxurious, but now it was lit with candlelight and full of orchids and succulents.
I gave them the squeal of excitement that they were probably hoping for. “What! It looks amazing! This is the bathroom I never knew I wanted.” I petted the pot of the purple and white flowers hanging over the bathtub. “This is so Zen spa I almost wish the whole house was like this.”
“But it’s just like we said.” Jake wasn’t going to miss a chance to pat himself on the back for his design skill. “After a day of throwing parties in your manor, this is your private retreat.”
“But why did you get all these flowers?”
“We were out getting materials,” Jasper said. “And we just thought, you’ve been working so hard doing the most boring jobs in the whole house, so you need to relax.”
“You can take a nice long bath,” Jake said. “And get ready in style. It’s time for our date.”
“Where are you getting ready?”
“Well, we’re just a couple of beasts, so we’re going to fill a washtub with soap in the old smokehouse and wash up there.”
I laughed. Then I realized they were serious. “Oh. Are you sure? I could just take a quick shower.”
(I offered that, but, I didn’t actually mean it. Fuck yes I was taking a bath.)
“Very sure. When we played at our cousins house we’d all get dirty and our aunt would set out a tin tub and some ratty half-used bars of Irish Spring, tell us to scrub off, then line us all up and hose us down at the end of the day,” Jake said. “But you are a Baroness, so please, take a long soak.”
“I feel mocked.” I looked at the tub. “But I’ll take it allll day long.”
The bathroom was so gorgeous. It made me envious of the future owners.The gray bathroom really looked modern and luxurious when it was all put together. The window let in a ton of light that kept it from feeling heavy. And the natural beauty of the plants stood out like jewels against a simple gown. I had a long soak, getting all the grime of hard work off me.
I had to keep an eye on the time. I checked my phone now and then, allowing time to dress for our date. I put my hair up in a braided twist and wore a little lipstick. Although I had quite a few dresses, I kept thinking of Graham calling me “Wednesday Addams” and that wasn’t the vibe I wanted for the date. It seemed to me that all my dresses were Wednesday Addams dresses, so I just had to go with the one that had a V-neck and short sleeves instead of a high collar. This dress had a belt with