Key to Love by Judy Ann Davis Page A

know, I know.” He ran a hand absently through his hair, than looked around the kitchen. “It’s just there’s so much to do, only so much I can do.”
    Elise heard the frustration in his voice and sighed. “Lucas, give me some figures to work with, and I’ll do what I can. This is a piece of cake. You’re talking to the paint and wallpaper diva of Winston and Sanders.” She peered at the ceiling and frowned at the water marks. “It may need a new slate roof. Roofs can be costly.”
    “You’re leaving in less than two weeks,” he reminded her.
    “Maybe, maybe not. Depends upon how well Dad is doing. I can always plead for a few extra weeks, though not without repercussions. But with a proper crew, I can have most of this laid out and taken care of in a reasonable time schedule. We’ll have to check the structural integrity and hire a contractor. Basically, we’re only talking repairs, paint and wallpaper, a few new furnishings and carpeting. Besides the roof, you’ll need to replace the flooring and linoleum in the kitchen and entranceways. We’ll need to get a dishwasher, certainly new appliances. A lot of the time will be consumed sorting through and removing those boxes.”
    “That’s the least of my problems. We’ll just throw all of them in the shed with the others until I have time,” Lucas said.
    “No, I think it might be best if we at least took a quick look through them to see if there’s anything important.”
    “If you insist,” he replied, agreeably, looking relieved. “Tell you what, I’ll pay you whatever you charge at Winston and Sanders. You can be my personal general contractor and decorator, okay?”
    She stepped back and felt her jaw drop. “I can’t take your money.”
    “Of course you can.”
    She sighed again. “I’m not going to stand here knocking heads with you. Think about costs and give me a budget. I’ll work with whatever you give me.”
    He cracked the barest of smiles. “You’ll do it then?”
    “Yes, and God only knows why.” She shook her head wearily. “Let’s go see if Fritz is back yet. His cooking is to die for.”
    “You just ate barely two hours ago,” he pointed out, coming up behind her. He slapped her playfully on the backside. “You’re going to get fat.”
    “Keep up the compliments, pal, and see how fast this cottage gets finished.” She heard a snicker as he locked the door behind them.
    They climbed back into the car and rode back to the farm in silence. Elise suspected Lucas was struggling with memories from the past elicited by the visit. She silently questioned whether repairing the place would prove to be a solution to his problems or whether it would complicate them. She wondered what Todd would think of the cottage. It was comfortable and quaint, and once some modern appliances were installed, perfect for raising a child. The woods surrounding it, the huge lawn, and the small lake behind it only added to its appeal.
    Minutes later when she entered the kitchen at her parent’s house, the phone was blasting out an endless series of shrill rings. Lucas had forgotten to turn the answering machine back on. She picked up the receiver, not at all surprised Chuck Sanders’s frantic voice was on the other end. She tapped the button for the speakerphone and went directly to the refrigerator for something to drink.
    “Elise? Thank God, I finally reached you,” Chuck Sanders said in an exhausted tone. “Paul is laying eggs in his office.”
    “Gold ones, I hope.” Opening the refrigerator, she searched the shelves.
    “Don’t be cute. We lost the files for the hotel Simson and Associates backed out on. I’ve torn the office apart looking for them. I want to take a closer look at the lay-out.”
    “Chuck, we filed them under new numbers when the deal fell through. Look in the dead files, last drawer from the bottom. The number starts with a six-two something.”
    She heard him shuffle across the floor and open a drawer. It slammed