For Now and Forever (The Inn at Sunset Harbor-Book 1)

CHAPTER SEVEN

"The first thing we should do," Daniel said as he followed her down the path, "is get the plywood off the windows." He was holding his metal toolbox, swinging it as he walked.

"Actually, I really just want to get the old furniture out," Emily replied, frustrated that Daniel was already assuming the position of boss.

"You want to spend every day sitting in synthetic light when the sun's finally coming out?" Daniel asked. His question wasn't so much a question as a statement, though, and the subtext was that she was an idiot for wanting to do otherwise. His words reminded Emily a little of her dad, of the way he wanted her to enjoy the Maine sunshine rather than sit cooped up watching TV all day. As much as it pained her to admit it, Daniel did have a point.

"Fine," she said, relenting.

Emily remembered how her first attempt at removing the plywood had resulted in her smashing the window and nearly breaking her neck, and she was grudgingly relieved to have Daniel on board to help.

"Let's start in the living room," she said, trying to gain some control back over the situation. "It's where I spend most of my time."

"Sure."

There was nothing else to say, the conversation extinguished thoroughly by Daniel, and so they walked silently into the house, along the corridor, and into the living room. Daniel wasted no time setting the toolbox down and searching for his hammer.

"Hold the plank like this," he said, showing her how to support the weight of it. Once she was in position, he began popping the nails out with the clawed end of his hammer. "Wow, the nails are completely rusted."

Emily watched a nail fall to the floor and hit it with a thud. "Is this going to damage the floorboards?"

"Nope," Daniel replied, his focus completely on the task at hand. "But once we get some natural light in here it is going to show up how damaged the floorboards already are."

Emily groaned. She hadn't factored the cost of getting the floorboards sanded into her budget. Maybe she could rope Daniel into doing that as well?

Daniel popped the last nail and Emily felt the weight of the plywood drop against her body.

"Got it?" he asked, one hand still pushing the board against the sill, taking as much of the weight off her as possible.

"I've got it," she replied.

He let go and Emily staggered back. Whether it was her determination not to show herself up in front of Daniel again or something else, Emily managed not to drop the board, or whack it against anything, or generally make a fool of herself. She lowered it gently to the floor then stood up and clapped her hands.

The first shard of light burst in through the window and Emily gasped. The room looked beautiful in the sunlight. Daniel was right; sitting around in the electric light rather than the natural light would have been criminal. Starting with the windows was a great idea.

Enthused by their success, Emily and Daniel worked through the downstairs of the house, revealing window after window, letting the natural light fill the place. In most of the rooms the windows were massive floor to ceiling things, bespoke, clearly created especially for the house. In some place they were rotten or damaged by insects. Emily knew it would cost a lot to replace custom-made frames and tried not to think about it.

"Let's do the windows in the ballroom before we head upstairs," Emily said. The windows in the main part of the house were beautiful enough, but something told her the ones in the abandoned wing would be even better.