Framed and Hung

by Alexis Fleming

  Zoe turned to her friend. ‘You have time, Rach? Or do you have to get back?’

  Rachel grinned. ‘Oh, I’m staying for the moment. I want to see how you handle Mr Naked-and-Dangerous when he finally gets the gumption to crawl out of that spa. He might be a stuffed shirt, but I have a feeling he’s going to give you a run for your money.’ She suddenly slapped a hand over her mouth and glanced at Jake’s mother. ‘Oops. Sorry. That was a little rude.’

  Jessie grinned. ‘Not at all, my dear. I love him to death, but he is a bit of a stuffed shirt. And arrogant as all get-out at times. His father was the same way when I first met him.’

  She patted her beautifully coiffed hair and gave Zoe a wink. ‘Of course he didn’t stay that way long after I got hold of him. It will do Jake good to have a bit of a shake-up. I can already see the sparks flying between the two of you. Jake’s far too serious for someone who’s only 35. It’s like he’s taken on his father’s personality along with his position at the bank.’

  Zoe lifted her hands. ‘Hey, forget the sparks. I’m just here to work.’

  Yeah, but you still wouldn’t mind taking him down a peg or two.

  She bit her lip so she wouldn’t laugh out loud at the look on Jake’s face when she’d told him she’d seen better. Catching Jake Lord naked had made her day.

  Mind you, she was slightly piqued he didn’t remember her. Not that she really expected him to. She’d been 16 years old and had been crushing on him in a serious way.

  He’d sat behind her at school for years and the most attention she’d managed to garner from him had been when he’d glued her braids together with chewing gum. Then he’d decided to ‘help’ her by chopping the end off her hair to get the gum out. Her mother had been seriously pissed.

  ‘Well, as you can see, most of the outside still needs a bit of work,’ Jessie continued. ‘The brickwork has been washed down, a little bit of carpentry work done, some of the paintwork sanded, but that’s about all.’

  Zoe shook her head and dragged her mind back to the work she’d been employed to do. The inn was the picture of a bygone era and it would be a pleasure to work on it. ‘I can see why it has been heritage listed.’

  Constructed of dark red brick, the inn was one level, only the width of one brick up from the ground. The uprights that supported the red corrugated iron roof were solid timber originally painted white, as were the window surrounds.

  Someone had already replaced the lacy timber fretwork brackets that framed the uprights where they met the roof. When painted white to match the posts, they’d blend in beautifully.

  Rather than paving, the same red bricks formed the verandah that ran along the front of the building. Conifers planted in terracotta pots marked the entrance and hugging the edge of the verandah on both sides were lavender bushes in full flower.

  Zoe sucked in a deep breath. The perfumed air made her smile. Some people might consider lavender old-fashioned, but the scent was heavenly. They definitely blended in with the rest of the décor of the inn. And given the thickness of the gnarled branches, she’d hazard a guess these bushes were originally planted when the inn was first built.

  ‘Looks like it’s mainly painting needed out here, although we’ll have to find a gardener to tidy the grounds up a little.’

  ‘This was the original building,’ Jessie said. ‘It was built in the late 1800s as a changing post for the stage coaches that used to travel this route. The old stables are still out the back. We use them for storage now.’

  ‘The rest of the inn, the three blocks where the rooms are?’ Rachel interrupted. ‘When were they built? Whoever drew up the plans did a fantastic job of matching this building.’

  ‘Oh, that happened in the early ‘60s. The inn remained in the family until then. The first owner was a great-great something on my husband’s side. When the old buzzard died, my cousins couldn’t be bothered with it so they sold it. After they dumped most of the antique items at the local rubbish tip.’

  ‘Oh my God, you’re kidding me, aren’t you?’ Zoe shook her head. ‘Why didn’t they sell them with the building?’

  ‘Heaven only knows,’ Jessie said. ‘Luckily, the new owners were able to retrieve some of the stuff. Then they set about restoring the original inn, as well as adding the motel units. It’s certainly made my life a lot easier having so much of the work done.’

  ‘It’s amazing you managed to get it back.’ Talk about being able to trace your family roots.

  ‘Oh no, dear, I was quite determined. The new owners went bust and closed the place up about five years ago. I’ve had Jake watching ever since. When it finally came on the market, he made them an offer they couldn’t refuse.’

  ‘Now there’s a banker for you,’ Zoe said with a grin.

  She cast a final look across the front of the building, cataloguing what she had to do to get the inn in top condition according to the dictates of the heritage committee. Moving back until she stood on the edge of the pavement, she stared up at the roof with its red brick chimneys standing out like silent sentinels.

  ‘We’ll need to water-blast the chimneys to clean the black soot off the bricks, but otherwise the roof area looks good.’

  Hands on hips, she wandered over to a large signboard, at least six feet high, fixed to two ornate poles beside the walkway up to the front of the inn. ‘Looks like they used this to post the restaurant menus. A lot of space for a couple of bits of paper. It’s a bit of an eyesore. Think we can get rid of this, Jessie?’

  ‘Dear girl, I’ll leave it in your hands. You think it should go? Then it goes.’

  A loud beeping filled the air and Jessie spun to face the road. A bright red sports car crept along in front of the inn. The blonde driving it thrust an arm out the window and gave a little finger-wave as she passed. Then she gunned the engine and the vehicle disappeared around the corner.

  Jessie scowled and stomped up onto the shaded verandah. Zoe followed her, concerned about the crimson flush on Jessie’s face. ‘Um, friend of yours?’

  The old lady snorted. ‘Not likely. Can’t stand the bitch. That’s Tanya Murphy. A nasty piece of work to be avoided at all costs. She’s running against Jake in the council elections and would do anything to knock him out of the race.’

  She waved her hand as if brushing all thoughts of the woman away. ‘Now, where were we? Are we finished out here? Anything else you need to see?’

  Zoe shook her head. ‘How about inside though? How much still needs to be done there?’

  Jessie bustled past her and into the narrow hallway that bisected the building. ‘The main dining room is finished. Have a look.’ She waved a hand towards the right.

  Zoe entered the room and paused just inside. ‘Oh my,’ she whispered. ‘I feel like I’ve gone back in time.’

  In keeping with the period of the building, the walls were a soft mauve colour. A polished rail ran around the room about three feet off the floor. The timber floorboards were finished in the same high polish. What dominated the room was the mantelpiece over the brick fireplace.

  She moved over to it and ran her fingers lightly across the mahogany wood. ‘This is original. It’s beautiful.’

  Tables dressed in white linen and set with gleaming silver and crystal glasses took up most of the room. The chairs were antique, dark-stained mahogany timber with brocade-covered seats. Overhead were two multi-tiered chandeliers that looked to be the real thing, too. Jessie hit the light switch and the candle bulbs illuminated the room with a soft glow.

  ‘Unfortunately, a few of the lead crystals are missing from the chandeliers. I haven’t been able to track down anything that looks close to what’s there.’

  ‘That’s my job,’ Rachel chipped in.

  ‘Rach is an absolute wizard at finding things like that.’ Zoe grinned at her friend. ‘While you’re at it, we could do with a couple of candelabras for on the mantelpiece.’ Zoe studied the fireplace. ‘And maybe an old china vase. One of those hand-painted ones that loo
ks like an urn.’

  Jessie clapped her hands. ‘Oh, you girls are terrific. You know exactly what I want. This is going to work out so well. Now, let me show you the bar.’

  Zoe and Rachel followed her across the hallway and entered another smaller, intimate dining room. Here the walls were a light lilac shade, with one feature wall in a rich purple. It shouldn’t have worked given the depth of colour, but somehow it did.

  This room, too, had an open fireplace with a polished timber mantle over it. Above the mantle hung what looked to be an original oil painting showing a woman in period dress. An ornate gold frame set off the picture to advantage.

  ‘Someone — probably my stupid cousins — ripped out the original mantle, so I scoured the second-hand shops until I found something that would fit.’ Jessie waved them on into another room.

  This one was set up as a bar and sitting area. Although there were a couple of polished timber bar stools, the rest of the furniture consisted of comfy lounge chairs and couches. Lovely. But it was the bar itself that made Zoe gasp.

  She ran her hand over the polished surface. ‘Oh, this is just gorgeous. I’ve never seen anything like it.’

  It was the same dark mahogany as the rest of the polished furniture throughout the inn, but the intricate carving on the front and sides of the piece was incredible. Swirls and curlicues, sea birds and a full-masted sailing ship from the 1800s. The detail was astounding.

  Jessie smiled. ‘This is my pride and joy. It’s part of the original building. The story goes that it was in the captain’s cabin on one of the first English ships that sailed out to Australia. Whether it’s true or not, I don’t really know, but I like to think it is.’

  She glanced at her watch. ‘Oh dear, look at the time. I did so want to show you the rest, but I’m going to be late for my garden club meeting. Do you mind — ’

  ‘Not at all,’ Zoe cut in. ‘We can wander around later and check it all out. Just tell me what room I’m staying in and Rach and I can get the van unloaded.’

  ‘I’ve put you in room 22.’ She handed over an old-fashioned key. ‘It’s the block on the right as you go out the back door and the room on the end, closest to where you’ll be working. The old stables are directly behind it so you can store your painting gear there.’

  She burrowed into her pocket and produced an iron keyring loaded down with keys. It jingled as she dropped it into Zoe’s hand.

  ‘That’s all the keys for the main building and the stables. The room keys are behind the reception desk, although there’s a master key on the ring for those, too. We haven’t employed any chefs yet, but the kitchen is fully functional and I’ve stocked the fridge, so just help yourself while you’re here.’

  She got as far as the entrance to the dining room and then halted, turning back to face the two women. ‘Oh, I forgot to tell you. The place is haunted so watch out for the ghost. He’s a little frisky at times and really seems to like the young ones.’

  Rachel burst out laughing. ‘Are you serious?’

  ‘Oh, yes, dear. He’s supposed to be one of my great-great whatever he was. The women I had come in to clean the place said he liked to pinch them on their…’ She let the words trail off, but grinned as she patted her ample behind.

  ‘No such thing as ghosts,’ Rachel said.

  Zoe raised her eyebrows at her friend’s comment. ‘You’d be surprised what I’ve come up against in some of the old houses I’ve worked on. I wouldn’t be too hasty to dismiss the idea.’

  ‘Quite right, dear,’ Jessie nodded in agreement. ‘One final thing. Do you think you could have a couple of rooms finished as soon as possible? Maybe one of the motel units and the dining room, and perhaps the Garden Room. I know it’s asking a lot of you when you’ve only just arrived, but the heritage people are pushing me to set a date for them to come make an inspection. I really didn’t want to show them anything until we can give them the full effect, but I guess a few rooms will do for now.’

  ‘I’ll see what I can do,’ Zoe promised.

  ‘Okay. Lovely. Must away.’ She gave a little wave and disappeared.

  Zoe waited until she could no longer hear Jessie’s footsteps and then looked at Rachel. There was dead silence for a moment before she lost it and burst out laughing. ‘Get the feeling you’ve been hit by a whirlwind?’

  Rachel wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes before she answered. ‘No doubt about it. This is definitely going to be a fun job.’

  Zoe grinned. ‘Even more so with Mr Naked-and-Dangerous staying here, too.’

  ‘You going to jump his bones, girlfriend?’ Rachel waggled her eyebrows. ‘Hell of a marriage prospect if you play your cards right.’

  Zoe made a production of shuddering, although it wasn’t all pretence. ‘Not likely. Did that once, still have the T-shirt. And I have no desire to don it again.’

  ‘But you used to lust after Jake Lord when you were 16 and he’s so — ’

  ‘Oh, he is that and more.’ Zoe chuckled. ‘I may not be after marriage, but I have the normal girlie genes when it comes to sex. I wouldn’t mind making him sit up and take notice a little bit…just to make up for him ignoring me all those years ago.’

  Rachel started to laugh. ‘You are so evil, girlfriend. I can just see you making him beg for it like a dog.’

  Zoe couldn’t help herself. ‘Woof, woof.’

  Chapter Two

  ‘Ah, Zoe?’

  Arms full of fabric swatches and miscellaneous items of clothing, Zoe paused at the open doorway to room 22. ‘What’s the problem?’

  Rachel peered over Zoe’s shoulder, her eyes twinkling. ‘Woof, woof?’ she whispered.

  Zoe frowned, trying to work out what her friend meant. Then the penny dropped and she remembered their conversation after Jessie had left. At the same moment, she realised the shower was running and the door to the bathroom wasn’t fully closed.

  Holding the key up, she squinted at the number printed on it. Yep, right room, but the wrong person in it. Given Jessie hadn’t known her son had moved in today, it was a sure bet it wasn’t Goldilocks visiting her.

  She dumped her belongings on the bed and holding one finger in front of her mouth, she motioned for Rachel to follow her out of the room. Once outside, she grinned, hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles.

  ‘Seems I’m always destined to find Jake Lord without his clothes,’ she whispered when she’d caught her breath.

  ‘I’ll go in and check him out for you if you like.’

  Rachel made a move to re-enter the room, but Zoe pulled her back. She suddenly didn’t want anyone else getting a look at that magnificent physique. Rachel was her best friend, had stood beside her through some pretty horrendous stuff, but there are some things even girlfriends don’t share. At least, she didn’t.

  A little unnerved at her attack of jealousy, she pulled Rachel away from the room and towards the car park. They’d unloaded everything from the van and her belongings were either parked on the walkway outside room 22 or stored in the stables. Now it was time for Rachel to leave.

  ‘Look, it’s getting dark. You’d better head off. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. If the garage has finished with my car, I’ll need a ride to go pick it up.’

  Rachel pouted. ‘Spoilsport.’

  Zoe just winked and gave her friend a little wave. With a hang-dog look on her face, Rachel shuffled across the central courtyard, her pathetic demeanour making Zoe burst into laughter. At the last moment, before she disappeared down the passageway that led to the car park, Rachel turned and flicked Zoe a cheeky grin, which just made Zoe laugh even more.

  Two of the buildings that housed the motel units were set at right angles to the original inn, with the third block of units running parallel and linking the other two wings. The quadrangle in the centre became the focal point for entertaining, with a walkway running along the front of each building and opening out onto the courtyard.

  Zoe really hadn’t taken a lot of notice when they’d a
rrived and found Jake in the spa. Now she did. The spa was set off to one side, an easy walk down from the patio at the back of the main building. On the opposite side of the courtyard, closest to the back door of the commercial kitchen, was a large barbeque made of the old red bricks. Rough timber tables and accompanying bench seats were spread around the area, providing a place for guests to sit.

  A couple of swings for the kids and a chessboard paved in black and white tiles, plus terracotta pots of lush flowering shrubs, completed the picture. The car park was hidden on the opposite side of the back motel block, which meant that the area still retained that olde-world feeling.

  Zoe knew she would enjoy working here. There was a genteel peace that spoke to something inside her. She’d been doing ordinary house painting for the last six months, and although it paid the bills, it didn’t satisfy the artist locked inside her. And being able to stay in such a building while she worked? That was the icing on the cake as far as she was concerned.

  Restoring heritage-listed homes and buildings fed her soul. It filled her with an excitement for her work that was sadly missing when she took on other jobs. It was like stepping back into the romance of the past. She blessed the day Jessie had contacted her and asked if she wanted to complete the restoration on the inn.

  A grin crept across her face and a chuckle erupted as she silently acknowledged that having Jake Lord here might well have something to do with the excitement bubbling up inside her. And with that thought in mind, she headed back to what was supposed to be her room and stepped inside, easing the door shut behind her. Slipping off her sandals, she tiptoed over to the bathroom door and pushed it open, sending up a prayer of thanks when it didn’t squeak.

  Jake stood in the centre of a large triangular bath set in one corner of the room, one hand braced on the cream tiles in front of him, head tilted forwards as the steamy water cascaded over him. He slowly worked his free hand across his chest, spreading soap bubbles over the bronzed flesh.

  Zoe grinned and looked her fill, getting an unimpeded view of wide shoulders tapering down to a great ass and well-muscled thighs.