Page 24 of The Pink House

“Okay.” Her hands fluttered in the air as if she wasn’t sure what to do with them. “Good to know.”

“You’ll want to do the floors first. Paint isn’t difficult to clean off a well-finished floor, but dust from sanding can collect on newly painted walls.” Charlie considered who he’d recommend. “Do you remember Harley Sparks?”

“Vaguely.” She shrugged. “I don’t think I’d recall him at all if not for the weird name.”

“He was two years ahead of us in school.” Charlie smiled, thinking of all the nicknames the guy had had to endure during his childhood. “He went into the floor-refinishing business with his dad. Sparks & Son Floors, with Harley being the son. They are one of the biggest contractors of their kind in GraceTown.”

“But my house—”

“Though their focus is more on the commercial side, they do a fair amount of residential,” Charlie interrupted. “From everything I’ve heard, they do amazing work, and their prices are competitive.”

“I suppose I could contact them.” Hannah chewed on her bottom lip. “Though I bet they’re booked up.”

“Remind Harley that Brian was your husband. Harley played ball with me and Brian. He’ll take on the job.” There wasn’t a single doubt in Charlie’s mind of that fact.

Hannah grew quiet.

“Problem?”

“I wouldn’t feel comfortable bringing up Brian.”

While that didn’t make sense to Charlie, he had a work-around. “How ’bout I call him up, let him know my neighbor is looking for someone and see if he’s got a crew available? If he does, I’ll give him your number, and you can work out the details with him.”

“You wouldn’t mind?”

“Not at all. Quick five-minute call, and you’ll be on your way, and if not, I can give you the names of other contractors you can trust to treat you right.”

“Thanks so much, Charlie.” Hannah placed a hand on his bicep and gave a squeeze. “I really appreciate this.”

“When you’re ready for the walls, I can give you some names there.”

Hannah nodded, opened her mouth to speak, but shut it again.

“Something wrong?” Charlie asked.

“No, it’s just that if someone had told me in high school that one day you and I would be trading tips on gardening and home repair, I never would have believed them.”

“Well, technically, I’m the only one actually offering advice, so I don’t think you can call this ‘trading.’”

Hannah laughed. “You know what I mean. Coming back to GraceTown, finding you next door, it’s very…”

“Very what?”

“Unexpected. All of it. You.”

Charlie grinned. “You’re not what I expected either. Isn’t it great?”

CHAPTERSEVEN

Back at home, Hannah spent the next couple of hours online, losing herself in paint possibilities.

When her stomach grumbled, she tossed together some lunch, then opened the windows, letting the warm breeze and fresh scents that were June in Maryland wash over her.

Being inside on such a beautiful day made no sense. Not when this was the perfect afternoon for exploring. She’d just decided to pull out her hiking boots when she got a text from Emma.

Got time to talk?

Something must be up for Emma to want an actual conversation. Her friend usually preferred texting over talking.

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