Page 71 of Embers of Torment

"Your cousin despises me, so that doesn't help. And thanks for diffusing the situation. I wasn't aware my plumber had thrown the ball in there. It came as a surprise when she attacked me."

"Yeah, Ree can be tenacious when she gets started on something."

"At least she's adorable when she's pissed," Heath laughed. His smile quickly faded as his countenance turned thoughtful. "I have to say. Your cousin's quite captivating."

I bit back the jest that was ready to spring off my tongue, surprised by Heath's words. They weren't what I expected to hear since Ree told me he hated her. Not to mention, his comments weren't the most appropriate for a married man. Ignoring it, I asked, "So what's with the plumber?"

"The wax ring on one of the upstairs toilets lost its seal, causing a leak. The problem must have been ongoing because the water seeped into my subfloor and damaged the first-floor ceiling. I spotted the discoloration yesterday and would have fixed it myself, except I already had a plumbing company coming today to install a new water heater. They'll replacethe wax seal and reset the toilet, but I'll have to repair the downstairs damage."

"Sorry, man. That's pretty rotten."

"It is, and that's only one of the many maintenance issues I'm discovering. The major ones I need to take care of include replacing floor tiles and all the carpeting, installing new overhead light fixtures, updating and repairing some wiring, and patching walls and closet doors. The rest are cosmetic, like missing outlet covers and stuff like that. My dad's tenants tore up the house more than I initially thought, so I'll be fixing up the place for a while. Aside from the plumbing, hiring someone when I can do the work myself doesn't make sense."

"So you're familiar with construction and repair?"

"I am. I worked in the industry for several years before switching to a different line of business. Nowadays, I own my own company, Bennet Fire Systems and Equipment. We specialize in fire safety and detection."

"That's cool. I'll keep that in mind in case I ever need those services. I better get back to Ree, or she'll come and drag me over there. I'll talk to you later."

"I'm sure I'll see you again since I'll be here on the weekends."

I walked back to Ree's house, almost thankful for the soccer ball incident. I'd driven here in a foul mood, wallowing in self-pity. At least my focus was no longer on me.

"Well? What did the idiot say about me after I left?" Ree yelled from the back of the house when I closed the front door.

I left the foyer and headed down the hallway toward the family room. It was as if I could feel Ree's ire lingering in the air. Sure enough, when I stepped across the threshold, I spotted her standing by the fireplace with her hands on her hips, her foot tapping away on the wood floor.

"Well?" Ree arched an eyebrow.

"Why are you so worked up? That isn't like you. Yeah, it was shitty what happened. But it wasn't the end of the world."

"Because I can't stand the guy. Yesterday, Lily forgot her Frisbee in the grass dividing our properties, and it disappeared. Before that, it was one of her dolls. And then, last week, his wife blocked my driveway. I asked her to move her car, but she glowered at me like I was stupid and went into the house. I was almost late to work by the time she came out and left. Now back to my question. What did the jerk say about me?"

"Heath didn't mention you," I lied. I wasn't about to tell Ree that Heath said she despised him and then called her adorable and captivating. That would send her into a tailspin all over again. "We talked about his plumbing problem and other issues he has with the house. He told me his dad's renters beat it up, and he has a list of repairs he has to make. He plans on performing the work himself."

"Dammit. That means he'll be here for a while." Ree went into the kitchen. She returned with a beer in each hand and held one out to me. "Why can't the guy hire someone and be done with it?"

I grabbed the bottle and took a seat on her couch. "I got the impression Heath doesn't mind doing the labor, and I'm sure it's a lot cheaper that way. Why do you let him get to you, anyway? It's not like he's harassing you or saying awful things. Or is he?"

"No, Heath and I typically don't talk to each other. He glares at me instead. It's just… I don't know. The man irks me. I want him to leave." Ree sat in one of the blue upholstered chairs next to the couch and took a swig of her beer. She was setting the bottle on the coffee table when her eyes widened, and she jerked her head toward me. "Oh God, Jace. I'm so sorry. Here I am, carrying on about my idiot neighbor when you're dealing with something far worse. Is Della talking to you yet?"

"No, not a word. It's been two weeks, and Della still won't return my calls or texts or answer her door. She won't even go to lunch with Adam or Sofie, refusing because she doesn't want to run into me. And she hasn't shown up for her dance classes or our gym workouts. At this point, I don't know what to do other than keep trying."

"You walked her to work and back before the incident, so do you at least catch sight of her on the street?"

"No. Della must be going in early because I don't see her at all."

"That's unfortunate. Della's obviously taking extreme measures to avoid you." Ree took another sip of her beer as she stared off in thought. Then she turned to me, her expression hopeful. "Maybe Adam can convince her to talk to you."

"He's already tried a couple of times. Della is adamant that she wants nothing to do with me."

There was suddenly a clomping of footsteps on the stairs. Lily came rushing into the room, singing, "Yay! Jace is here." She ran over to a cabinet and pulled out a stack of boxes. Eyeing them carefully, she began putting some of them back.

Ree smiled at me, appearing thoroughly amused. "Oh, Lord. Just like her mother. You're in for it now."

Before I could respond, Lily was standing in front of the coffee table with a square box in her hands. She plopped it on the wooden surface, her body rocking back and forth. "Wanna play a game with me? It's really fun."

"What is it?" I asked, trying not to laugh.

---