by Stacey Wilk
She’d have to find that family another way. Her disaster house couldn’t give her a family. Instead, it gave her a cranky old man and a handsome but incorrigible neighbor. Now it was giving Grace her daughter for the summer.
She listened to the GPS and turned into the parking lot of the housewares store. Everything would work out. Wouldn’t it?
Chapter Sixteen
Who thought it would be so difficult to sell a Porsche 911 Turbo with twenty years on her? Blaise shoved his phone across the kitchen table after another prospective buyer said no, and rubbed his aching wrist. He never thought he’d have to sell that car. For him, that car defined the moment Savage made it. No more playing in dive bars and dragging his kit around in a beat-up van. Fast Lane Records had signed Savage with a big signing bonus, and they found themselves in a recording studio putting their first songs down on tracks. After the album climbed the charts and they sold out more shows than anyone expected, he dropped the money on that Porsche. Now he’d come full circle. He needed the money that car would provide, and they weren’t selling out shows the way they used to.
He pushed himself out of the chair and headed to his garden. The sun spread its heat over him before he got to the bottom of the deck steps. Sounds of banging and cursing drifted over the fence from Grace’s house.
“Throw it in the dumpster. Then come hold this ladder.”
Blaise shook his head. Beau was a drill sergeant, but that would be good for Cash, because Cash certainly didn’t listen to him. They were fine if the discussion stayed on things like what to eat for dinner or what time Cash would be back from the library, but if Blaise dug a little deeper, Cash shoved those damn earbuds in his ears and locked himself in his room. Melissa was no help. She said he should figure it out for himself. He would, if he had any idea where to start.
He thought of his dad. Jedidiah Savage was a man who said very little, but when he did, he commanded the room. His presence had made him an effective teacher, and when Blaise or Colton got out of line, their father only had to say a few words and Blaise immediately felt the ice form in his belly and the need for the floor to swallow him up.
He scratched the back of his neck. The plants weren’t growing. His dad would know what to do with the garden too, and he wished he could ask him. He wished he could play music with him again, and he wished his dad were around to knock some sense into Colton about recording new music.
“Anybody home?”
Blaise turned to Savannah’s voice coming from the house.
“Out back.”
His sister stepped into the yard, wearing a dress covered in pink flowers. Her dark hair was pulled back into a knot. Jud followed on her heels. She was always the mother duck leading her ducklings. What would she do when they all moved away? Probably herd them back.
Jud looked like his grandfather, the man he was named after, with the dark, wavy Savage hair Jud wore slicked back. He stood six feet four like Blaise’s dad. And now he sported an almost-full beard much like old Jedidiah’s.
“I brought over a summer salad and a roasted chicken for you and Cash. It’s in the fridge.” Savannah leaned in and kissed Blaise’s cheek. Jud offered a firm shake.
“Thanks, but you didn’t have to. No one is starving over here.” He patted his stomach.
“I had extra, and since Cash runs down to Jake’s every day to grab lunch, I worried you two were only eating takeout. How’s the garden coming?”
“Don’t ask. What else are you up to?” Because there had to be more than just the food. She was buttering him up for something.
“I was hoping to catch your neighbor for a minute, but it doesn’t look like she’s home.”
“You brought her food too?” When had Grace met Savannah?
Savannah’s eyes grew wide. “Does she need some? I didn’t think of it. How foolish of me. I should’ve brought a plate of brownies as a housewarming gift. I’m slipping.” She pulled out a small notebook and jotted down brownies.
“Mom, you really have to get into the twenty-first century. You could keep a list on your phone.” Jud let his smile spread across his face and light up his eyes.
Savannah and Jud always had an ease with each other. Blaise envied that, but Savannah chalked it up to mother-son relationships. She was certain he and Cash would be at ease if they worked at it. Blaise thought she was wrong. Or just trying to be nice.
Laughing, she swatted Jud away. “I like pen and paper. Keeps me sharp. All that computer screen stuff is killing my brain cells. I’ll come back later with those brownies. Hopefully, she’ll be home then. Do you happen to know where she went?”
“Why would I know where she went?” He didn’t mean for his words to sound so harsh. “She’s not all that neighborly. She really doesn’t like me.”
“Really? Doesn’t everyone like you? She seemed so sweet at the library, and she offered to help with the fundraiser. I just thought you might know where she was since Cash is over there working with Beau.” Savannah held her hands up. “No problem. I’ll catch up with her at some point.”
Grace was helping with the fundraiser too? Savannah would hook anyone within reach of her claws. He shook his head. Grace did appear to be the kind of woman who could plan an event. She liked things her way and clearly wanted to be in control. Hopefully, he could avoid her. Living next door was enough.
“Cash, I need you to hold this ladder.” Beau’s voice carried across the yard. “You want to send me to my death?”
The dumpster filled with a clatter and bang. “I can’t haul and hold, Mr. Carroll. Sorry. I’ll come right over.” Cash’s voice sounded like a drumhead pulled tight.
“They need help,” Jud said. “Maybe I should go see?”
Jud was like his mother, always wanting to fix a difficult situation, but Blaise knew Cash wouldn’t want his cousin nearby. “They’ll be fine.”
“Jud, go ask Beau. It’s only the two of them over there.”
“No, really. Beau doesn’t want anyone else on the job. He told Grace that.”
“Hey, Miss Savannah, that your young man with you? He’s grown a foot since I saw him last.” Beau stood on the ladder with a clear view over the fence. “Send him over. We need extra muscle power. I’m paying if he needs a job.”
Blaise’s heart sank. Jud shrugged and jogged into the front yard. Cash was going to be pissed and probably take it out on Blaise, as if he were the one sending Jud over.
“He doesn’t have a job for the summer?” Blaise pulled on the leaves of the tomato plant.
“He looked but was having trouble finding something. We just want him to have a little spending money before he leaves for college. Hopefully, Beau needs him for more than one day, and by the looks of the house, he will.” She turned and locked her gaze on Blaise’s. “Why did you say Beau didn’t need any other workers?”
He squirmed under his sister’s glare. “He fired his crew. I just thought he was scaling back.”
“There still isn’t trouble between Cash and Jud is there?”
Nothing got past her. He didn’t know if he could lie and get away with it. “I think they worked it out.” Holding her stare was harder than he thought. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck. He broke his stare first and looked over her shoulder to the still trees lining his property.
“Well, that’s good. They can’t fight. They’re cousins.”
Being related didn’t always equal harmony—nothing was that simple. You couldn’t pick your family, and sometimes you got stuck with ones you didn’t jive with. He loved his brother, but right now he didn’t understand him at all. He understood Colton’s drinking better than this decision to stop producing music. Continuing down the same worn-out path was suicide for their band. Why didn’t he see that?
“Hey, big brother.” Savannah waved a hand in his face. “You still there? I’m talking and you’re zoning. I have to get to the library. If you can’t give Jud a lift home, tell him to walk, okay? And heat that chicken in the oven,
not the microwave. You’ll dry it out.”
She followed the path Jud took, but stopped and turned. “Have you decided yet how you’re going to play at the fundraiser with your hand like that?”
He hadn’t thought about her fundraiser at all. “I’ll figure it out.”
“Is it just going to be you?”
“You heard Colton. He’s not on board. The other guys most likely won’t play without him. They’re afraid of him and never go against what he says. I’ll do some type of acoustic version of our songs.” He’d arranged most of their music that way already. It had given him something to do in between shows when they were on tour. The older he got, the more he stayed away from the partying and kept to himself in the hotel rooms and on the tour bus. He was tired of being the circus leader. Wasn’t that how he hurt his wrist? Being stupid and childish? When had he gotten so old?
“How about Cash?”
“How about Cash what?”
“Will he play with you?”
“Don’t count on it. He doesn’t do anything I ask these days.”
“Then I’ll ask him.”
Chapter Seventeen
Honking a horn in traffic never made it move faster. Why did people do that? Grace pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She was hot and sticky from filling her car with supplies she needed for Chloe’s arrival. Now she was stopped on Route 1. The traffic to the airport was backed up. A lane was out, and everyone passing by had to slow down to look. “There’s nothing to see, people.”
Chloe sent several texts wondering where Grace was. Did her daughter think she was arriving late because it might be fun? Didn’t she realize Grace would be there as soon as she could? She wasn’t likely to leave Chloe at the airport indefinitely, though it was tempting after the last text.
How much longer are you going to make me wait?
She found a spot in short-term parking. The doors to the passenger waiting area slid open, and cold air blasted her. Chloe sat in the corner, flipping through her phone with her purple suitcases lined up around her like a fort. Probably texting a friend about the terrible life she had.
Her heart swelled as she watched her daughter. Chloe had dyed her hair back to its natural medium brown, and Grace bit her lip to keep from crying. Was it relief? Maybe a little. Knowing Chloe chose to spend the summer with her was a joy. Even if it was by default.
She folded Chloe in a hug, whether she liked it or not. She missed the vanilla-bean smell of her daughter and inhaled it in. Chloe might not let her get this close again for a while. The nose piercing still took up residence, but Grace could live with that. Chloe could do worse things than wear an earring in her nose.
“How was your flight?”
“There was a kid screaming the whole time and nothing good to eat. I’m starving. Can we get some food?”
Grace checked her watch. She really wanted to get back to the house. Beau was going to need as much help as possible. A sit-down lunch didn’t fit in with her plan. “How about we grab something along the way? I’m hungry too.”
Chloe searched for a sandwich place on her phone while Grace navigated them back onto the highway. They ate while she drove. Chloe filled Grace in on everything going on in town and what her friends were up to awaiting the arrival of that college moving-in day. Grace listened to her daughter prattle on about who was dating whom and who got a brand new car for their birthday.
“I’m so over Silverside,” Chloe said.
“It’s not so bad.” Grace missed her morning walks with Jenn and running into people she knew at the grocery store. She missed her deck but reminded herself it was Larry’s deck. She would have to build a deck on the Disaster House or sit on the porch and hang on for dear life.
“Dad didn’t get me a car for my birthday.” Chloe pulled on the ends of her hair.
“How were you going to put gas into a car if you continued to refuse to get a job?” They had been around this a dozen times. Larry wanted Chloe to work. Grace did too. It would teach her responsibility with money. But Chloe used theater camp, SAT class, tennis lessons, and summer homework as excuses. Maybe she should have forced Chloe the way she was forced to get a job at a young age.
She had her first job at fifteen. She couldn’t count on her mother showing up for work. The fear of not being able to keep the lights on or food in the fridge scared her enough to keep her working. Even in college she worked as many hours and at as many jobs as she could, giving up sleep whenever necessary. She’d even fallen asleep in the shower several times, thinking she was killing two birds with one stone. She’d been working ever since.
“He bought Annie a new minivan.” Chloe stared out the window.
Grace’s insides burned. How many times was Larry going to show his daughter she came in second to this new wife? She’d call him the first chance she got. He’d have to learn to include Chloe, or he’d lose her forever. Unless that was what he wanted. The thought made the sandwich in Grace’s stomach turn sour.
“Well, it isn’t practical to cart a baby around in a sports car. I’m sure if you’d gone out and found a job, your dad would’ve considered buying a car for you.” What else was she going to say? That Larry was a big fat jerk? Tempting.
“I can’t have a car at school this year anyway.”
It wasn’t like Chloe to concede so quickly, but Grace wasn’t going to argue. “You can get a job on campus too. Save a little money and show him you’re serious. He’ll come around.” She only hoped he did and that he didn’t get caught up in paying for baby music classes, high-end strollers, and a tummy tuck for his new wife after the baby was born.
She pulled into the driveway on Dogwood Drive. Debris covered the front lawn like confetti shot from a cannon. What was going on inside? This place was a disaster for sure.
A young man she didn’t recognize came out the front door, dragging a cabinet, and hauled it over the porch onto the lawn.
“Who’s he?” Chloe checked her lip gloss in the mirror.
Before Grace could get out of the car, Beau barreled out onto the porch and waved a finger at the young man. “Jud, how many times do I have to say throw it in the dumpster? You’re making more work for us. Get this mess off the lawn, or you can’t come back tomorrow, and that’s final.”
Cash came out next, hauling a large piece of Sheetrock. He snickered at the young man, then bounced down the steps and tossed the Sheetrock into the dumpster.
“Fag.” The young man named Jud snarled at Cash, yanked the broken wood off the grass, and tossed it in the dumpster. “You won’t be laughing for long.”
She didn’t like threats and name-calling. What kind of thing is that to say? Cash gave Jud a wide berth but didn’t respond.
“Mom, you didn’t tell me you had guys like my age working for you. I would’ve worn something different on the plane.”
“You’re fine.” Grace peeled herself out of the car. “Beau, what’s going on?”
Beau clamored down the steps. “Now, Miss Grace, don’t go getting all upset. It’s not as bad as it looks.” He turned and shot the stink eye to Jud.
“Who is that person helping you?”
Beau leaned in. “That’s Savannah Montgomery’s son, Jud. He’s a good kid, but he’s more brawn than brain. Keep telling him to follow Cash’s lead, but he won’t listen. They’re like two foxes fighting to get in the henhouse. But don’t worry about them. I’ll take care of the boys.”
“Are you sure he can be trusted?” Call it motherly instincts, but Grace got a weird vibe from Jud.
“No need to worry, Miss Grace. I’ve known that boy his whole life.” Beau turned to Chloe. A smile spread across his face. “This must be your daughter.” He wiped his hands on his jeans. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Beau Carroll.”
Chloe shook Beau’s hand, but he held on a little longer before letting her go.
“Beau, did you tear apart every room? How will I live here?”
He patted her shoulder. “Don’t fret.
We aren’t touching the bedrooms or the bathrooms. I put your card table in your room with the air mattress. I did my best to keep those pictures in a neat pile, but I’m not sure I did such a good job with that. We sealed off the rooms with plastic to keep the dust out. And I’ve got all the windows open. Now the kitchen and the front room are something altogether different. Keep your shoes on when you walk around. I left your lasagna in the fridge, and that’s still plugged in. I don’t think we’ll have a problem with the electrical, just yet.”
“Just yet?” Her voice climbed a few octaves.
“This is an old house. We’re bound to find some problems hidden behind these walls. But there’s nothing I can’t handle. Anyone in town will tell you that.”
“Mom, why didn’t you tell me this place was so bad?” Chloe took in the mess, then climbed the porch steps. “It’s worse inside the house.”
“I told you it needed work,” Grace said.
“Dad was right. You bit off more than you could chew. Sorry to say.” Chloe flipped her hair over her shoulder and pulled out her phone. “Is there a hotel around?”
The knots in Grace’s neck twisted into a braid. Bit off more than she could chew? Well, she’d show him. How dare he speak that way about her to Chloe? Grace had been trying so hard not to say anything bad about Larry to Chloe, even though she wanted to, and he couldn’t do the same? She hoped there were twins hiding in that bimbo’s belly.
“The house isn’t so bad.” Cash came through the front door with more Sheetrock. He gave Chloe a quick glance but kept walking. “I’ll help clean up, Grace. I sent Aunt Savannah a text and told her I can’t make the library today. I’ll make up the hours another day.”
Jud followed Cash onto the porch. “I can’t believe my mother actually thought you being at the library was a good idea. You should’ve gone to jail for your stupid prank, and the only reason you didn’t is because of who your father is.”
Red splotches bled over Cash’s face and onto his neck. He stole a glance at Chloe, then back at Jud. Cash turned on his heel and marched back into the house.
