Callie looked up at the glass-beaded sand dollar chandelier they’d found at a shop in Manteo on their way into town. They’d had an electrician install it yesterday, and Olivia had been cleaning the fingerprints off the glass. She’d said she had waited until Callie got home because she didn’t want to climb the tall ladder without someone to keep it steady, since she had to step on the top rung to reach the fixture. The chandelier shimmered as it illuminated the bedroom and Callie could just imagine the white gauzy fabrics and the sand-colored accents that would complement its light green color.
“I think some sea-green throw pillows would look good in here once we get the bedding in. Maybe have a wicker chair in the corner… Yeah, Luke asked to come over and help us with renovations.”
“That’s what I thought you said.” Olivia had her hands on her hips, a wide-eyed look on her face. “How are we supposed to look hot and desirable when we’re all sweaty and covered in dust and paint?”
“I don’t care how I look in front of him. I told him no anyway, though,” Callie said, nearly rolling her eyes. She proceeded to tell Olivia about the possible kiss debacle. The more she’d thought about it, the more she’d convinced herself that he’d thought she was just like all those other girls who probably threw themselves at him. Well, she wasn’t.
Olivia pressed her lips together as if she were trying to hold in some thought.
“What? Just say it.”
“Luke Sullivan tried to kiss you and you didn’t kiss him? Are you crazy?” She took Callie by the shoulders and shook her playfully. “That’s worth investigating just to see what all those models and actresses are after when they date him. I’m so disappointed in you.”
“I only think he was trying to kiss me. And, anyway, celebrity or not, there’s no way I’m going to let some hothead who thinks he can swoon me with his fancy boat trips kiss me.”
Olivia shook her head. “Why didn’t I go out instead of you to get lunch yesterday? I’d have totally kissed him.”
Callie laughed and clicked off the light. A streak of dark blue rippled across the wall, the reflection of the sunlight through a stained glass sun catcher they’d gotten from Gladys. “You have no shame.”
“You’re right. I have no shame. But! I can always say that because I took initiative, I actually dated Tony Reemos.”
“You were twelve!” Callie said, bursting into laughter. Olivia had run home that night and called Callie to tell her that she’d met Tony Reemos at the mall and that they’d held hands and exchanged phone numbers. Callie had lain on her bedroom floor, the phone to her ear for an hour, while Olivia told her all the details about this gorgeous boy she’d spent the day with after her mom had dropped her off to go shopping.
“Doesn’t matter. I’ve dated someone famous.”
Callie doubled over. “I’d forgotten about that—he isn’t famous. He’s a barely known actor. That’s not to say that it isn’t awesome, but I’d hardly call him famous.”
“He was in the background of that tissue ad and it was a national commercial!”
Callie laughed again. They headed downstairs together. Callie had a big project in front of her today. She was going to strip old wallpaper off the formal living room walls and paint them a light blue. She’d hoped to hire someone to paint a mural on one of the walls, just something subtle, so she could make it a beachy sitting room.
With no window treatments, the bright sun filtered into the formal living room, leaving large rectangular patches of light on the hardwoods, which was good, since the workers had cut the power to wire the new porches and Callie had to prepare for taking down the wallpaper. It was an enormous undertaking, so big that it was a little daunting, but when they’d divvied up the tasks, one of them had to take it, so Callie had volunteered, to Olivia’s complete relief.
In return, Olivia had promised to do the cooking for the first month once the appliances were installed to pay her back, but Callie assured her it was really fine. Then she told her all her favorite dishes—obviously teasing. Callie loved to cook, and said she’d do both the wallpaper and the cooking without a flinch.
Alone with her thoughts, Callie tried not to dwell on the length of the task at hand, allowing her mind to drift as she laid out the drop cloths. The wooden floor was dusty, quite a contrast to that gleaming boat she’d been on yesterday with Luke. His wealth had made her nervous, but he’d relaxed her so easily. As she dragged the cloth further down the floor with her foot until it covered the corner, she caught herself thinking about his smile when he was talking about the strawberry wine. The way his forehead wrinkled a little when his eyebrows rose, the lift in his cheekbones when that crooked smile emerged…
“I mixed up the solution for you. It’s down in the driveway—I could hardly get that heavy bucket across the street, let alone up all those stairs,” Gladys said, startling her as she dumped herself down dramatically into the only chair in the room. Callie had left the chair for her because Gladys was going to walk her through the process. Gladys had insisted on making the wallpaper stripper instead of just buying it, swearing that good old water and liquid fabric softener would do the trick. “We could’ve mixed it over here, but then I’d have had to cart a zillion bottles of fabric softener over. I didn’t know which was worse, so I opted for the one bucket.”
“Oh, you should’ve texted me to help you. I’d have carried it.”
Gladys was always helping. When The Beachcomber had come up for sale, Olivia had confided in Callie that she just didn’t have the money to put down on it. Callie had wanted to help, but she didn’t have enough to cover the whole down payment and all that would go into the purchase and restoration of the house. Olivia had fretted over it for ages before finally telling Gladys she didn’t think it would be possible to purchase the property.
Gladys had invited them both to come down and have a look at it anyway, claiming they could really just come for a visit. Over dinner that night, Gladys had slid a check across the table from her savings account—half the down payment. She’d told Olivia it was her inheritance, and that best she use it while the moment was right.
It was spending time at Olivia’s where Callie learned how family took care of each other, and this was another example. Everything rested on this for Olivia and Callie, but the money didn’t affect them as much as Gladys’s gesture.
“I can’t stand wallpaper,” Gladys said, getting back up and straightening one of the drop cloths Callie had put down to protect the floor. “It’s more trouble than it’s worth.” She peered up disapprovingly at the old floral pattern. “When you’re tired of it, you can’t just change it without a major event.”
Callie smiled at her. “We’re sticking to paint,” she said in agreement.
“Do you have an electric sander? That glue wreaks havoc on drywall.”
“Yep.” She removed the last of the switch plates and set it down in the pile in the center of the room. “I’ll just get the bucket. Be right back.”
“Where’s Wyatt today?” Gladys asked as Callie hauled in the giant painter’s bucket and set it with a slosh on one of the drop cloths.
“Olivia’s bought him a new kite. She’s outside getting him started.”
“Bless her. I know it’s hard to keep him entertained. I’ll go out and help her after I get you started and rest my legs for a minute.”