Gaines took a big deep breath. “I’m planning on doing a lot of the work myself, with the exception of plumbing and electrical work.”

“Did you have a budget in mind?”

“Yes, but I think I was being delusional.”

“For example?”

“I was thinking twenty grand?”

“If you don’t use slate or granite, you might be able to bring it in under thirty.”

“But isn’t granite the big thing now?”

“There are a lot of options that are half the price. Trust me. You get light-colored cabinets, stainless appliances, good lighting, the countertop will not be the focal point. The island will be. You can use granite there if you want. But honestly, with a kid and his friends, granite can chip, and it’s way expensive to fix. I’ll go with you to pick stuff out when you’re ready. And I bet Cullen can find you a really cool light fixture for the island. A few high-hat floods on dimmers. It will look great.”

“You sure you want to take it on?”

Luna was imagining herself in the finished product. “Yes. It will be fun. Especially since I won’t be paying for it!” She hooted. “Now, about all this brown.” She stood and twirled her finger around the room.

“I get a headache thinking about removing it. Lord knows what’s underneath. If anything.” Gaines sighed again.

“What I suggest is a chair railing. You can cover the bottom section with a light-colored fabric and paint the top section white or light gray. Do it all the way around. It will make the place feel bigger, too.” Luna looked down. “At least the floors look good.”

“Before I moved in, I sanded them and put a few coats of polyurethane on them.”

She glanced at the fireplace. “And . . . that could use a coat of paint, or something. But I’d wait until you get the walls done.” Luna folded her arms, waiting for his reaction.

Gaines put his hands on each of her shoulders and kissed her on the forehead. “You are a genius, Luna Bodhi Bodman!”

It wasn’t exactly the reaction she was hoping for, but the evening was still young.

* * *