Page 44 of Summer Heat
I maneuvered past him, setting the toilet on the cardboard I'd placed over Maya's floor that ran from the bathroom to the doorway since she wasn't here this weekend. "Yeah. I gotta call them to come pick it up."
Hudson admired the empty room. "You've been busy."
I gave him a pointed look. "I'm on a timeline apparently."
He tipped his head to the side. "You still think you can get everything done before June?"
I wiped the sweat from my brow. "I don't see why not. I'm working every night and the weekends. If I have some help here and there, we should be good to go."
"It's all hands on deck for the kitchen."
"That will be a project. I want top-of-the-line everything and tons of space to move around and cook." I enjoyed cooking for Maya and Kinsley, and I wanted to make the most of the space.
"Is that what you want? Kinsley said the designs for the bathroom were more traditional."
"You got me thinking about our legacy. This is our family's home, and I want it to be the center of family gatherings."
Hudson crossed his arms over his chest. "You want to host holidays?"
I felt a little self-conscious. "Sure. Why not?"
His brow furrowed. "I didn't mean to say that you had to do that."
I shrugged, uncomfortable with his scrutiny. "Maybe I want to, and it has nothing to do with Grandma."
I hefted the toilet and carried it down the stairs.
Hudson followed me out to the dumpster and helped me hoist it over the edge.
I brushed off my hands. "Mom and Dad are getting older, and I'm sure they'd appreciate sharing the load of hosting."
Hudson headed toward the front door. "What are we working on today?"
"Tiling Maya's bathroom." I led the way upstairs, through her bedroom, and into the bathroom. I'd already set up everything we needed to start right away.
"Maya's bathroom, huh?" Hudson said in the doorway, his gaze on Maya's room, which now had a pink comforter, shelves for her books, and bins for her toys. It looked like it was hers, and I liked having her things here.
"Where is Maya?"
"She's at her dad's, so it's the perfect time to work on her bathroom. I wanted hers to be done first."
"Because she's staying here temporarily," Hudson huffed.
"Yes." It was a good motivator for me. If I didn't have a deadline or a reason to finish something, I wouldn't. I knew myself well enough to realize that.
But Maya living here was a good reason to get her bathroom done, and I wanted her to enjoy it.
"What are you planning?"
"A standing shower, separate soaking tub, double vanity." I pointed at each space so that he'd know the design.
Hudson whistled as he looked at the design I'd taped to the wall for reference. "This is going to be nice for a guest room."
The tension between my shoulders amped up. "We have to keep with the aesthetic of the house. This isn't a new build."
"No. I get that," Hudson said easily. "I assume we're installing the pan, then framing the shower and tiling?"
"You got it." I hit Play on a music playlist that I preferred when I worked. I grabbed the shower pan, and together we moved it into place.
