What the hell was she going to say to him? She only vaguely knew Darnell. He was smart and a deacon at the Presbyterian church. He liked fried shrimp and ordered his gumbo local-hot. He had the occasional Sazerac. Could she use the Guidry brand to help her out? Yes, Celeste could offer him a bribe in the form of cash, but she had an in when it came to the best gumbo in town.
Why hadn’t she made it here before he did? She might have been able to figure out a way to distract him from inspecting a couple of the rooms that were more problematic. Did he really need to check out the back study, where she was pretty sure a couple of raccoons were nesting? If he was standing on the front porch waiting for her, he would likely want to see everything.
She had to get it together. She had to look like she knew what she was doing. Like she was competent.
She was competent. She could do this. All she needed was a little time.
If he’d tried the porch steps, though, she was probably already done. Darnell Ward was a solid guy, and he’d likely put one foot on the step and gone straight through it. He could have even been hurt.
Her mind was awash in pure anxiety when she heard the front door open.
He’d gotten into her house?
She watched as Darnell stepped out wearing khaki slacks and a collared shirt, a clipboard in his hand.
“You’ve got quite a job ahead of you,” Darnell was saying. He was an attractive man in his mid-forties, and if she remembered correctly, he had three kids and a wife who worked at the elementary/middle school.
She was about to answer when she realized he wasn’t talking to her. His head was turned and another big body moved from inside the house to the porch. Harry. He was a reassuring presence, and the deep rumble of his voice could be heard even with the distance between them.
“Yes, but once she’s gotten it all done, it’s going to be a jewel of a house,” Harry proclaimed.
Darnell looked up at the ceiling. “Yeah, there aren’t many of these old Creole places left. You said she’s not living here, right?”
“I’m not,” she said, moving gingerly on the first step.
Shep banged out of the house, pushing his way through the rickety screen door. He bounded down the stairs and right to her.
“Hey, Seraphina,” Harry said, sending her a pointed look. “Darnell here is from the city. I was going over all the ways we’re working to bring this old place up to code, starting with getting those porch steps fixed this morning. Everything all right at home? I explained that you went back to your place to have some lunch with your son.”
Darnell was all smiles. “How is that boy of yours doing? He must be growing like a weed.”
She glanced down at the steps. They were completely redone, each one looking solid. Though they needed to be painted and sealed, they were safe to walk on.
Harry. Harry had done that and now he was covering for her, and the parish official who should have been worried seemed perfectly comfortable. Harry had done that, too.
She gave Shep a pat and started up the stairs. “Oh, he is. How are your kiddos?”
Darnell held out a hand as she reached the top step. “They’re doing well. My oldest started high school this year. Time flies. I think it’s nice that you make sure to go home and have lunch with your son. You know, one day this could be a great place to raise a family. But you’re also smart to not move in.”
“Oh, no. I love this place, but it needs so much work,” she said, shaking his hand. “And I don’t know that I’ll ever live in it. It’s way too big for me and Luc, but I love this house so much. I grew up here.”
Darnell’s lips curled up as he watched her move to Harry’s side. “Well, you never know. What seems too big now can feel just right down the line. Yes, this will make a fine home for someone. I’m going to send you a copy of this paperwork, but Harry here went over all the plans. You seem to know exactly what you’re doing. There are definite violations, but I’ll give you some time. I’ll be back out in ninety days, but I have no doubt you’ll get everything done. You have a nice afternoon.”
Ninety days? She had ninety days. Her hands were shaking, and she realized they had been from the moment she’d understood Celeste Beaumont was coming after her. She’d thought she would have to fight, have to beg, have to explain why she hadn’t even fixed the steps needed to get inside the house.