Page 21 of More Than A Fixer-Upper
“I actually designed the space. Mrs. Rosa didn’t know exactly what she wanted just that she wanted open spaces.”
I scroll through my phone and show her the before pictures. The look of shock on her face makes every hour of labor worth it.
“Chase,” she breathes, “I can’t wait to see what you do with the bed and breakfast. I think my ideas are going to be dull compared to your vision.”
I chuckle. My phone buzzes Seth. He’s taking the day off. His dad messed up the plumbing, and now they’ve got no water. I ask if he needs help, but he says he’s got it. It’s going to be an allday project, especially with his dad “helping.”
Drew tells me he’s taking the day off too, and Hailey shows up about twenty minutes later. Rosalie does the dishes, and when I offer to help, she waves me off says I helped cook, even though I mostly give advice.
We walk to the bed and breakfast. Rosalie talks about how she’s still in awe of the mountains in the background; how lucky she feels to be here. I think about how I’ve lived here my whole life and probably take it for granted.
My phone buzzes again. It’s Lacy. I ignore it.
“You can answer,” Rosalie says gently. “I’ll wait inside to give you some privacy.”
She touches my arm and heads inside. The spot where her hand lands burns. Did she feel it too? Or is it just the effect she has on me?
Lacy calls again. I finally hit accept.
“What?” I snap.
“Why did you give Dad my number?” she barks. “He’s been calling nonstop asking for money.”
“I didn’t give it to him. Maybe Ward did. This is who Dad is if he’s not drunk, he’s calling for money to get drunk. He blows his check the first of the month on alcohol.”
“I don’t have time for this, Chase. I have a fulltime job.”
I picture her in some high-rise office, floor to ceiling windows, dressed like she’s inSuits, looking down at the world like she does the people here.
“And what the fuck do you think I do every day? Sit around with my thumb up my ass? I run my own business. Multiple projects. My day starts at five in the morning and ends around ten thirty or eleven at night. Don’t call me to say you’re too busy to deal with Dad.”
Lacy sighs. “Why don’t you call Ward?”
“He’s not answering.”
“I don’t know what to do. I can’t keep having my secretary pull me out of meetings because Dad’s screaming at her. I paid his and Uncle Randy’s bail. They got arrested together.”
I smirk. Ruth and I laughed about that for hours.
“I need to go. I’m with a client. I don’t have the luxury of a secretary screening my calls.”
“Fuck you, Chase.” She hangs up.
I roll my eyes.
ME: Lacy called. Ward’s MIA. She’s taking it out on me. RUTH: Fuck her. She called me too. I hung up when she asked me to pay her back for bail. I told her I’d send her the bill for everything I spent on her daddy. ME: LOL That’s awesome.
I walk onto the porch, run my hands through my hair, and take a deep breath before stepping into what’s going to be my office for the next few months.
Rosalie’s at the lobby desk, looking at pictures and scrolling through Pinterest on her iPad.
“What are you doing?” I ask, making her jump.
“Will you please make some noise when you enter a room? Jesus. That’s twice now.” She smiles. “Gerald brought me pictures from past holidays and parties. I’m trying to get ideas.”
I move around the desk and sit beside her. Mrs. Rosa’s front and center in most of the photos.
“She was a force of nature,” I say. “If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have been able to give my siblings Christmas presents.”
