Page 17 of More Than A Fixer-Upper
Drew looks like a squirrel caught in headlights. He fist bumps her.
“I can tell we’re going to be friends. I heard you’re working with Uncle Chase and Uncle Seth before school starts. I do that sometimes too. It’s so much fun.” Her smile is infectious. I’m grateful she’s the first person my kids meet here. She’s exactly what they need.
“Hi, Miss Rosalie,” she says, coming over to hug me. I hug her back.
“My mom’s inside, but my dad went to get my grandma. She can’t wait to meet you.” Hailey links arms with me and walks us into the house.
As we step inside, I can’t help but glance around for a black truck.
Something about Chase makes me want to know him better.
But after Randall…Can I really let someone in again?
Chapter Thirteen
Chase
Iwalkthroughthegate on the side of the house, heading toward the noise laughter from adults, squeals from kids, and the bark of Hailey’s German Shepherd, who’s clearly the star of the party. I drop off my gift at the table. Hailey already knows what it is she ordered it from my Amazon account herself. I just wrapped it.
Adam’s manning the grill. I nod at him as I pass.
“How you holding up? Heard about your dad,” he says with a snicker.
I roll my eyes and do a quick scan of the backyard. I hate that I instinctively look for Rosalie. If she’s here, I feel it. Like a pull I can’t ignore.
“Spent two nights in jail,” Adam continues, “because no one would bail him out until your sister caved.”
“Yep.” I pop the ‘p’ with a grin. “The voicemails were comedy gold. Ruth and I had a good laugh. I reminded her that my helpis unconditional she’ll always have me in her corner. But I also told both of them last night that I’m done. Next time he gets arrested, the cops have their numbers.”
“I bet that went over well,” Seth says, slapping me on the back and handing me a root beer.
“They said it’s my responsibility since I live in town. I reminded them that I was the high school dropout working my ass off so they never wanted for anything. Dad drank away his money, so it all fell on me. That ends now.”
“Wait you were still sending them money?” Seth scoffs.
I nod. “Some habits are hard to break.”
Gerald steps beside me, Drew trailing behind. I nod at Drew, but he looks away.
“Rosalie went home after meeting Ellen,” Gerald says. “I’ve been introducing Drew to the family while the kids swim.”
“Not a fan of swimming?” Seth asks Drew.
He shrugs, scowling toward the diving board where Winnie and the others are jumping in.
“I didn’t learn until last year. Hailey taught me,” I offer, guessing why he’s in jeans and a t-shirt.
“Mom made sure we learned as toddlers. No one told me it was a swim party,” he mutters, glaring at his sister.
“I can take you home to change,” Gerald offers.
“Or I can,” I say. “I was the last one to arrive anyway.”
“It’s fine. I’m used to being the outcast,” Drew says, walking off to grab a tennis ball from Reese Cup. His shoulders slump. I notice Hailey watching him. She starts to climb out of the pool, torn between her friend calling her and the new kid. She holds up a finger to her friend, wraps a towel around herself, and heads toward Drew.
“Never one to leave a kid alone,” Seth says with a smile.
The party winds down. Older adults leave after cake and birthday songs. Drew’s chatting with a couple of kids aboutschool programs, including a gaming club. Seth and I are on bonfire duty, gathering supplies when Ellen approaches.
