Read At Home on Ladybug Farm for Free Online Page B

hands, a very pleased expression on her face. “What we’ll do,” she declared, “is turn this house into a bed-and-breakfast.”
    Cici lifted an eyebrow. The other two sipped their wine and said nothing.
    “I was talking to Ida Mae this afternoon,” she went on. “Did you know this place used to be a boarding house for military wives in the forties?”
    Cici said, surprised, “I didn’t know that.”
    Lindsay and Bridget looked at Lori with new interest. “Is that right?” Bridget said.
    And Lindsay added, “A boarding house?”
    Lori nodded. “That’s probably how we ended up with all those bathrooms. A house full of women . . .”
    Cici grinned and lifted her glass to sip. “How about that? And sixty years later, it’s still a house full of women.”
    “With plenty of bathrooms,” Bridget pointed out.
    “So here’s the thing.” Excitedly, Lori leaned forward so that they could see the drawing she had made in the light that spilled from the open door. “This whole front part of the house—the living room, dining room, the bedrooms, of course, and the upstairs sitting room—would be public space. That little room off the living room could be the office. The kitchen is already outfitted for preparing big meals, and, Aunt Bridget, you know you’ve always wanted to run a restaurant.”
    Bridget gave a conciliatory nod of agreement.
    “The back part of the house,” Lori went on, “would be our living space. We could turn the sunroom into our family room, and we eat in the kitchen, anyway.”
    Cici inquired politely, “Where would we sleep?”
    Lori turned a page. “This,” she declared, “is a sketch of the cellar—as it could be. All it would take is a little remodeling, putting in some windows, a few walls . . . it’ll be a snap.”
    “A snap,” repeated Cici, careful to keep her expression neutral.
    Lori went on, “A room in the average B&B rents for about $200 a night—more on weekends and in peak season. And with this location—the view, the homegrown food, the gardens—”
    “The pools,” added Lindsay.
    Lori ignored her. “You could keep this place filled just about year around! That’s twelve hundred dollars a day! That’s eight thousand dollars a week! Thirty-six thousand dollars a—”
    “We can do the math,” Cici said.
    And Bridget added gently, “Honey, running a B&B is hard work. And there are licenses and codes and permits and regulations . . .”
    “And it may be a tad bit optimistic to count on keeping all the rooms rented,” Lindsay said. “In such a slow economy.”
    “Bottom line,” Cici said simply, but firmly, “we are not pimping out our house. We’ve worked too hard and love it too much to have strangers tramping through it for money. And I am definitely not sleeping in the cellar.”
    “Ida Mae does,” Lori pointed out defensively.
    “Ida Mae has her own room with a bath and private entrance from the garden. That’s the way it’s always been and that’s how she likes it. I, on the other hand, like my big sunny upstairs bedroom with its claw-foot tub and heart pine floors. I like it so much that I left everything I knew and went into enormous debt for it. So I think I’ll just stay there, thanks.”
    “Me, too,” said Bridget.
    “Me, too,” agreed Lindsay.
    Lori blew out a breath that ruffled her bangs, and her face settled into lines of disappointment. “Well,” she said, “I guess I had a feeling you might say that.” And then she cheered. “But it was a pretty good plan for a first try, wasn’t it?”
    “Absolutely,” agreed Cici.
    “Couldn’t ask for more.”
    “Brilliant,” said Lindsay.
    “Okay, then, it’s back to the drawing board.” She gave them a wave with her legal pad as she swung toward the door. “I’ll be back!”
    Bridget laughed softly as the door closed behind her and the porch faded to dusk again. “Do you know what I love about having Lori here?”
    Cici slid a glance toward her. “Name one thing. I