Page 24 of Meet Me at Sunset Cove (Jonathon Island #5)
Chapter Ten
The camera pans across the interior of the Barrett house, focusing on the worn hardwood floors before settling on Daisy.
She stands in the center of the foyer, wearing her signature overalls with a cozy, orange sweater underneath.
Hunter, wearing a plain white tee, leans up against the wall behind her, his muscular arms crossed over his chest, a smirk playing at his lips.
“Hi, friends! Daisy here,” she beams, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Today, we’re tackling one of the most important parts of our restoration project: the floors!
” She steps aside, gesturing to the floors with jazz hands and Hunter rolls his eyes, his smirk deepening.
“Lucky for us, this beautiful house still has its original hardwood floors, but it’s going to take a lot of work to bring these gorgeous floors back to life! So let’s get started!”
Music plays as the camera cuts to a shot of Daisy and Hunter as they work together to gently pry the molding off the walls, a voiceover playing over the footage.
“After carefully removing the antique molding around the floors, taping off doors, and nailing down any loose boards—” The footage cuts to a shot of Daisy sitting cross-legged on the floor while Hunter hammers a nail into the wood.
He feels around, finding another loose plank, and glances at his tool belt for another nail and comes up empty.
His eyes shoot to Daisy, who laughs, holding one out for him.
He gives her a playful scowl and snatches it from her fingers—“we’re ready to start sanding.
This process involves multiple passes with progressively finer grit sandpaper to smooth out years of wear and tear. ”
The camera cuts to Daisy pushing a large sander in a meticulous line along the wood grain.
The shot speeds up as she makes short work of the rugged flooring, crossing the room end to end.
When she’s about halfway through, Hunter steps into the shot and begins work on the edges and corners with a smaller, handheld sander.
“While the drum sander takes care of the main floor area, it’s crucial to pay special attention to the edges and corners. This ensures a uniform finish across the entire room.”
The pair of them work steadily as shadows move across the space. Daisy backs into the final corner just as Hunter works his way there from the opposite direction. Startled, she spins around, nearly losing her balance as Hunter’s hands shoot out to steady her.
“Oh! Sorry!” Daisy squeaks, her cheeks flushing.
Hunter chuckles, steadying her with a hand on her waist. “No worries,” he says softly, their eyes meeting for a moment before they both look away.
“Sanding floors is no easy task. It requires patience, attention to detail, and plenty of breaks to stay hydrated and avoid fatigue.”
…Hunter sits on the staircase, sweat staining his shirt as he takes a break, a bottle of water hanging from his fingertips.
Down the hall, Daisy is crouched on her hands and knees, her sweater now gone, leaving her in a pink T-shirt under her overalls.
She is working hard with a square of sandpaper on a remaining scratch, her brow furrowed in concentration.
Hunter glances over his shoulder, watching her for a moment, a soft smile playing on his lips.
And then he stands up, walks over, and holds out the water bottle to her.
Daisy pauses to look up, surprised, as Hunter nods for her to move aside.
Understanding dawns on her face, and she gratefully accepts the water, stepping back as Hunter takes over the troublesome spot…
“What would I do without that guy?”
…Daisy and Hunter sit side by side on the steps, both covered in sawdust, their shoulders tight and their hair a mess. They look thoroughly disheveled.
Daisy’s eyes travel over their finished work and land on Hunter. She laughs, taking in his haggard appearance, and a moment later, he joins in, his laughter bubbling over like water over stones.
“After hours of hard work, there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of seeing the transformation. These floors have stories to tell, and now they’re ready for new chapters.”
Daisy’s eyes crinkle as she reaches out to brush some sawdust from Hunter’s hair. He stills at her touch, his laughter fading into a soft smile. As Daisy turns her attention back to the camera, Hunter’s eyes linger on her.
“That’s it for today, friends! Thanks for joining us,” she says, beaming at the audience.
Comments:
@User8978: Those floors are coming along beautifully! Can’t wait to see the finished product!
@BookwormBarista: The way Hunter looks at Daisy when she’s not watching… Anyone else seeing this?
@VintageGirlie: I’m learning so much from these videos. Thanks for breaking down the process, Daisy!
—
Episode 6: Falling Colors, Uploaded (October 31st)
The camera opens on a sweeping shot of the Barrett house, standing stately against blue skies.
The surrounding trees are adorned with the last of the fall colors, the rest of the leaves piled on the grass.
Daisy and Hunter, wearing painting clothes, stand on the porch, surrounded by an array of paint supplies.
Daisy slips on her signature grin and speaks to the camera. “Hi, friends, and happy Halloween! Daisy here. We’re taking advantage of this beautiful day to add some curb appeal to the house.”
Hunter holds up a shutter, joining in the introduction. “I’ll be giving these shutters a fresh coat of classic black…”
Daisy gestures to the front door. “And I’ll be adding a pop of color to our entrance!
But first…” She ducks out of the shot, Hunter’s brow scrunching in confusion.
A moment later, she pops back into the shot.
In her open palm sits a single cupcake. “Rumor has it, it’s a certain someone’s birthday…
” She laughs, her nose scrunching as Hunter shakes his head, a smile tugging at his lips.
“Yeah, all right,” he says, eyes rolling.
Daisy turns to the camera. “Okay, everyone, all together now! Happy birthday to ? —”
“Oh no, no, no.” He snatches the cupcake out of her hand and stuffs it into his mouth. “Tastes great. Thanks. Let’s go.”
And then he trudges out of the shot.
Daisy laughs, her cheeks growing a soft pink. “Okay then, let’s get started!”
The camera pans to a new scene; Hunter and Daisy setting up their stations in the front yard, setting the door across two sawhorses.
Daisy’s voice enters. “When painting outdoors, it’s important to check the weather forecast. You want a dry day with mild temperatures.
Lucky for us, Jonathon Island has one more warm day for us this fall. ”
The shot cuts to Daisy carefully painting the door a periwinkle blue, then to Hunter and the black shutters.
“You’ll want to make sure to use exterior paint for anything that will be exposed to the elements…”
As they work, Daisy steals glances at Hunter, his brows furrowed in concentration as he carefully brushes across the shutter slats. A mischievous smile slides across Daisy’s lips as she dips her brush in her paint. She crouches behind her door as she waits for him to step away from his project.
Hunter sets down his brush and steps back, admiring his work, and then…
A grin splits across Daisy’s face as she flicks her brush, sending a spray of blue across Hunter’s white tee.
Hunter glances down at his shirt and then up in surprise. “Really, Decker?”
Daisy shrugs playfully. “Thought you could use some color.”
A dangerous look crosses his face and Hunter darts for his brush, loaded with black paint.
Daisy’s eyes widen. “Hunter…”
He crouches slightly, stepping closer. A lion stalking his prey.
“Hunter, no!” Daisy laughs, running as he lunges.
“We should note that this is definitely not an approved painting technique…”
The camera pulls back as Hunter chases Daisy across the grass, catching her around the waist with one arm while the other smears black paint playfully across her tattered T-shirt as she scream-laughs…
Comments:
@DIYDreamer: That periwinkle door is going to look amazing! Great color choice!
@Kimmiwiththekats: That paint fight was the cutest thing ever! They’re totally falling for each other!
@Justthatgirl: The chemistry between these two is off the charts! Please tell me they’re dating!
—
Episode 7: Out with the old…, Uploaded (November 7th)
The video begins with a shot of the interior of the house, focusing on the worn staircase. Hunter stands on the bottom step, looking handsome in a fitted tee and jeans. He flashes a charming smile as he steps down onto the landing.
“Hi, friends! Hunter here. Today we’re tackling the—” He begins before being cut off as Daisy pops into the frame, a look of mock indignation splayed across her face.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
Hunter frowns. “What? I can’t try my hand at being host?”
Daisy crosses her arms over her chest, standing her ground.
“Stick to looking pretty, Mr. Contractor. I’ve got the intros covered,” she says, playfully pushing him out of the shot before coming back to finish the intro with a sheepish smile.
“Today we’re focusing on the beautiful staircase, and we’re finally going to be removing the old banister, making room for something new. Let’s get started.”
The video continues with a series of shots as Daisy and Hunter pull out the threadbare stair runner, sand the banister spindles, and finally set to removing the heavy wooden banister. As they finish, they step back to admire their work, shoulders brushing as they survey the scene.
“Now we just have to find the right replacement,” Daisy says…
Comments:
@TheGreeneHouse: That staircase is going to be stunning when it’s done. Can’t wait to see what they choose for the new banister!
@CraftyKatie: The way Hunter tried to do the intro and Daisy’s reaction…they’re so adorable together!