Page 36 of Flippin' Cowboy
She shook her head stubbornly. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“Well, it’s not something they teach in school,” Nick said. “But it’s true. There are a lot of towns in this state that owe their madams and working girls an enormous civic debt.”
Grandma Abigail’s gaze found Winnie’s. “So, what doyouthink I should do, Winnie?”
Watch out! It’s a trap!Winnie thought wryly. She knew how much Grandma Abigail hated it when someone told her what to do.
“Remember how Grandpa Frank always said not to worry about what other people thought? That the actual truth always lies in here.” Winnie thumped her fist over her heart. “If he’d been here today, I think he would’ve thought our discovery was really interesting and cool. And he wouldn’t have given a hoot about gossip. I think you should sleep on the news, Grandma, and let us know in the morning what you want to do.”
“We could hold off filming your reaction scene until the end of the day without compromising our shooting schedule,” Karla offered.
“All right,” Grandma Abigail conceded. Without the youthful energy that normally animated her features, she suddenly looked her age. “I promise I’ll seriously consider the best course of action tonight and get back to you in the morning.”
They ended the call.
“And that’s a wrap for the day,” Karla said. She sounded dispirited, as well she might.
“What’s the plan for tomorrow?” Autumn asked.
“More demolition,” Winnie replied. Nick still hadn’t removed his arm, but somehow, she didn’t mind. It felt… comforting. “We got most of the downstairs rooms demoed today, but upstairs is still a mess. We’re going to have to take everything down to the studs.”
Karla consulted her tablet. “We asked a local plumbing company, Stinson and Sons, to come in after lunch and inspect the pipes. In the morning, Winnie and Nick will assess the inn’s kitchen and discuss their plans for bringing it up to code as a commercial kitchen.”
“We’ll have to go modern all the way,” Winnie said, bracing herself for the return of Mr. Grumpypants. “The county’sFood Service Construction Guidedoesn’t leave a lot of room for historic charm. For a hotel kitchen, we’re required to install modern refrigeration and sanitation equipment, stainless steel countertops and sinks, and a Type One commercial kitchen hood with an integrated fire suppression system over the stove.”
“I figured that might be the case,” Nick said. “It is what it is.”
Astonished by the lack of fireworks, Winnie turned her head to look at him. “Who are you, and what have you done with therealNick Evans?”
Nick chuckled and stepped away, letting his arm slide from her shoulders.
Winnie immediately regretted the loss of contact and felt a spurt of annoyance at her reaction.I amnotattracted to Nick Evans, she reminded herself firmly.
Sure, he was sexy as hell, all muscled cowboy, sexy grins, and arrogant digs. But Winnie knew better than to get involved with a guy whose ego was the size of Montana.
And besides, he disliked her. A lot. And he sure as hell didn’t respect her work, no matter how nice he was acting now. One day of coffee, pastries, and smiles didn’t wipe away three years of stinging social media critiques.
“This isn’t my first hotel restoration,” Nick reminded her. “While I’d love to restore the original Victorian kitchen with only a few modern updates, truth is, this won’t be a public area. No guests will see it.” He shrugged. “And I’ve learned the hard way that you can’t argue with building codes… or inspectors.” He grimaced.
Winnie sympathized. Over the years, she’d dealt with her fair share of overly persnickety inspectors.
“Um, okay then,” she said. “I guess we agree on the kitchen plan. Which is kind of weird. Aren’t we supposed to be arguing over every restoration decision?”
Nick laughed. “Am Ireallythat bad?”
“Yes,” Winnie said, then quickly added, “But you’re not wrong. Not usually, anyway.”
“Speaking of arguing,” Karla said, “I’ve been reviewing the footage we’ve shot so far of you two interacting.”
Winnie’s gut started roiling again. “It sucks?” She didn’t really want to hear the answer.
“Oh, honey, no! Whatever makes you think that?” Karla exclaimed, shocked. “You and Nick aregreattogether. Your on-screen chemistry is off the charts!”
Winnie stared at her producer in shock. “No way!” she exclaimed.
“Yes way,” Karla insisted. “I’m seeing sparks, honey.Sparks.” Her dark eyes glowed with excitement.
“Sparks,” Nick repeated. He sounded as dubious as Winnie felt.
