Tribute

itself put her in a fine mood as she jogged back across the road. She showered off the workout sweat, downed coffee and a blueberry yogurt. By the time she strapped on her tool belt, her crews and subs began to arrive.
    It took time, every morning, but Cilla was happy to spend it. Talking, evaluating, brainstorming away problems.
    “I’m going to expand the bathroom, Buddy,” she told him, and, as she expected, he let out a windy sigh.
    “The one I’m using now, not the one you’ve roughed in.”
    “That’s something anyway.”
    “I’ve already talked to Matt,” she said. “Come on up, and I’ll show you what we’re going to do.”
    He hemmed and he hawed, but that was expected, too. In fact, she’d come to look forward to it. “Now that we’re putting my office upstairs instead of in this bedroom, I’m going to use this space to make it a master suite. We’ll be taking out this wall,” she began.
    He listened, he scratched, he shook his head. “Gonna cost you.”
    “Yes, I know. I’ll draw it up in more detail later, but for now, here’s the idea.” She opened her notebook to the sketch she’d drawn with Matt. “We’ll keep the old claw-foot tub, have it refurbished and set here. Floor pipes and drains. Double sinks here, and I’m thinking undermount.”
    “Guess you’ll be putting a slab of granite or whatnot.”
    “No, zinc.”
    “Say, what?”
    “Zinc countertop. And over here, I’m putting in a steam shower. Yes,” she said before he could speak. “Hollywood ideas. Glass block here, to form the water closet. In the end, it’s going to reflect and respect the architecture, pay homage to retro, and, Buddy, it will rock.”
    “You’re the boss.”
    She grinned. “Damn straight.”
    The boss moved outside, to build her rail and pickets in the April sunshine.
    When her father pulled in, Cilla had her sides run, and had worked up a fresh sweat.
    “Doesn’t that look nice,” he commented.
    “It’s coming along.”
    He nodded toward the house, and the cacophony of construction noise. “Sounds like more’s coming along inside.”
    “First-stage demo’s done. I’ve changed some things, so we’ll have more demo on the second floor later. But the inspector’s coming tomorrow. ” She lifted her hand, crossed her fingers. “To approve the rough plumbing and electric. Then we’ll boogie.”
    “It’s the talk of the town.”
    “I imagine so.” She gestured toward the road. “Traffic’s increased. People slow down, even stop, to look. I had a call from the local paper for an interview. I don’t want pictures yet. Most people can’t see what it’s going to be while it’s at this stage, so I gave the reporter a quick hit over the phone.”
    “When’s it going to run?”
    “Sunday. Lifestyle. Janet Hardy still has the switch.” Cilla pushed back her cap to swipe the back of her hand over her forehead. “You knew her, Dad. Would she approve?”
    “I think she loved this place. I think she’d be pleased you love it, too. And that you’re putting your mark on it. Cilla, are you building that railing yourself?”
    “Yeah.”
    “I had no idea you could do that. I thought you had the ideas, then you hired people to work them out.”
    “Some of that, too. Most of that, I guess. But I like the work. Especially this kind. I’m going to go for my contractor’s license.”
    “You . . . Well, how about that?”
    “I’m going to start a business. This house? Talk of the town, and that’s going to turn into revenue for me down the road. I think people might like to hire the woman who rebuilt Janet Hardy’s little farm, especially if she’s Janet’s granddaughter. And after a while?” Her eyes narrowed and gleamed. “They’ll hire me because they know I’m good.”
    “You really mean to stay.”
    So he hadn’t believed it. Why should he? “I mean to stay. I like the way it smells here. I like the way I feel here. Are you in a hurry?”
    “Nope.”
    “Do you want to walk around a little, play landscape consultant?”
    He smiled slowly. “I’d like that.”
    “Let me get my notebook.”
    Walking with him, listening to him as he gestured to an area, described the shrubs and groupings he suggested, Cilla learned more about him.
    His thoughtful way of listening, then responding, the pauses between while he considered. His ease with himself, the time he took.
    He paused at the edge of the pond, smiled. “I swam in here a few times. You’re going to need