Page 21 of Pick Yourself Up
It didn’t take more than a couple of minutes to reach the other farmhouse. The buildings weren’t side by side and there were plenty of apple trees to fill the space between, along with bushes and overgrown gardens.
Gray would soon attack that area. She wondered what he would create there. Whatever it was, it would be beautiful.
How had someone who loved the peace of gardening coped with his jobs in the army and then as a bodyguard? To her, they were jobs requiring very different skill sets. Not that she knew much about any of them.
She understood the power of flowers and plants in making an indoor space welcoming, but she knew nothing about growing them.
It surprised her she wanted to know more.
And that wasn’t only because she was so attracted to Gray. With a grin, she admitted it was a large contributing factor. Dark Eyes was a hell of a lure.
The farmhouse came into view in a rush. The large bushes and trees had blocked her view from the road. Now, she stood and looked her fill.
Boomer roamed the small area around her, checking out the scents and the sights for threats, leaving her free to study the structure.
The front of the farmhouse faced her, leaving it sideways on the property. What had once been happy yellow siding had faded to a tired beige. Worn and peeling trim edged the windows and doors.
The front porch was wide enough for small groupings of tables and chairs. The side porch facing the gardens was better yet. She could picture rockers and swings. It could handle several intimate conversational settings.
From what she could tell, the porch wrapped around the back of the farmhouse. What would that view be like?
Probably overgrown like the rest of this part of the land. Maybe Gray could help her improve that as well.
The house reached three full stories. The attic appeared to have been expanded at one point. The footprint of this house was larger than the one they were using. And that one had eight bedrooms on the second floor.
If this one had had that many, that meant sixteen rooms. That was more than a typical B&B. An inn? Making it an inn meant she wouldn’t need to cook breakfast every day, which was a bonus.
Could she use one room on each floor for a sitting room? Small library. Music room with a piano for guests. A place for visitors to play board games when the weather wasn’t cooperating.
She’d have to do more research on this part of Vermont. Was there a way to incorporate the area’s history into the rooms and shared spaces?
From the farm road, Amber counted five chimneys. Five. It had probably been decades since someone had cleaned them, but fireplaces would add charm to the spaces. Even if they needed to be converted to gas, they would be positive additions.
In a house this old, the kitchen and bathrooms would need to be upgraded before she could even think about making it an inn.
Over the years, she’d learned a lot about actual renovations. Getting involved with that part was fun. She enjoyed demo, but putting up drywall and installing floors was more her speed. That way, she could see the potential building and imagine the people who would be happy in the new space.
“What do you think, Boomer? Do you think we could be happy here?”
Boomer woofed and wagged his tail in agreement.
She smiled. “It’s a good place. I think Knox was right. This would make an excellent inn. Although I don’t know how many people would like to visit an apple farm in Vermont.”
But that would be her job. Demo. Renovation. Design and planning. Then marketing. And running the final project. It wouldn’t be easy, and it certainly wouldn’t be quick, but it was doable.
That made her smile again. She hadn’t even seen the inside yet, and she was making plans to lure people to Vermont in all its seasons. “Looks like I’ve found my project.”
It wouldn’t bring in money, not yet. But it would be fun.
She pulled out her keys to check out the inside when she heard a bell. The dinner bell. Knox had found it somewhere, and the sound made her smile.
“I guess the interior will have to wait, Boomer. Dinner’s ready. We’ll come back later to explore.”
For the first time in a long time, Amber’s excitement was bigger than her fear.
Gray watched Amber’s reaction to the dinner bell. She hadn’t flinched, and he could tell from her body language that she was as relaxed as he’d ever seen her. Not that he’d known her that long.
Boomer hadn’t wandered far from her, but he’d checked out the road and the front yard of the farmhouse. The dog had acknowledged Gray’s presence but hadn’t alerted Amber, showing he knew Gray meant no harm.
