CHAPTER SIX
Cam arrived at the lodge at eight a.m., pulling a flatbed trailer with an excavator strapped to it behind his truck. He’d rented the machine for a few days so they could quickly knock down the old cottages and haul away the debris. Once he and his five-man crew cleared the sites, the fun stuff could begin – building the new cottages.
Ethan’s parting words about working with Scarlet to finalize the designs rang in his ears. A ball of anxiety formed in his gut. What would she think of the floorplans he’d drawn up? Would she like the sketches, or would she think they were amateurish? He didn’t have any formal instruction as an artist but he was a draftsman, having trained in building design. Combined with his knowledge of carpentry and construction, he believed he’d created a beautiful, functional product. But would Scarlet?
He wished he knew why the hell it mattered to him so much.
He drove the truck and trailer up the hill road overlooking the lake, past the two recently built cottages. When he arrived at the first cottage slated for demolition, his crew was already there. Some of his tension eased. They were a good bunch and needed this work almost as much as he did.
He waved at Charlie as he got out of his truck. “You ready to do this?”
“You bet!”
Charlie helped him remove the tie-down straps from the excavator and lower the ramp. Cam hopped on the machine and backed it off the trailer. He maneuvered it to the old cottage and, lifting the bucket, pushed it into the roof of the front porch. It fell in a heap onto the porch floor. A couple of more pushes and the roof and walls of the entire cottage were down, too.
The dumpster company arrived with the bin and he dumped wooden debris and pieces of concrete foundation into it. When he’d removed all the debris he could with the machine, he and his men cleaned up the small bits and pieces remaining. By the time they were done, it was difficult to tell there’d ever been a structure there. Cam insisted on neat and efficient work and refused to cut corners or accept sloppiness from himself or his crew.
The crew was about to move to the next cottage when Scarlet and her sister Maggie approached carrying a couple of thermoses and a picnic basket. With her red hair pulled back in a ponytail and her clean-scrubbed, make-up free face, she looked as harmless as the girl next door.
Looks could be deceiving.
“Hi!” she said with a grin. “We come bearing gifts.”
Maggie set the picnic basket on the ground and pulled out several ceramic mugs that she passed around. Scarlet followed behind filling the cups with coffee from the thermos, and Maggie offered cream and sugar to anyone who wanted it. Then, Scarlet passed around a plastic container of cookies. Cam helped himself to one and bit into it. Chocolate and butter and sugar exploded on his tongue in an orgasmic mix of flavors.
Not a good idea to be thinking about orgasms with Scarlet nearby.
“Hmm. Good.”
“Maggie made them,” Scarlet said proudly. “She’s the best. She’s going to make the Solace Lake Lodge kitchen famous far and wide.”
“Scarlet, stop.” Maggie turned to him, a blush staining her cheeks. “I’m just filling in, developing some menus with local ingredients until Ethan and Harper find a real head chef willing to relocate to Minnewasta.”
“Stop being so modest. You’ll make a fabulous head chef.”
“Enough, Scarlet.”
Interesting that Maggie looked embarrassed rather than pleased at Scarlet’s praise, not to mention a little stressed. He understood the stress. She was being asked to take on a crucial role in the makeover of the lodge. If she failed, the lodge might fail, too.
If he didn’t deliver eight beautiful, rustic, yet modern cottages by next spring, the lodge may not be able to accommodate the number of guests it needed to. And if the cottages he built weren’t to customers’ tastes, no one would want to stay in them.
He’d been under pressure before, but an extra burden of tension weighed upon him with this contract. This was Ethan’s baby and he wanted to do a good job for him, especially after the conversation they’d had yesterday.
Maybe he wanted to prove he wasn’t a total screw-up.
Scarlet poured more coffee for everyone and after topping up her own cup, she sat beside him on the flatbed trailer. He heard her sigh as she stared down at her sandals. Cam couldn’t help smiling when he saw her pretty pink toenails, a striking contrast next to his dusty, scuffed work boots.
“It feels weird to be tearing down Grampa Bill’s cottages. He built them all by himself, you know, and he was so proud of his work.”
“I wish we could have saved them, but they were too far gone.” He crossed his feet at the ankle. “I didn’t realize your grandfather built these cottages.”
Her smile was tinged with melancholy. “He did. He was a handy guy. He did all the maintenance and carpentry work that needed to be done around here. He loved this place the way Harper does.”
She looked out toward the lake. “I don’t know why I’m feeling so sentimental about these old shacks. Grandma used to make me and Harper clean the things within an inch of their lives. It was our job to change the sheets and towels every day when we had fishermen staying. There’d be Hell to pay if we didn’t do the job to her exacting standards.”
Cam read between the lines and guessed her relationship with her grandmother had not been as loving as with her grandfather. He totally understood.
He followed her gaze out toward the lake. The best thing about these cottages was the view. He especially liked the sense of privacy each cottage had. There was plenty of space between the cottages, and lots of trees and bushes separating them. He wanted to take advantage of the setting to make guests feel like they were the only ones for miles.
Scarlet cleared her throat, then turned to him, all business once more. “So, did Ethan mention to you that he wanted us to work together to pick a design for the cottages?”
“Yeah, he mentioned it.” He tried to sound blasé but his stomach twisted in a knot. He tossed out the remainder of his coffee.
“I wasn’t real clear on how this was going to work. Do we have to hire someone to draw up blueprints from your sketches?
“No, I’ve taken care of it.”
She lifted her eyebrows. “I didn’t know you were an architect.”
“I’m not. I’m a draftsman. Mostly I draft residential home plans, but I’ve also done some commercial buildings.”
“Oh, I see. Can we look at your plans now?”
“Ah, sure. As soon we move the equipment to the next cottage. You want to come along?”
She hopped off the trailer. “Sure. Give me a second.”
While she helped Maggie gather the empty cups and thermoses and pack them in the picnic basket, Cam guided Charlie as he drove the excavator back onto the flatbed for the short drive to the next cottage. Normally, he would simply drive the machine the short distance, but the pavement on the road between the cottages was already breaking up. He didn’t want to hasten its demise by repeatedly running the steel tracks of the excavator over it.
Once Maggie lifted the basket and was on her way back toward the cottage, he jumped in the truck and rolled down the window. “Hop in.”
He couldn’t help noticing her long, exquisite legs as she hoisted herself into the cab. She was wearing shorts that ended at a perfectly respectable mid-thigh, but on Scarlet they looked anything but respectable. He wrenched his gaze away from her bare thigh and turned the ignition.
He drove slowly to the next cottage and parked in the flattest spot he could find. Charlie and Jim unloaded the excavator.
“I’ve got to go over some cottage plans with Scarlet. Can you operate the excavator?”
“No problem, boss.”
He retrieved a long cardboard tube from behind the front seat and pulled out the rolled-up plans. Scarlet followed him to the flat bed where he smoothed the curled papers with his hand so she could see them. She touched the sketch of the exterior elevation of a two-story cottage.
“Did you draw this?”
“Yeah.” He swallowed past his throat’s sudden dryness.
“It’s beautiful. Wow.” She picked it up and looked at it more closely. “I can really see what it would look like in this setting. Do you have a floor plan for it?”
“Yeah, right here.” He shuffled through the papers to find the corresponding floor plan. While she examined the plan, he examined her. He wasn’t sure why her praise was so important to him, but it was. The tension in his gut eased.
“This feels very spacious,” she said. “With two bedrooms and a bath upstairs and a master bedroom and bath on the main floor, we could easily accommodate a large family, or even two families. We could put a sofa bed in the great room for extra guests. The only thing I’m not sure about is the two-story style. I’m worried that it will look a little out of place with the two existing bungalow cottages.”
“I thought of that,” he said. “If we clad all the cottages with the same exterior siding and the same roofing material, we can create cohesiveness without having to be identical.”
“Okay. What are these other plans?”
“Plans for different styles of cottages I want to build. My idea is to build several styles to fit the needs of different guests. We’ll match the style of cottage to the size and shape of the lot, and it will look like it’s meant to be there. Like I said, we’ll use the same exterior siding to tie them all together.” He cleared his throat and shuffled his feet, nervousness making him twitchy. “Of course, if you feel that, from a marketing perspective, it’s a better idea for all the cottages to be the same, we’ll use only one set my plans. Or, we can use the plans Harper bought online for the two cottages she built last year. That way, we’ll have ten identical cottages.”
He rolled up the first set of plans and put them back in the tube, then spread his favorite sketch in front of her. It was a smaller cottage with only one bedroom and one bath, but Cam loved the soaring vaulted ceilings that gave the cottage an open airy feeling while still maintaining the coziness of the place.
“Oh, this is cute,” Scarlet murmured. “I love the way the fireplace chimney goes all the way up to the peak of the vaulted ceiling. It’s beautiful.”
“I thought we could clad the fireplace in stone much like the fireplace in the main dining room of the old lodge. It would give the place a real north woods vibe.”
“That would be great. The problem is that this cottage is too small. It’s really only big enough for one couple. Even with a sofa bed in the great room, it probably wouldn’t be suitable for families, or even for a couple of buddies who want to come up here to fish or snowmobile. We have to appeal to as many people as we can.”
“But don’t you think there’d be a demand for something this size? A couple isn’t going to want to pay extra for room they don’t use. And it would be perfect for a person alone who wants a cottage rather than a hotel room in the lodge.”
“I’d rather build a bigger cottage and give some people too much space than a smaller one we might have difficulty renting.”
He had to admit her argument made sense, but he wasn’t ready to concede yet. “Because it’s smaller, it’ll be cheaper to build.”
She studied the sketches and the floor plans, her forehead wrinkled with concentration. “It is awfully cute. Let me think about it.”
He’d take that. For now. “Maybe you’d like my third design better. It’s got the same vaulted ceiling and stone-clad fireplace, but it’s got two bedrooms.”
Cam set the other sketch aside and pulled out the third. Scarlet nodded as she studied the floor plan, then turned to smile at him. The full impact of her high wattage smile gave him an unexpected punch in the gut.
“This is perfect. It’s got all the elements I love about the second design with the extra space we need for guests.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“I do.” She pulled the plans for the smaller cottage closer and examined them again. “But I really love this design. It’s so cute.”
“I think it would be popular, and even though it’s smaller, I don’t believe there will be any problem renting it.”
She drummed her fingers on the drawing. Then she straightened and met his gaze. Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Identical is boring. Let’s build all three of your designs. We want eight new cottages, so I propose building three of the two-story, three of the two-bedroom A frames, and two one-bedroom A frames. Along with the two cottages we already have, we should be able to accommodate any guest’s needs. I believe Harper and Ethan would agree.”
Cam was both pleased and relieved. “You’ve made a good decision.”
“I think so, too. It’ll give guests some choices.” Her expression turned thoughtful again. “I think Grampa Bill would approve.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. He was a very practical innkeeper, but he appreciated beauty too, especially the splendor of this lake. He’d think your cottages were special enough to fit in here.”
Of all the things she’d said, this comment gave him the most pleasure. He had to swallow and look away before he could answer.
“I appreciate that.”
“So, that wasn’t so painful. We managed to make a decision without coming to blows. What happens now?”
“I’ll finalize the designs and get them approved by the county building department. I need to figure out where the electrical outlets and lighting fixtures go, stuff like that.”
“And don’t forget the solar panels and some kind of battery storage area.”
He’d like to forget about them. “I’m concerned that with all the trees here, we’re going to have more shade than sun. How are solar panels supposed to work without sun?”
Her smile disappeared, replaced by a stubborn set of her jaw. “There’ll be plenty of sun on the roofs of the cottages.”
“I think tying the cottages to the regular power grid would be a hell of lot simpler and more reliable in the long run.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I feel like we’ve had this conversation before. The whole theme of this place is sustainability and eco-friendliness. Are you saying you aren’t capable of building these cottages to accommodate solar energy?”
Anger and pride rose in his chest. “Of course, I can build them. I can build anything. But I think going solar is a waste of money.”
She lifted her chin. “You’re wrong about that, but it really doesn’t matter what you think. Ethan and Harper are your clients, and they want solar energy. So either get with the program or step aside so they can hire someone who can build what they want.”
For one prideful moment, he seriously considered doing exactly that. But then common sense intervened. He needed this job and so did his crew. And he wanted to prove to Ethan he was reliable. A team player. He wanted him to know he could count on him. Lord knew that hadn’t always been the case. “Fine. We’ll use solar energy.”
“Try not to sound so enthusiastic about it.”
“What the hell do you want from me, Scarlet? I said I’ll do it.”
She threw up her hands. “Why do you have to be so pig-headed?” Cam saw her glance toward his crew, but fortunately, with the noise of the excavator, they hadn’t heard their exchange. She lowered her voice. “Why do you hate my sister so much?”
“I don’t hate her.”
“Is it the money? Because I’m telling you, she loves Ethan in spite of the money.”
“Money like that brings out the crazy in people.”
“My sister is not crazy. She was in love with Ethan before she knew anything about his lottery win. Harper’s a good person, the best. She’s honest, and she doesn’t lie.”
“Ethan is honest, too.”
Her eyes flashed. “Oh, yeah. Except for lying about his real name and true identity, real honest.”
She stood in front of him with narrowed eyes and hands fisted at her sides as if she was ready to do battle with him on her sister’s behalf. For reasons he didn’t fully understand, it made him smile. “Okay, you’ve got me there. It wasn’t one of Ethan’s shining moments.”
A reluctant answering grin tugged on her lips. “No, it wasn’t. But the point is, Harper forgave him for lying. Eventually. She came to understand why he thought he couldn’t tell her the truth. Maggie and I have forgiven him too, because we see how much he loves Harper. So, why can’t you believe she loves him as much as he loves her?”
Cam heaved a sigh as he looked toward the lake once more. His feelings were complicated. He wasn’t sure he understood them himself.
“I’m not going to give you any more grief about the solar energy, okay?”
“Okay. Ethan texted me the name of the solar energy company he’s been in contact with. Do you want me to set up a meeting with them so we know what their requirements are before you start building?”
He nodded. “Yeah, sure. Let’s get the ball rolling.”
“I’ll call them today.” She looked down at his sketches once more. “These are really wonderful, Cameron. You should be proud of them.”
“I am.”
She glanced toward him again, her smile amused. “Good. Have you always been an artist?”
“You think you’re some kind of artist or something? Don’t be stupid. Why are you wasting time drawing pictures of cartoon characters? Nobody wants your stupid little pictures, boy.”
With a force of will, Cam blocked out his father’s voice and his derisive laugh. The old man had been gone more than seven years, and he still messed with his head. “I’m no artist.”
She cocked her head to one side and studied him. He resisted the urge to squirm under her scrutiny. Barely.
“I’m sorry you feel that way.” She pulled her sunglasses from the neck of her t-shirt and slipped them on. “I’ve gotta run. When do you think the demolition will be done?”
“We should finish in a few days. No more than a week.”
“Sounds good. I’ll let you know when we’re to meet with the solar company.”
He suppressed a groan. “Great.”
She laughed and patted his arm. “Try to hold down your enthusiasm. Have a nice day.”
The sexy sway of her hips as she walked down the road kept him rooted to the spot, unable to look away. He watched her until she rounded a corner and disappeared from view.
Damn. The last he needed was to be attracted to Scarlet Lindquist.