Page 67 of Beau
They worked all morning, making it through the two bedrooms by noon, stopping several times to pet Lady or to take her outside for short walks on a leash. She was content to sleep most of the day on the living room sofa.
Beau heated leftover gumbo for lunch. They ate on the back porch, enjoying being outside until the heat and humidity drove them indoors to crank up the window air-conditioning units.
They spent the afternoon going through the kitchen and pantry, taking a little longer while sorting through things they could use while they were there.
By late afternoon, they made it to the laundry room and found an attic entrance in the ceiling with stairs that dropped down.
Beau climbed up to get an idea of how much had been stored up there.
When he let out a long, slow whistle, Aurelie groaned. “A lot?”
“Too much to start on today.” He backed down the ladder and raised the staircase, folding it up into the ceiling. “More gumbo for dinner, or do you want me to make omelets?”
“Omelets,” Aurelie said. “Are we done for the day?”
“I am if you are,” he said.
“I’m done.” Aurelie led the way out of the laundry room and into the living room, now crowded with boxes stacked against one wall. “That’s a lot of stuff. The trash alone will take several trips to the landfill in your truck.”
“Or we can have a roll-on, roll-off container delivered. We still have the attic and a storage shed to clear out.”
She collapsed onto the sofa and put her feet up on a box labeled FAMILY. Lady rose from her corner of the sofa and climbed onto Aurelie’s lap.
“Hey, little Lady,” Aurelie crooned. “Need a little lovin’?”
“I’m going to make those omelets. We can eat out here rather than at the dining table.” He headed for the kitchen.
“A good idea since it’s covered with boxes,” Aurelie called out. “Let me know if you need help.”
“I’ve got this,” he responded.
“Good, because now that I’m down, I don’t think I can get up again.”
“Relax.” He appeared a moment later with a glass of wine. “This might help.”
“Mmm. A man after my own heart. I could get used to being waited on. Just give me wine and chocolate bonbons, and I’m a happy camper.”
“I’ll be sure to load up on chocolate bonbons next time we go grocery shopping.” He winked and headed back to the kitchen.
Aurelie sipped her wine and looked around at all the work they’d done so far. With the pictures removed from the walls and the clutter stored in boxes to be donated or trashed, she could see the potential of the room.
Beau appeared with two plates. He handed one to her and laid the other on a box. “Need a refill on the wine?” he asked.
“I still have enough in this glass,” she said.
He returned to the kitchen and came back with another glass of wine and salt and pepper shakers. As he sank onto the sofa beside her, he reached for his plate on the box in front of him and dug into the omelet.
Aurelie was a few bites ahead of him. “I’m starting to see the potential in this cottage.”
“Potential?” he asked.
Aurelie pointed to the wall he’d just had to walk around from the kitchen. “If that’s not a load-bearing wall, I’d open it up between the kitchen and living room.”
Beau nodded. “I like the idea of an open-concept living space. What else?”
“This house has only one bathroom for three bedrooms.” She shook her head, her brow puckered. “I’d add an ensuite bathroom to the master bedroom. It would be an owner oasis with a walk-in shower, soaker tub and his-and-hers vanities.” She grimaced. “Can you tell I watch a lot of home makeover shows?”
“That’s not a bad thing. They have some great ideas.”