"There's certainly enough space for it. There's not much work to do in here besides painting.” Shamus walked around the room, examining the walls.

"A lot of the house is the same. It's just a matter of paint and changing the furniture and drapes.” She watched as he prowled around the room. There was something on his mind. She'd sensed it when he'd arrived and it hadn't gone away. She wanted to ask him what it was, but held back. He'd tell her when he was ready. Hopefully.

There was no doubting that they were involved in a full-blown affair, but beyond that, she wasn't quite sure how deep their relationship went. She knew that she wanted more, but she was also realistic enough to know that the odds were stacked against them. Their age difference was enough of a barrier without adding their pasts into the mix.

He'd stopped what he was doing and was staring at her. Cyndi cleared her throat and continued. “I'd like to see something lighter in here, maybe a sage green."

"That would work. Or maybe a pale yellow."

Cyndi noted both possibilities. “That could work, too."

Shamus pointed to one large window overlooking the side garden. “You could easily put in French doors there that would lead right out into the garden. You could put in a patio and let guests eat outside in the summer months."

"That's brilliant.” And it would certainly take advantage of the large, sculpted gardens. “I need to get some work done to whip the yard into shape. Like the rest of the place, it's too formal and needs some color and life.” She added the new projects to her growing list.

They went through the downstairs making notes in the library, formal living room, and front parlor as well as her father's office. Finally, they landed back in the foyer.

"What do you want to do in here?"

Cyndi found her gaze going back to the spot just inside the door where they'd made love earlier. She knew she was blushing when she faced Shamus. She could feel the telltale heat on her cheeks. “Brighten up the place for sure. I want to change the lighting as well.” She wandered over to an alcove that held a large urn. “We could put a desk facing away from the wall here and make this the check-in area."

Shamus took out a measuring tape that he'd gotten from his toolbox before they started their tour and walked over to where she was standing. “It's only three feet wide. We could widen it, give you a bit more space."

She stood back and studied it. “Wouldn't that be a lot of work?"

"Not that much. But if you didn't want to do that, I could build you a counter that wrapped around three sides, making it a small, enclosed area with a half door on the far end. That way you could have storage under the counter for your phones and paperwork and whatever else you needed. I could even build a small three-foot desktop into the alcove for you to work at or I could have one end of the counter low enough for you to sit and work there. It's up to you."

She could see the possibilities. “I like the counter with one side low enough to sit and work. It's not as if I'd use it that often. I'm going to have an office area in my living space where I'd do most of my paperwork."

"Sounds good. I'll draw up some plans for you to look at.” With his hand at the small of her back, he followed her up the stairs.

They went through all the guest rooms first. Cyndi knew she was being cowardly, but she wanted to put off her father's room and her old room as long as possible. Like most of the rooms downstairs, the work was cosmetic, although she did want to update the bathroom fixtures and lighting in several of the rooms.

Finally, they came to her father's room. She took a deep breath and put her hand on the doorknob. “I haven't been in this room yet."

Shamus stilled beside her. “Not at all?"

"No.” She shook her head. “This room was pretty much off-limits when I was a child.” Turning the handle, she pushed the door open.

It was slightly stuffy, but other than that, it looked as if the original occupant might be back at any time. A small glass, half-full of water, sat on the bedside table alongside a picture of her mother. There was a pair of slippers tucked beneath the bed and a robe was draped over a wingback chair that sat to the left.

Cyndi made herself take a step forward. Then another. She was very aware of the fact that Shamus was right behind her. His presence steadied her, made it easier to face the ghost of her father.

Looking away from the few personal belongings scattered on the top of the oak bureau, she forced herself to examine the room with a critical eye. “This is the largest room upstairs. I'd like to turn this into an executive suite or maybe the honeymoon suite."

Shamus moved away from her side and strode to the other door and peeked inside. “Good idea. There's already a Jacuzzi in here."

"Really?” That hadn't been there when she'd left. “It must be fairly new. At least within the past decade.” When she reached his side, she peeked around him. “This is definitely new, maybe within the past two or three years."

The bathroom was huge, with the large tub in one corner. Low windows allowed for a view of the garden from the tub. All the fixtures were brushed nickel and the countertop was granite. Stone tiles on the floor complemented the rest of the decor, which was surprisingly light and airy.

"I don't think that this room will need any work at all."

Cyndi stepped into the room and fingered the towels. “Paint and some new towels should pretty much take care of it."

Finishing her cursory inspection, she headed back to the bedroom, which was really a combination bedroom and sitting room. “The furniture is too dark and large for this room. I'd like to take out the desk and put in a sitting area where a couple could relax and chat or curl up and read. I'll probably put in a small entertainment center with a television, DVD player, and a selection of movies."

"That's not a bad idea.” Shamus ambled around the room, checking the view from each window. “This is great. You get a good view of the town from here."

"Yeah.” Cyndi traced her fingers over the frame holding her mother's photo. “That's why my ancestors built this house here. They liked being able to look out over what they considered to be theirs."

Shamus turned away from the window and came to stand beside her. “What else do you want to do in here?"

"Paint, drapes, and new linens, of course.” She leaned back into him when he wrapped his arms around her waist. “I'll have to check the attic for furniture, too. If there are any sofas or chairs up there worth keeping, I'll get them reupholstered to suit the rooms they're going in. I may bring a few of the chairs from the living room and parlor upstairs to use in the rooms."

Sighing, she closed her eyes for a moment. “I need to clean this room out, box up my father's clothing and give it to charity."

"Yes, you do.” He leaned down and kissed her temple. “But not today."

"No,” she agreed. “Not today.” Tomorrow or the next day was soon enough.

"What's left?"

"My rooms—the old one and the new one. I think that I'm going to make my permanent quarters in the room I'm staying in now. I want to take out the wall with the small bedroom next to it and create a bedroom and sitting room area. The bathroom is large and will work perfect after it's renovated. I want a new tub, flooring, vanity, and fixtures."

Shamus laughed. “You want to gut it, in other words."

"Pretty much.” She pulled away and headed for the door.

"That's not a problem. I just hope the plumbing in this place is good or it's going to get expensive.” Once again, Shamus was right behind her, his presence like a talisman, holding the worst of her memories at bay. It had been surprisingly easy to walk around her father's room. Probably because she'd never spent any time there as a child.

"That's not going to be a problem.” She closed the door behind her and headed down the hallway. Her room was next. “I found a bill in my father's papers. I haven't gone through half of them yet, but from what I saw, there was some major plumbing work done when he had the kitchen renovated a few years back. I think his bathroom and several more upstairs were probably redone at the time."

"Now that you mention it, I seem to remember that. Your father didn't use a local company to do the work, but brought in someone from outside."

Cyndi snorted. “Sounds like him."

"I take it you'll be using local tradesmen."

"If I can get them to work for me, I will."

"That won't be a problem.” Shamus wrapped his hand around her upper arm, stopping her. “Cyndi.” The heat from his hand seeped into her skin, warming her. She hadn't realized she was chilly. “You don't have to do this today."

She knew he was talking about her old room, but she was determined. She'd put it off long enough. “Yes, I do."

He released her and rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “Okay, but promise me if it gets to be too much, you'll call it a day and try again tomorrow or the day after."

"I will.” She was touched by his concern. Reaching out, she laid her hands on his chest, absorbing his strength and his warmth. “Having you here makes it easier."

"I'm glad.” Leaning down, he brushed a kiss across her lips before straightening back to his great height. “Let's get this done.” Not waiting for her, he grabbed the doorknob, twisted, and pushed.

The room was exactly the same as it was the last time she'd been here. Walking inside was like walking through a time warp. “This room needs to be gutted—clothing, belongings, furniture, carpet, the works."