“The cabinets!” I suddenly exclaim. “Where are the cabinets?”
“The cleanup crew demoed them.”
“Demoed? As in totally destroyed?”
He nods with a somber expression.
“But why?”
“They said you gave instructions to remove them.”
“I gave them cleaning stuff and told them to clean them.”
“In English?”
“No, I’ve been trying to use what little Spanish I know.” I dig in my bag, pulling out the little English to Spanish dictionary that I’ve been relying on.
“Tell me exactly what you told them,” says Dad.
So I repeat, as best I can, what I think I said, and he just nods.
“What did I say?” I ask.
“To remove the cabinets.”
“Oh…”
“That was an expensive mistake, Gretchen.”
“Oh my goodness. What do we do now?”
“We order new cabinets. Fortunately one of the guys on the crew has a brother-in-law who’s a cabinetmaker. They won’t be top-of-the-line, but they should be okay.”
“I’m sorry, Dad.” I’m on the verge of tears. I can’t believe I blew it so badly. From now on I will keep my mouth shut or make sure my dad translates for me.
He forces a smile now. “Maybe it’s for the best, sweetie. They say kitchens are the most important selling feature in homes these days.”
“And bathrooms,” I add.
He frowns now. “Well, don’t get me started on that. Those bathrooms are a disaster.”
“A disaster that you don’t need to worry about,” I remind him for the thousandth time.
“Then who are you going to get to replace those floor joists?”
I consider this. “Well, I don’t know right now … but it won’t be you.” I put my face close to his and look into his eyes. “Okay?”
He grumbles something I can’t hear, then asks if he can borrow my phone. I hand it to him and start walking around to inspect my house. Most of the hardwood floors seem to be fairly solid but, as Dad pointed out, are in need of serious refinishing. At least I didn’t ask the work crew to “clean” them too.
“I asked Noah Campbell to stop by today,” Dad tells me as he hands me my phone.
“Why?”
“Because we need some help, Gretchen.”
“But why Noah?” I persist. It’s not that I don’t like Noah Campbell, but last Christmas my dad tried to fix us up at his annual Christmas party, and I guess I just wasn’t ready for it. Then Dad seemed offended when I gave Noah the cold shoulder. Later he asked me what was wrong with the guy. Well, obviously, there was nothing wrong with Noah. I mean, not only is he a perfectly nice guy, but he’s also gorgeous. In fact, that might’ve been part of the problem. Gorgeous guys tend to scare me. So as Dad continued to pester me about Noah, the only thing I could come up with was to say it bothered me that he is divorced.
And, okay, I know lots of divorced people. And, really, it’s nothing personal, but the truth is that I have absolutely no desire to get involved with a guy who’s been divorced. Call me stubborn or judgmental or narrow minded, but I’ve always imagined myself marrying someone who’s never been married. It’s just an expectation I’ve carried with me since childhood. And to make matters more complicated, Noah has a child that he and his ex share custody for. Because I teach kindergarten, I’ve seen what that does to kids and parents and exes and everyone. And, I’m sorry, but that is just too much baggage for me. Especially considering I have my own baggage to deal with. As much as I like to think that time heals all wounds, I know I still have some scars. And that’s basically what I told Dad. Without going into all the details, I told him I was not interested. Fortunately, it shut him up and got him off my case about Noah. Until now.
“Noah is an excellent carpenter … and he’s not busy.”
“If he’s such an excellent carpenter, why isn’t he busy?”
Dad shrugs. “I’m not sure. But I was chatting with him a couple of weeks ago, and he mentioned that he was trying to slow things down.”
“Why is he slowing things down?” I ask, knowing that it’s none of my business and that I’m acting like a very wet blanket. “He seems a little young to retire, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know, Gretchen.” Dad’s voice sounds irritated now. “Just be thankful he’s available.”
“But shouldn’t I have some say in who we hire to help us?”
“Sure. Who did you have in mind?”
I shrug now. “No one. But maybe I’d like to take a shot at doing some of these things myself, Dad.”
Now he actually laughs. “I have to admire your courage, Gretchen Girl, but you need to know exactly what you’re doing when you replace something as structural as floor joists.” He scratches his head now. “I didn’t think we needed a building permit when we started this project. We weren’t going to change the footprint or anything structural … just basic renovations. Now I’m not so sure.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning I’ll look into it.”
I point to the wall that separates the living room from the dining and kitchen area. “Like what if I want this wall removed?”
“You want that wall removed?”
I’m sure I’ve mentioned this several times to Dad, but he keeps acting like it’s a big surprise. “I want to open up the place,” I say. “One big great room. Remember?”
“Well, this happens to be a load-bearing wall.”
“And?”
“The roof might collapse if you remove it.”
“Really?”
“We’d have to set up some posts and a beam to support the ceiling.”
“That’s fine.”
“And there’s electrical here too,” he points out. “We’ll have to hire an electrician.”
“So…”
“Well, I agree that it would be an improvement for this house. And it would probably help the salability of the place if we open it up a bit. But that means I’ll have to go file for a building permit.” He glances at his watch now. “I can just make it before they close.”
“What about Noah?” I ask.
“You’re calling the shots,” he says. “You deal with it.”
“But I don’t know what to—”
“Just let him in the door, Gretchen. I already gave him a quick lowdown on our situation. He’ll probably want to walk around and check things out. Hopefully, he won’t turn around and walk straight out once he sees it.”
“Where did the cleanup crew go?” I ask as I put on a pair of yellow rubber gloves and reach for a bottle of cleaner.
“I paid them and told them we’d be in touch.” He looks slightly sheepish now. “I also took them to task for ripping out the kitchen cabinets. Now I’ll have to apologize.”
“I should probably be the one to apologize.”
He nods. “Yep, you should. Now I better head over to the city office for that permit.”
After Dad leaves, I go straight into scrubbing down a kitchen wall. Then I hear someone call out “hello” from the front door. I get there just in time to see Riley jump up and place both dirty paws on Noah Campbell’s clean white T-shirt.
“Riley!” I scold, grabbing him by the collar. “Down!”
Noah attempts to brush the brown marks off his shirt and then smiles. “It’s okay.”
“Sorry about that.” Once again I am struck with how incredibly good-looking this guy is. And, once again, it just bugs me. Almost every gorgeous guy I’ve met has turned out to be (1) slightly shallow, (2) somewhat full of himself, and (3) looking for an equally gorgeous woman so he can be part of a matched set. Sorry if I sound bitter, but that’s been my experience.
As I attempt to peel off a rubber glove, Noah bends down to scratch Riley behind the ears. “You’re a friendly one, aren’t you?”
“His name is Riley, and I guess I need to work with him on his social skills.”
&n
bsp; “Chocolate Lab?”
“And part something else—probably some wild and crazy breed.”
Noah stands and looks at me now, and I’m aware that I must look like a wreck. “It’s been a while. How have you been, Gretchen?”
I’m surprised that he actually remembers my name. “Okay, I guess … although my dad thinks I’ve bitten off more than I can chew with this house flip. Did he tell you much about it?”
“Just that it’s in need of help.”
“Yeah. And I don’t want Dad doing the physical labor himself. You know he’s had some serious health problems.”
He nods. “Yeah, I heard.”
“Of course, he thinks he’s much better now that he’s been on medication for a while. But I still don’t want him doing too much.”
“That’s understandable.” His dark brown eyes glance about, quickly taking it all in, and he doesn’t appear terribly impressed.
“And anyway this is really my house flip, not Dad’s. He’s only supposed to be my consultant. In fact, I wasn’t sure I needed outside help just yet. Dad didn’t even ask me before he called you. And when school gets out, just a week from now … well, I’d sort of hoped to tackle this myself.”
“Really?” I see the same skeptical look in his eyes that I saw in my dad’s earlier. But at least he’s not laughing at me.
“I know a little about carpentry. I mean, I grew up watching my dad.”
“I’m sure you know a lot.” I think I sense some sarcasm, but I ignore it.
“And when I’m not distracted with my teaching responsibilities, I can give this remodel my full attention.”
“Right…”
“So it might’ve been premature for Dad to call you.”
“Oh…”
“I mean, feel free to walk around and have a look, if you want. There’s not that much to see. We’ve been mostly trying to clean it out this week, getting it ready for paint and things. It had been a rental, and the renters were pretty bad. They must’ve had a lot of pets. I guess you can still sort of smell it.”
“It definitely looks like it’s seen better days.”
“But it does have potential,” I say in a slightly defensive tone. “And it’ll be great once I start doing the real improvements.” He’s followed me to the kitchen now. “I had hoped to reuse the existing cabinets; they weren’t too bad really. But we had a little communication problem with the cleanup crew.”
“They tore them out?”
“Yeah.” I sigh. “Things got a little out of control. I think that’s why I want to slow it down just now. Dad is all like ‘get ’er done,’ and I want to take more time and plan it a little better. I have lots of ideas… I know how I want it done. I’d like to take my time, you know?”
“I can understand that.” He nods politely, though he still doesn’t look convinced.
“And so I’m not sure I really want to hire anyone just yet.”
He glances around the gutted kitchen with a slight frown. “And I don’t want to force my services on anyone. I only came as a favor to your dad. He’s a good guy.”
“Of course. I just don’t want him to take over this house flip.” I press my lips together, thinking I’m saying way too much. Really, this is none of Noah Campbell’s business.
“Well, I can see you’re busy,” he says stiffly. “I won’t take up any more of your time.”
“Thanks for stopping by, though. I’ll tell Dad you were here.”
“Good luck on your house flip.” He heads for the front door now with Riley at his heels as if he’s planning on going with him.
“Riley,” I call out, “stay!”
Naturally, Riley ignores my command, making it awkward for Noah to slip out the door gracefully. He uses one foot to gently push Riley backward, then makes a quick escape. Standing in the shadows of the living room, I watch out the big front window, past the cracked glass and fly-specked grime, as Noah walks down the driveway toward a nicely restored turquoise pickup, complete with wooden side rails. I’m guessing it’s from the sixties—and probably a classic.
But it’s Noah I’m watching. Observing the way his long legs amble along in faded jeans and sturdy work boots, the fit of his white T-shirt over his broad shoulders, the casual cut of his sandy brown hair. And I’m thinking, okay this guy may be divorced and carrying some baggage, but he is one hot guy.
Then it’s like I want to slap myself. What am I thinking? So to purge these crazy thoughts from my mind, I plunge back into cleaning with a vengeance. Nothing like a filthy wall to take your mind off a man.
I’m just finishing up in the kitchen when I hear Riley barking happily at the back door and my dad greeting him and asking, “How’s Demo Dog doing?”
“Thankfully, not too much damage. Did you get the permit?” I ask as I drop a sponge back into the bucket.
“It should be ready by next week.”
“Great.”
He glances around the room. “No sign of Noah yet?”
“He was here.”
“What’d he think?”
I shrug. No way will I tell him how I shooed Noah away. “I don’t know.”
“Didn’t he say anything?”
“Not much.”
“Gretchen?” Dad looks perplexed now. “Did he look around?”
“A little. I sort of told him that it was premature to hire him.”
“Premature?” Dad looks upset. “Have you even seen this place, Gretchen?”
“I told him that I have one more week until schools out and that I plan to really jump into it then.”
Dad almost smiles now. “That’s fine, and I’d like you to jump into it. But there are certain things you can’t—”
“You don’t know what I can or can’t do yet, Dad. You haven’t even given me a chance.” I realize I’m being stubborn, but I’m a little tired of being condescended to. “Like I told you in the first place, I’ve been watching these home-improvement shows. And for years I’ve watched you. I really do think I can do this. I want to do this.”
“But you might need some help.”
“Why don’t you let me figure that out, Dad?”
He lets out an exasperated sigh and just shakes his head.
“And if and when I need help, I’ll ask.”
“What if Noah has taken on another project by then?”
“Noah’s not the only carpenter in the world.”
“Maybe not, but he’s affordable and one of the best. And he’s a good man, Gretchen.”
I point my finger at Dad now. “So that’s it.”
“What?” He gives me his best innocent look.
“You’re trying to set me up with him again, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not.” He waves his hand at me in dismissal.
“Sure you’re not…”
“So what if I am, Gretchen? You could certainly do a lot worse than Noah Campbell.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know what it means.”
“Collin?”
Dad shrugs. “I never really trusted that guy, Gretchen. I think you were lucky to get out of that relationship when you did.”
“Lucky?”
He nods firmly. “More than lucky. I think God was watching out for you. I think there’s someone far better for you.”
“Someone like Noah?”
“Maybe.”
“Okay, Dad, I’ve already told you that I don’t like that Noah’s divorced. I will never marry a guy who’s been divorced. And he has a kid.” And he’s way too good looking, I’m thinking, but I don’t say this.
“Betty’s divorced,” Dad points out. “Do you think it’s wrong for me to marry her?”
“I can’t say what’s right or wrong for you, Dad. I can only speak for myself. I just cannot imagine marrying a guy who is divorced—a guy who didn’t take his wedding vows seriously.” Okay, I realize that I don’t know Noah’s whole story, but besides the fact that I do feel strongly agains
t divorce, this is my best shot at getting Dad to leave me alone. “After the whole Collin fiasco,” I remind him, “I know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a broken promise.”
Dad looks like he’s about to spout steam through his nostrils. “Well, I’m sure glad that you aren’t God, Gretchen.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that I’m glad God is much more gracious and forgiving than you.”
I blink. I’m not used to Dad talking to me like this. Maybe it’s because of this house—maybe he’s just frustrated.
“And if you’ll excuse me, I’m tired and hungry, and I’m going home.” Then without saying another word, Dad leaves through the back door, and I’m still standing in the kitchen, wondering how I offended him like that. Maybe it has to do with Betty. Or maybe it’s something more. I guess we’ll just have to sort it out later.
The weekend passes quietly. I continue cleaning the house, but Dad does not come by On one hand, I’m relieved. It’s sort of nice to have the place to myself. I bring Riley, a CD player, and a small cube refrigerator that I stock with sodas, and I just plug along with the cleaning. But by Sunday night I’m feeling a little irritated. Is this Dad’s way of punishing me? Is he trying to teach me a lesson? So before I go home, I give him a call and ask him what’s up.
“I played eighteen holes with Gary Gordon on Saturday,” he tells me in an offhanded way. “And after church this morning, I came home and read the newspaper, and then I watched an NBA play-off game, and after that I took a nap.”
“Oh…”
“Have you been working on your house?” he asks.
“Yeah.”
“How’s it coming?”
“Okay … but kind of slow.”
“I thought you wanted to slow things down.”
I consider this. “Yeah. It was actually kind of nice. I got a lot of cleaning done, and it smells a lot better now.”
“Good for you.”
So I make a little more small talk, then admit I’m tired and about to head home.
“Take care, sweetie,” he says in a kind voice.
“You too.”
A Mile in My Flip-Flops Page 7
