Back Home Again (8 page)

“Not yet.” Jane led Alice into the parlor before she made her sit down in the overstuffed green chair. Alice glanced around the slightly shabby room with surprise. She hadn’t actually sat down in here in ages.

“What?” demanded Alice. “What is going on?”

“The contractor,” declared Louise dramatically. “It’s amazing—as if he’s been sent by God.”

Alice blinked. “By God?”

Louise laughed. “Well, that’s probably a bit presumptuous. But this man knows absolutely everything about old
houses. Goodness, you should’ve heard him explaining this and that to Fred and us.”

“But here’s what’s even better,” said Jane. “He really needs work right now, so he’s willing to give us a good deal.”

“What did Fred say?” asked Alice.

“Fred seems to think Jim’s pretty good. He asked him a lot of tough questions and didn’t stump the man once.”

“So when do I meet him?” Alice asked.

“He was going home to prepare a bid that he’ll submit to us,” said Jane. “Jim promised to get right on it and he’s even going to check with the city about permits and find out about Acorn Hill’s restrictions for historic preservation.”

“Then he’ll be back here with everything by Saturday morning,” said Louise.

“Wow.” Alice shook her head.

“If we agree to his terms, he can start work on Monday.”

“Wow again.”

“That’s not all,” said Louise. “I met with Lloyd Tynan today, and he seems to be a perfectly reasonable person.” She fingered her strand of pearls. “He helped me to get some forms for permits and, well, all sorts of things. He actually seems to know more about this town than anyone.”

Alice grew hopeful. “Did it seem like he was softening up some? I mean in regard to the inn?”

Louise nodded. “I’m guessing that it’s only a matter of time before he comes completely around.”

Jane’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “He’d better not come around too much, Louise. Aunt Ethel might get jealous.”

“That’s true,” said Alice. “You don’t want to forget that he and Aunt Ethel have been, well, you know, dating.”

Louise chuckled. “Oh, I know that. It’s not as if I’m interested in the man on a personal level. But, certainly there’s nothing wrong with enjoying one another’s company while we work out our business and zoning issues with the city.”

“I guess not.” Alice still wasn’t entirely sure. “But I wouldn’t want to see Aunt Ethel hurt.”

Louise patted her on the hand. “Nor would I, dear.”

“Speaking of Aunt Ethel,” said Jane, “I think we made some serious progress today. I invited her in for some butternut squash soup and I actually believe she’s starting to warm up to the idea of an inn. I started telling her about all the social opportunities the inn might provide, an occasional dinner or tea, small piano concerts, private parties and receptions. I’ve even suggested that there might be some sort of role for her to play in all this.”

“You didn’t?” said Louise.

“Well, you never know,” said Jane. “I’m sure we could think of something to keep her busy and out of trouble. Good grief, you know she’ll be popping in and out of here
anyway once things get going. We might as well plan ahead and try to put her to some good use.”

“Just as long as she doesn’t try to take over,” said Louise.

Alice tried to let all this new information sink into her brain. It seemed that they had suddenly been moved into the fast lane. Just considering the changes that might be coming their way made her feel tired all over again. She sighed. “Well, I think I’ll give my notice to go part time tomorrow.”

“Oh, good for you!” said Jane.

“Yes,” agreed Louise. “We’re going to need your level head around this place. Once renovation begins, there will be lots of decisions to make.”

“Oh yeah,” said Jane. “I told Jim that we all wanted to pitch in as much as possible. That will save us some money as well as make things go faster.”

Louise looked slightly stunned. “You mean
pitch in
as in wielding a hammer or a paint roller?”

Jane nodded. “That too much for you, Louise?”

Louise’s face puckered with distaste. “Well, I’ve just never …”

“There’s a first time for everything, sis.” Jane grinned mischievously.

Louise peered down at her long-fingered pianist hands and just shook her head. “I’m not so sure about this … I
suppose I might give it a try …” Still, she did not seem the least bit convinced.

“I wouldn’t mind helping out when I’m not at work,” offered Alice. “I painted my bedroom a few years ago and I thought it was rather fun. Although I must admit that I’m not terribly fast.”

“But you did a good job,” said Jane.

Louise blinked. “You actually painted that room all by yourself?”

Alice nodded. “I’m sure there will be some ways you can help out too, Louise.”

Louise still didn’t look too confident, but she did promise to give it her best attempt. Then holding up her hand, she repeated their three musketeers’ slogan. “All for one and one for all.”

Despite her weariness, Alice had to smile. Seeing the three of them united in a cause like this would have so pleased their father. Maybe he was cheering with them right now.

Chapter Eleven

A
s promised, Jim Sharp showed up on Saturday morning with a briefcase full of impressive-looking paperwork. Alice had to agree that he seemed like a nice enough young man, actually only a few years younger than Jane, but still young by Alice’s standards. He seemed to have all the right answers to their questions, yet there was something-Alice couldn’t quite put her finger on it-that gave her just the slightest reservation about him.

“I’m not completely sure about Jim,” she whispered to Louise as Jane and Jim inspected a portion of dry rot that was weakening one of the front porch’s large columns. Jim had thought he could simply replace a portion of the deteriorated post without having to remove the whole thing, but Jane had not been entirely convinced.

“Why not?” Louise asked in a quiet voice as she toyed with a loose edge of wallpaper hanging on the foyer wall. “He seems perfect for us. And besides, where will we find anyone else?”

“There’s Clark Barrett,” suggested Alice. “He’s been working in Acorn Hill for more than forty years now.”

“You mean he’s not retired yet?” Louise shook her head. “Why, he’s nearly as old as I am.”

“He’s experienced and established in our community,” said Alice. “Maybe we should get a second opinion from him.”

“And lose time? Jim has already said that if we get a jump on this we can get a good portion of the exterior projects completed before winter sets in.”

Alice waited as Jane and Jim came back into the house.

“Well, I think Jim was right,” announced Jane as they joined them in the foyer. “I can see now that most of that post is perfectly fine. It’s only the bottom few inches that are rotting. And, he’s absolutely right, we’ll save all kinds of money by not having to replace it.” She smiled with satisfaction.

“That’s true,” said Jim as he slipped a pencil behind his ear. “A post like that would have to be special ordered and specially milled. Not only is it expensive but it takes a long time too.”

Jane patted Jim on the back. “So, aren’t you glad we found such an expert, Alice?”

Alice nodded mutely. Perhaps she was being too sensitive. After all, Jane and Louise and even Fred had spent more time with Jim than she. They all seemed to think that Jim was the next best thing to sliced bread.

“So, do we have a deal then?” he asked with a broad smile.

“As far as I’m concerned, we do,” said Jane.

“I’m certainly in,” agreed Louise.

Alice nodded again. “Then so am I.”

So they all shook on it before they went into the study to sign the papers.

“I thought perhaps we might open a checking account with the inn’s name on it,” explained Louise. “That way we can use those funds for renovation expenses and whatnot. It will help us to start keeping all our finances straight, for business records later on.”

“That sounds smart,” said Jim. “But if I’m going to start on Monday, I’ll need a deposit up front by then.”

“How much do you require?” asked Jane.

“I usually like half up front and half upon completion, but since this is a fairly good-sized project, we could break it into more payments.”

“That would be nice,” said Louise. “Perhaps in thirds?”

He nodded. “Thirds would be fine.”

Still, Alice felt a little nervous. These were large sums of money they were talking about, most of it Louise’s, although she and Jane were contributing as much as they could afford. Still, she could think of nothing concrete to say that would deter them. She had no legitimate reason to put the brakes on this deal. So it was all settled. Louise and Jane both seemed elated over the arrangements.

“We’re getting a really good deal,” Jane assured her two sisters over a lunch of crab cakes and salad.

“I think so too,” admitted Louise with excitement. “I’ve always enjoyed watching
This Old House
on public television and I’ve seen just how much these kinds of historic renovations can cost.”

“I wish we’d had Fred look at the final paperwork,” said Alice.

“Now that’s a good idea,” said Louise. “It’s not too late. I believe there’s a three-day recision period for a contract this size. Maybe you should run the papers over to Fred for a second opinion.”

“Would that make you feel better?” asked Jane. “You still seem a little uncomfortable with this, Alice.”

Alice shrugged. “Oh, I’m sure I’m just being silly, but then I’ve never had much to do with such large sums of money. Goodness, whenever I buy a car, which certainly hasn’t been too often, I tend to fret over the whole transaction for weeks. I suppose I’m just being overly cautious with the house. But if you two don’t mind, I’d like to ask Fred to go over it.”

Later in the day, she paid Fred a visit at the hardware store, but since it was Saturday and he was having a seasonal sale, he asked if he could take the papers home with him and look them over more carefully later on that
evening. Alice felt relieved as she walked down Hill Street. She remembered how her father had often said there was safety in seeking good counsel from a number of friends. Now, feeling as if some of the weight had been lifted from her shoulders, she decided to pop into the Coffee Shop to say hello to Hope.

“That was a nice piece in the paper,” said Hope as she set a cup of tea in front of Alice.

“You read it?”

“Of course. Don’t you think everyone in town did?”

“I hope so, since that was our goal. We knew there were some rumors floating around that weren’t accurate. We hoped that the press release would straighten some people out.”

“I think it worked.”

“Really? Have you heard anything specific?”

Hope laughed. “Girlfriend, I hear
everything
.”

“Oh, of course, but do you maintain client confidentiality?” asked Alice as she glanced around the crowded coffee shop. She was only partially joking.

“No way. This is a public place. If people discuss their problems in here they better want the whole town to hear about it before too long.”

“So, tell me then, what is the consensus regarding our little business proposal now?”

“Well, opinions are beginning to improve a bit. Some
people actually like the idea of a good bed and breakfast coming to town.” She lowered her voice. “I even heard Betsy Long saying she hoped that locals would be welcome to partake in the breakfasts. Better not let our cook hear me saying that. And, of course, everyone knows we don’t have a proper hotel or anything, so a place for visitors to stay appeals to some folks.”

“That sounds fairly positive.”

“Yeah, but I can’t lead you on either, Alice. There are still plenty of people who agree with the mayor when it comes to change of any way, shape or form around here.” She shrugged as she wiped down the counter next to Alice. “Remember when Percy Thomas painted his house yellow instead of white? That must’ve been three years ago and people are still talking about it. I just don’t get it. What are folks so afraid of anyway? I happen to think change is good.”

“I noticed you changed your hair again,” said Alice as she glanced at Hope’s almost platinum locks.

Hope grinned and patted her hair. “Yeah, I like to shake people up around here. What do you think of it? Too California?”

“I think it looks good on you. Besides, now you can tell me whether it’s true that blondes have more fun.”

Hope winked at her. “Too soon to say, but I’ll be sure to let ya know when I find out.”

Alice paid her check, leaving Hope a nice tip, and then headed across the street to the Nine Lives Bookstore.

“Hi, Alice,” called Viola Reed from behind the counter. “Long time no see.”

“Don’t I know it, but it’s been a little busy these last few weeks.”

“I’m sure it has. I never actually saw you after your father passed on, but I was sorry to hear about it.”

“Thanks,” said Alice. “We appreciated the coleslaw you sent over. I guess Louise returned your bowl.”

Viola nodded. “You’d think it shouldn’t be as hard to lose someone who’s getting up there in years, but I’m sure it’s still tough. Although it did sound as if he went peacefully enough.” She stroked the fat orange marmalade cat that stretched itself across her cluttered counter. “I think it’s better to go like that than to waste away in a hospital or nursing home, don’t you think?”

“Most definitely. To tell you the truth, that’s just the way I’d like to go when my time comes, either like that or in my sleep. I think it’d be great to simply go to sleep and then just wake up to the glory of heaven. My goodness, what a surprise that’d be.”

“I guess that’s all well and good if you’re absolutely certain you’re going to heaven—or that there even is a heaven. Being that you’re a pastor’s daughter, I’m sure you’ve got
this whole thing all figured out, Alice. As for me, well, now, I just don’t feel so sure. Maybe it’s a good thing I’ve got nine lives.” Viola chuckled as she adjusted a large paisley scarf over her bulky shoulders.

Alice smiled. Everyone in town knew that Viola had experienced several brushes with death—hence the name of her bookstore. Well, that and her love of felines. Despite her near death experiences, Viola still managed to keep herself distanced from both God and the chapel.

“So, how many lives do you estimate you’ve got left now, Viola?” asked Alice.

“I’d guess I’m down to about four. Course you never know for sure. I can’t remember every single thing from my childhood. My mother once told me that I did have a severe case of measles as an infant, although I’m not sure if that was life threatening or not. I might be down to three.”

Alice nodded. “Still, the time will eventually come when you’ll need to examine what God has to offer you in the hereafter.”

Viola laughed. “You’re starting to sound more and more like your dad, Alice.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“And that’s just how I meant it.” Viola leaned forward on the counter. “I’ll tell you what, Alice. When I’m ready to hear about God’s plan for my salvation, or whatever it
is that you people call it these days, you will be the first one that I call.”

“Sounds like a deal.” Alice glanced around the crowded shop. “Now, tell me, Viola, have you got any new mysteries in?”

Viola scowled. “Oh, Alice, why do you waste your time on such rubbish?”

Alice shrugged. She knew Viola’s strong opinions on popular fiction. “I don’t know, Viola, I just enjoy them.”

Viola shook her head as she led Alice over to the sparse fiction section. She picked up a hardback book and held it in her hand as if it were unclean. “This is by a new British author who I heard about several months ago. I read an article saying that she was gaining interest in the UK. I figured I’d give her a try, although I must say I’m not impressed.”

Alice read the back cover of the first book. “Sounds promising,” she said. “I’ll take it.”

Viola rolled her eyes. “Well, I guess there’s no accounting for taste.”

So Alice purchased her book and bade Viola good-bye, then went back outside. Just as she was crossing Hill Street she happened to notice a man and woman entering the Coffee Shop. She did a double take. It was her sister Louise accompanied by Lloyd Tynan!
Of course
, Alice assured herself,
the two of them are simply discussing the inn
. But then this was a Saturday, and people in Acorn Hill did like to talk—and sighting the mayor with a woman other than Aunt Ethel could easily set tongues to flapping.
Oh dear, I hope Louise knows what she’s doing.

Alice sent up a silent prayer as she hurried toward home. She didn’t like feeling so alarmed over such a seemingly small thing, but she knew better than anyone her own tendency to worry too much about “small things.” Her compulsion to fret was also one of the biggest reasons for Alice’s fervent and active prayer life. She found herself constantly running to God with her worries—both large and small. She reassured herself that she was doing exactly what the Scriptures taught. Besides, as Vera was kind to point out, perhaps it was simply the way God had made her, a natural result of Alice’s very sensitive nature. She just tended to feel things more deeply and intensely than most people. Alice liked to see it in this positive light, but to be perfectly honest, she felt it was both a blessing and a curse.

Right now it troubled her to think that Aunt Ethel might become upset by word of Louise and Lloyd’s being together at the Coffee Shop. Like so many other things in life, Alice felt personally responsible for this too. If she hadn’t encouraged her sisters to develop the inn, or if
she’d simply minded her own business and kept her mouth shut, then her aunt’s life would be proceeding happily along, and everything would still be the same as before. But then, Alice wondered, was keeping everything the same really for the best?

Oh dear! She just hoped the three of them weren’t getting in over their heads!