into the
attic. It ran the length and width of the house.
“This is amazing,” Alaina said, smiling at
the two men. “I love it.”
“I told Alaina she could make two or three
bedrooms up here,” Rye said to his father.
“That won’t be a problem.” Kenneth made
another note on his pad. “There’s plenty of room for three suites with private
bathrooms.”
“Will it be too hot for guests?”
“Not when I get through with it,” Rye said.
“Each floor will have its own central heating and cooling unit. The whole house
will be well insulated and have new windows and doors besides the new roof.
Basically, we’ll gut the house and start fresh. New wiring, new plumbing, the
works.”
“Can my room be here?”
“Is that what you want?”
She gazed at the turret, imagining the sun
waking her every morning. She’d like nothing better. She nodded. “Yes.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do. Unless…” He
stopped.
“Unless what?” Alaina asked.
“I haven’t computed out the cost yet,
Alaina. You’re looking at a lot of money to do the job right.”
“The cost doesn’t matter.”
“Cost always matters.”
“Rye, I promise it doesn’t matter. I have
the financing. I won’t give you a blank check, but I want the house to sparkle
when you’re finished with it.”
“I’ll give you every break I can.”
“I appreciate that.”
He continued to look into her eyes. The
room suddenly seemed warmer and Alaina didn’t think it had anything to do with
the sun shining in the windows.
Rye cleared his throat and faced his
father. “Do you have everything you need, Dad?”
“For now. I’ll start a draft of the plans
and let y’all look at them for approval.” He looked at Alaina. “Do you have any
questions for me?”
“Not that I can think of now.”
“Rye will give you my cell phone number.
Call me if you think of anything.”
Alaina smiled at him. “Thank you, Kenneth.”
“See you later, Dad.”
Kenneth waved at them over his shoulder as
he started down the steep staircase. The large room now seemed smaller as well
as warmer with just her and Rye in it. She wasn’t sure what to say to him now
that they were alone.
“Do you have any questions for me?” he
asked.
Yes. Will you take me against the wall
again?
Alaina slipped her hands into the back
pockets of her jeans to keep from reaching out for Rye. “Do you need a deposit
from me before you start anything?”
“I usually get one, yeah.”
“Can I write a personal check to you or
would you rather I get a cashier’s check?”
“A personal check will be fine.” That
crooked smile she was starting to recognize touched his lips. “If Bella
Olinghouse accepted your check, I can too.” He slipped his pen above his ear.
“Are you ready to go?”
Alaina nodded. She turned and started for
the door. A cold blast of air flowed over her once she stepped close to the
turret. She shivered.
“Did you feel that?” she asked Rye.
“Feel what?”
“The cold air.”
“You couldn’t have felt any cold air. It
has to be at least eighty degrees in here.”
“Then explain this.” She lifted her arm,
which had goose bumps scattered across it.
Rye ran his fingertips over the pebbled
skin. “Strange. I didn’t feel any cold air, Alaina.”
“You don’t suppose this house is haunted,
do you?”
She’d asked the question in jest, yet a
part of her wondered if there could be something…otherworldly in the old house.
It held a lot of history for Rye’s family.
And hers.
“Lanville is a small town with a lot of
people who like to spread gossip,” Rye said. “There isn’t much that goes on
that doesn’t get back to me. I’ve never heard of anyone claiming to see or hear
ghosts in this house, not even as a joke.”
Alaina slowly looked around the large room.
She felt…something. She didn’t know what to call it, whether a presence or
simply a feeling of something—or some one —here with them. It
attic. It ran the length and width of the house.
“This is amazing,” Alaina said, smiling at
the two men. “I love it.”
“I told Alaina she could make two or three
bedrooms up here,” Rye said to his father.
“That won’t be a problem.” Kenneth made
another note on his pad. “There’s plenty of room for three suites with private
bathrooms.”
“Will it be too hot for guests?”
“Not when I get through with it,” Rye said.
“Each floor will have its own central heating and cooling unit. The whole house
will be well insulated and have new windows and doors besides the new roof.
Basically, we’ll gut the house and start fresh. New wiring, new plumbing, the
works.”
“Can my room be here?”
“Is that what you want?”
She gazed at the turret, imagining the sun
waking her every morning. She’d like nothing better. She nodded. “Yes.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do. Unless…” He
stopped.
“Unless what?” Alaina asked.
“I haven’t computed out the cost yet,
Alaina. You’re looking at a lot of money to do the job right.”
“The cost doesn’t matter.”
“Cost always matters.”
“Rye, I promise it doesn’t matter. I have
the financing. I won’t give you a blank check, but I want the house to sparkle
when you’re finished with it.”
“I’ll give you every break I can.”
“I appreciate that.”
He continued to look into her eyes. The
room suddenly seemed warmer and Alaina didn’t think it had anything to do with
the sun shining in the windows.
Rye cleared his throat and faced his
father. “Do you have everything you need, Dad?”
“For now. I’ll start a draft of the plans
and let y’all look at them for approval.” He looked at Alaina. “Do you have any
questions for me?”
“Not that I can think of now.”
“Rye will give you my cell phone number.
Call me if you think of anything.”
Alaina smiled at him. “Thank you, Kenneth.”
“See you later, Dad.”
Kenneth waved at them over his shoulder as
he started down the steep staircase. The large room now seemed smaller as well
as warmer with just her and Rye in it. She wasn’t sure what to say to him now
that they were alone.
“Do you have any questions for me?” he
asked.
Yes. Will you take me against the wall
again?
Alaina slipped her hands into the back
pockets of her jeans to keep from reaching out for Rye. “Do you need a deposit
from me before you start anything?”
“I usually get one, yeah.”
“Can I write a personal check to you or
would you rather I get a cashier’s check?”
“A personal check will be fine.” That
crooked smile she was starting to recognize touched his lips. “If Bella
Olinghouse accepted your check, I can too.” He slipped his pen above his ear.
“Are you ready to go?”
Alaina nodded. She turned and started for
the door. A cold blast of air flowed over her once she stepped close to the
turret. She shivered.
“Did you feel that?” she asked Rye.
“Feel what?”
“The cold air.”
“You couldn’t have felt any cold air. It
has to be at least eighty degrees in here.”
“Then explain this.” She lifted her arm,
which had goose bumps scattered across it.
Rye ran his fingertips over the pebbled
skin. “Strange. I didn’t feel any cold air, Alaina.”
“You don’t suppose this house is haunted,
do you?”
She’d asked the question in jest, yet a
part of her wondered if there could be something…otherworldly in the old house.
It held a lot of history for Rye’s family.
And hers.
“Lanville is a small town with a lot of
people who like to spread gossip,” Rye said. “There isn’t much that goes on
that doesn’t get back to me. I’ve never heard of anyone claiming to see or hear
ghosts in this house, not even as a joke.”
Alaina slowly looked around the large room.
She felt…something. She didn’t know what to call it, whether a presence or
simply a feeling of something—or some one —here with them. It
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