If You Like It, I Love It

He's a brilliant remodeling contractor with the patience of a saint. She’s a beautiful older woman with a deep abiding love of sunny yellow, floral wallpaper—coupled with moderate disdain for building regulations and permit requirements.

Despite the odds, this contractor and client just might find enough compromise to create the perfect home.

When I decided to remodel my sprawling farmhouse, I had no idea how many people would feel the need to weigh in on the process.

This sleepy little town has grown a bit, and it’s suddenly overrun with committees who all need to touch grass. But not mine!

And when I hired a general contractor to keep me out of prison—I mean, handle all the necessary paperwork and wrangle the other contractors—I might’ve been secretly hoping for a silver fox. The man who showed up is tall, dark, and . . . young.

But he obviously knows his way around my plumbing. That’s not what I meant!

Okay, not initially, anyway.

All I meant was that he’s very good at his job. We’re just having a little fun after hours, that’s all. Remodeling a house is stressful, and there’s a spark between us. What were we supposed to do, ignore it? Buy into the outdated premise that business and pleasure shouldn’t mix?

Listen, you handle your remodeling project your way, but keep your hands off my general contractor!

Like I said, he’s essential for my needs at the moment. Once the job is done, he’ll move on, and I’ll live happily ever after in my beautifully renovated dream home.

He says age is just a number. I say that sounds good in theory. But the more I see this temporary man reconstructing my forever home, the more I have to remind myself that we have more important numbers to argue about.

When the last inspection is cleared, will he become a permanent fixture?