“You want the good news or the bad news first?” Digger asks.
“Always the bad,” I tell him.
He reaches out his hand to help me up and when I’m solidly on my feet, he says, “Your water heater is toast.”
“No surprise there. It must be twenty years old. What’s the good news? It’ll only cost me a thousand bucks to get a new one?” Sarcasm is my go-to in times of distress.
Shaking his head, he tells me, “We’re upgrading at the lodge, so I can give you a used one that’s in decent shape.”
I eye him skeptically. “Why are you upgrading if yours are in good shape?”
“We’re switching over to on-demand water heaters. Danny Etok said he’d give us a deal if we upgraded all of them. I figured it made sense to do it all in one fell swoop rather than piecemeal.”
“That’s a lot of money, Digger.” Like he doesn’t already know that.
“Yeah, well, business has been booming this year. Also, Harper wants to invest. Far be it from me to tell my soon-to-be wife that her money is no good here.” He puts his hands in his pockets. “I’ll give you the best of the lot and it should last you another three to five years.”
Leading the way into the house, I confess, “I’m not too proud to say no. In fact, thank you very much. You’re really saving my bacon.”
“What else can I help with? You sounded so upset last night.”
I walk over to the fridge and pull out two beers. Handing him one, I gesture around the room. “I have no idea where to start. Everywhere I look, there’s something that needs doing.”
“What room bothers you the most?” he asks.
“The kitchen.” I plop down at the table. “I can’t stand being in here.”
“How about if the boys and I get busy sanding down the cabinets? A nice coat of paint ought to perk the place up.”
“Don’t you have a job?” I ask him jokingly.
“I do, but we’ve hired some new help recently, so I’m not always on the go. In fact …” He walks across the room and opens the screen door and calls out, “Boys, get into my truck, we’re going to the hardware store!”
I hear their whoops of excitement. Shaking my head, I ask, “Why are you taking my kids to the hardware store?”
“We’re gonna get some sandpaper and supplies. I’ll bring some paint chips so you can start getting a feel for what color you want.”
“Just like that? I’ve wanted to paint this room for years and haven’t gotten around to it, and you’re just going to do it?”
“Call me Santa Claus,” he says with a huge grin on his face. “I figure with the kids helping, we can get the cabinets finished by Sunday. Then we can decide what’s to be done about the floor and counters.”
“The floor and counters might have to wait a bit,” I tell him. Like maybe five years. But instead of interjecting negativity, I tell him, “I’ll bake a batch of cookies and put some fish fillets on the grill.” Before he walks away, I add, “Thanks, Digger. You’re the best.”
“It’s true,” he says with a twinkle in his eye. “Plus, if I help out here, that’ll give you some time to put yourself out there and maybe find a nice guy.”
“Is that a condition?” I ask.
“No, ma’am. That’s just your supremely wise and all-knowing older brother giving you his two cents.”
As he walks out the door, I briefly let myself wonder what it would be like to have a husband around again. I’m surprised when an image of Ethan Caplan pops into my head and it takes more effort than it should to move it out. No, if I ever do consider dating again, I’m going to have to find someone who lives right here in Gamble. Good luck to me.
Chapter8
Ethan
“It turns out that writing fiction is a lot harder than writing entertainment contracts,” I tell Harper. After hours of sitting in front of a blank Word document on my laptop, I decided to pop in on her and complain.
I’m currently following her around while she tends to the many indoor plants around the lodge. Glancing up from her work, she asks, “What have you got so far?”