Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Austin turned a little so Jess could see him put his finger to his lips. Mimi didn’t like to be disturbed when she was in the middle of a good part. Then he led Jess to the island and had her take a seat.
“Do you want any coffee or more wine?” he asked quietly. “Or second dessert?”
“A glass of wine would be fine.” She checked her phone, reading whatever she found there.
“I have brownies…”
“A glass of wine and a brownie would be fine,” she amended.
“I’ll have the same.” Mimi snapped her book shut and stood from the table.
“Here, I’ve got that.” Austin grabbed her empty plate and glass, removing them to the sink.
Jess stood as well, facing Mimi with a kind smile. “Hello,” she said, clasping her hands in front of her body. “I’m Jacinta. People call me Jessie.”
“Jessie.” Mimi nodded. “I am Naomi. I hear you are the mistress of Ivy House.”
“Yes.” Jess hesitated before sitting back down. “Would you care to sit at the island? We could also retire to the living room. Which would be more comfortable for us?”
“For you? I have no idea.” Mimi took a seat at the far end of the island. “I’m fine here.”
“Great.” Jess resumed her seat. There was not an ounce of irritation through the bond. So far, so good. “I am the mistress of Ivy House, yes. The steward, really. I’ve never been in this kind of position before.”
“And which position is that?”
“Lady boss, I guess.” She laughed, and Austin paused in opening the wine to glance her way. He loved that musical sound. “I’m suddenly in charge of a lot of people’s wellbeing. It’s new to me.”
“You seem to have already accrued steadfast loyalty. I was able to meet a few of your…team.”
And now Austin paused, because that was a compliment from Mimi, and he’d never heard her give one so quickly upon meeting someone. That house and the people in it must’ve made an impression.
“We share mutual respect and loyalty,” Jess told her. “We’re a team. Together we are greater than the sum of our parts. But you know all about that. Austin told me about how you became pack leader. Alpha, I mean.”
“Yes…” Mimi scrutinized Jess, holding the silence for a few long moments.
Jess’s gaze slipped away to land on Austin. “Do you need a hand with anything? Should I get the brownies?”
Oops. That was code for hurry up, I need a distraction.
“Nope. Here we go.” Austin popped the cork and poured the wine before moving to the pantry to grab the brownies.
“Austin obviously mentioned why he called me in?” Mimi asked, pulling a filled glass toward herself.
“Yes. Thank you! You’re a lifesaver. It’s a huge undertaking.”
“It is, yes. Austin mentioned that you don’t have a budget. Is that accurate?”
Jess sipped her wine slowly. “That’s tricky. Ultimately, I need Ivy House to be modernized and returned to her former glory. I will pay whatever is necessary to achieve that end. That said, I don’t want to pay for extravagant things I don’t need. Does that make sense?”
“Perfectly. What about the third floor? It’s essentially a wasteland. The billiard room will be redone, of course, and I propose moving it to a larger room.”
“There’s a billiard room?” Austin asked, distributing the brownies to plates. “How did no one mention that?”
“The ballroom needs a complete makeover, as well,” she went on.
“There’s a ballroom in there?” Austin stared.
Mimi met his eyes with a scowl. “If you don’t have anything to add, why are you speaking?”
He tightened his lips and looked down at the plates. Humor gushed through his bond with Jess.
“There are empty rooms, most with en suites. Most have good views. I assume they must’ve been guest rooms at one time, but neither your mage nor your butler could understand the house’s response to my question.”
Jess cocked her head a little, her eyes losing focus. Ivy House must’ve been speaking to her.
“They were,” she finally said. “The last heir had initiated some remodels before meeting with an untimely death.”
“But heirs are immortal, are they not?” Mimi asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“Until they are killed, yes,” Jess responded.
“Ah.” Mimi cleared her throat. “I would propose outfitting those again. The mage suggested a theater and bowling room. That could certainly be arranged. There is plenty of space for it. A theater at the back of the house on the first floor, I think. A bowling lane…somewhere. I’m not sure. An underground floor would be ideal because of the noise, but Ivy House doesn’t seem to have one of those. Not one they would show me, anyway. Eventually, I would wonder if an add-on might be prudent? It might open you up for additional tax issues, though. We’d have to look into it.”
She paused, her gaze steady on Jess.
“Sounds good so far. If we were to add on, an indoor pool would be amazing.” A smile slowly crossed Jess’s face, and she glanced at Austin. “If we’re going to do it, we might as well do it right the first time, and do it big, right?”