Page 9 of The Summer I Stayed
Me
Blog post is up!
Alison
Yayyy! I’m so proud of you, Mom!
Lila
I just read it! That raccoon story is hilarious. Can’t wait to see more of the house!
Caroline
What an entrance! Can’t wait to see more! Shine on!
I’m hoping the handyman will make an appearance *winky face*
I laugh and shake my head at her nonsense. She’s single herself and ready to find a man who’ll sweep her off her feet. Me? I’m not so sure if that’s in my future. Can I be open to loving another man after such a great love with Steven? Is there some kind of quota on the amount of love you get in one lifetime? Maybe I’ve already got my fill, and I’ll be the old spinster lady, living her days alone in a lake house.
That is, if I even stay here or keep the house. I’m not sure what I want right now.
As I reach the house, Jake is pulling out a ladder from the back of his truck. Maverick jumps out of the cab and comes bounding over to greet me. He nudges his body into me, almost knocking me over.
“Whoa, Maverick.” I pat him on the head. “You gotta remember you’re bigger than you think.”
Jake looks over with a neutral expression, better than the scowl he had last night at the town meeting. “He’s never been good at personal space.”
“I see that.” I can’t bear to stop petting Maverick.
Jake grunts as he shifts the ladder and props it against the side of the house. He turns to me, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.
“Alright, what’s first?” I ask. “Put me to work. I want to help with every part of the renovation.”
“Well, I’ll be working on the roof. You can, uh,” he looks around, “clean up inside, I guess.”
I glance up, following his eyes to the tattered shingles. “Do you have anyone to help you? Or are you a one-man crew?”
He shrugs. “Had a guy, but he sprained his ankle yesterday playing soccer with his kid.”
“That’s unfortunate, but surely a one-man crew for a roof reshingling is a bit…ambitious?” I ask, looking up at the daunting structure.
Jake shrugs again. Does this man do anything besides shrug and grunt? “I’ve done it before.”
“Well, if you need an extra pair of hands to help, I’m here.”
He glances at me, and for a brief moment, a flash of surprise hits his eyes. It swiftly disappears, replaced by his usual impassive exterior. “I’ll manage.”
I roll up my sleeves, ready to get my hands dirty. “In that case, I’ll be inside.”
A wave of irritation comes over me, taking me by surprise. I’m normally so levelheaded, but this man is so stubborn. It’s my house, and if I want to help fix my roof, then I’ll fix my roof whether he likes it or not. Which, I would happily stomp back, climb that ladder, and tell him so…if I weren’t deathly afraid of heights. Idon’t even know why I offered in the first place. Just thinking about getting up there makes me queasy.
I’m not sure what’s come over me or why Jake’s refusal has gotten under my skin. I always find moving helps me get out of my feelings, so I make a move to start cleaning inside.
The house isn’t as bad as it could have been, but definitely more work than I initially anticipated. Dust-covered furniture fills the rooms, a musky smell lingers in the air, and the porch creaks when I walk on it. But every inch reminds me of why Steven chose this one. I remember the day he gifted it to me. I was flipping through the photos, and he pointed out everything he loved about it. The French doors that lead to the backyard, which flows straight to the lake. A mix of vintage touches with modern amenities. It didn’t need a whole lot of renovation when he bought it, no big fixer-upper project. Just a few minor details to make it our own.
A sigh escapes me, and I snap some pictures of the inside before I start cleaning up the house. The previous owners left it fully furnished, although some of the furniture looks damaged from the rain coming through the windows. I begin to wipe surfaces clean and throw anything out that’s trash. I move through the entire living room and kitchen before I hear a loud crash outside.
Startled, I drop the rag in my hands and rush outside. The ladder lies ominously on the ground, but my eyes immediately seek Jake. There he is, standing near the edge of the roof. He looks down at his fallen ladder, a scowl etched onto his face.
