Emily sighed with resignation. “Sure, if by old world you mean cave-like dwelling. This place is primitive.”
“Well, so was my second husband, and this place belonged to him. I’ve had college kids staying here for the past few summers, and they’ve done some damage, but I’m sure you can work a little magic and make it far better than any of those dumps the Mahoney sisters rent out. I want top-of-the-line everything, but don’t go over budget,” Gigi added. “And everything needs to be reliable. No cutting corners.”
“That’s pretty much what every person doing a remodel wants. I’ll do my best, but keep in mind we’ll need electricians and plumbers and general carpenters. Back home I had a crew I trusted, but here I’m going to have get quotes and references. Everything we order will have to be shipped from the mainland, and that won’t be cheap. Plus, once we start taking down walls, there’s just no telling what we’ll find. This is going to be a huge project, Gigi.”
Her grandmother patted her shoulder lightly. “I have complete and total faith in you, Peach. And the good news is, I’ve lined up a great crew of available men.”
“You’ve hired a crew already?”
“Just some local fellas, but they’re all strong and they work cheap.”
“What’s that smell?” Chloe asked, coming into the room from the kitchen. Her two thick braids bounced on her shoulders as she walked.
“Which smell?” said Gigi. “The sour smell or the dank, musky smell?”
“Um, the musky smell, I guess?” Chloe looked at Emily as if she’d know which odor was currently assaulting her daughter’s nostrils.
“I think the musky smell may be a dead squirrel in the attic, but I’m not certain.”
Chloe covered her head with her hands as if that dead squirrel might drop down on it at any second. “That’s nasty, Gigi.”
“Oh, if you want nasty, you should smell a dead possum. Of course, those things are nasty even when they’re alive. Beadiest little eyes you ever did see. And long, spiky claws.” Gigi squinted and curled her hands into her own version of spiky claws, pawing playfully at Chloe’s head and making her giggle.
“Maybe one of the workmen you found for me is an exterminator?” Emily asked hopefully. “That would be handy. And how about a foreman? Is there a foreman in the bunch? Because I’d like to talk to him first.”
Gigi took off her glasses and breathed on the lenses before wiping them with the edge of her striped shirt. “Tiny Kloosterman would be the best one for that job. He’s the most responsible.”
“Tiny Kloosterman?” That sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite place him.
“Don’t let the name fool you. He’s strong as an ox and nearly as big, plus his tether allows him to go anywhere on the island.”
Emily had to let that one sink in for a second before she could respond. “His tether? Did you get me a chain gang to remodel this house?”
The glasses went back on as Gigi shrugged. “Of course not, but like I said, I have a tight budget to stick to. Tiny might have a little issue with authority figures. He didn’t do so well in the military, but he loves to punch his fist through drywall, so he’s sure to come in handy for tearing stuff down.”
The military. Now she remembered him. He was from one of the newer families. Newer meaning his ancestors had moved to the island sometime after 1910. He’d gone off to enlist in the navy the moment he turned eighteen, so he’d been gone for most of Emily’s childhood. Apparently he was back and in need of something to keep him out of trouble.
Emily began to perspire. The cottage was warm to begin with in spite of the breeze, but the enormity of what she was about to undertake was what really heated her up. This was the first remodel she’d ever done without Jewel. Without any crew that she had a relationship with. It was ten times more of a job than she was expecting, and her foreman was on a tether. The odds were stacked against her, but she was going to make this happen. No matter what.
“Gigi, I think I need to meet with Tiny before we officially hire him. I need somebody I can totally trust. Does he have any references?”
Gigi pursed her lips for a moment, thinking. She tapped an index finger against her chin, thinking some more. “I suppose his parole officer would be a good source of information. Or better yet, Judge Murphy. He’s the one who tried Tiny’s case, so he’s got all the goods on him. Of course, I could also ask your second cousin, Father O’Reilly, but I think he has some confidentiality issues.”
“Why is the carpet squishy?” Chloe picked up her foot and looked at the bottom of her sandal.
Gigi turned around. “No idea, but it’s up to your mother to fix that now. Come on, let’s go take a look on the second floor. You can see the Petoskey Bridge from the window. Wonderful view.”
Each step creaked as they went up the wide stairs, and Emily mentally added that to the list of things she’d need to address. Her face got a little hotter, her breath a little more labored. All she was doing was standing there, but on the inside it felt as if she was running at top speed. Through an obstacle course full of rattlesnakes and scary clowns. She needed some air.
She pushed open the screen door and stepped onto the porch, half expecting her foot to go right through the wood. It didn’t, thank goodness. She tentatively stomped her foot, then boldly jumped up and down a few times just to see what cracked or creaked or splintered. Her highly scientific testing strategy suggested the porch was sturdy enough, in spite of its appearance. With any luck, it just needed some power-washing and a fresh coat of paint.
She stepped over to the railing and knew one thing was for certain—the view from here could simply not be beat. The cottage sat on a low hillside near Anishinaabe Trail, and from this spot, Emily could see an abundance of gorgeous old trees on the property just down the slope. Through a small clearing she could just barely see the rooftop of old Bridget O’Malley’s little pink house, but past that was an unparalleled view of Lake Huron and the Petoskey Bridge. With the sun high in the sky, the water glittered gold and the breeze smelled like fresh heaven. This was what this cottage was all about. This was its best feature, the view, and that’s what Emily needed to play up.