“Sounds like a plan,” Jenna said, taking another sip of her lemonade.
By the time she and Callan peeled off their masks, made more lemonade and whipped up a batch of cookies, an hour passed so they loaded the girls in the car and drove back to the Harold place. Pulling in the driveway, they saw Clay and Josh sitting on the tailgate of Josh’s pickup. Covered in dust, sweat and cobwebs, they looked exhausted and overheated.
Pulling the jar of icy lemonade out of the car, Jenna handed the cups to Audrey while Callan picked up the plate of cookies and they walked over to the guys.
They both looked like they’d been dragged through a knothole and barely survived the trip.
“You two look terrible,” Jenna said, setting the lemonade on the tailgate between them. “What happened?”
“You don’t want to know,” Josh managed to grumble. “You really don’t want to know.”
Jenna poured lemonade for the guys while Callan held out the plate of cookies. Both Josh and Clay looked down at their filthy hands and passed on the cookies, instead gulping down lemonade and holding their cups out for more.
“You could go inside and wash,” Callan suggested.
“No!” Josh and Clay yelled simultaneously.
“I mean, we set off bug bombs and now we need to wait for the air to clear before we go back in,” Clay explained, a haunted look flashing across his face.
Jenna could have sworn she saw both of them shudder. She wondered what had really gone on at the house today, but decided she was better off not knowing.
“Well, you could at least rinse off at the faucet over there,” Jenna said, pointing at the freeze faucet located at the side of the house.
“Right,” Josh said, sliding off the tailgate and walking over to the faucet. Grabbing the handle, he suddenly let go, slapping at his leg and jumping back. As he stomped the ground, Jenna could only guess that he had found a spider.
Turning on the faucet, Josh let the water run over his hands for a while before he scrubbed them. By the time he had most of the grime scrubbed off, Clay joined him and soon they both had fairly clean hands before they started dashing the cold water on their faces. Both of them had cobwebs all over their ball caps, on their jeans and across the backs of their shirts. As Josh bent over to rinse his face off again, Clay let out a gasp and thumped his hand down hard across Josh’s back. Pulling his hand back, he rinsed off the remainder of a squished spider under the water while Josh shuddered as he ripped off his shirt.
“I can’t take anymore,” Josh said under his breath to Clay. “I think we should have let Jenna burn the thing down when she suggested it.”
“Well, I’m not going to argue with you,” Clay whispered. “But by the time we come back tomorrow, most of what’s in there will either be dead or gone. It won’t take long to seal the holes, clean out the mess and be done.”
“I know, but if one more thing crawls across my foot or flaps around my head, I might start screaming like a girl,” Josh mumbled.
“Well, after today, I don’t think anyone could blame you,” Clay laughed.
Agreeing that there was no way Clay was going to ride home in her car looking and smelling like he did, Josh agreed to let him take his pickup home to clean up and then come back for dinner. While Clay was gone, Jenna and Callan worked on dinner preparations, Audrey and Emma set the table and Josh took a long shower.
Clay returned smelling and looking much better just as dinner was ready. As exhausted as they were, both Josh and Clay joined in the lively conversation, highlighted by Audrey and Emma’s retelling of the movies they watched and the fun things they had done with their two aunties.
Carrying a sleeping Emma out to the car, Clay assured Josh that he would come back tomorrow after church and help him finish the job of cleaning out the house.
Audrey hugged both Josh and Jenna. “I had so much fun today, Auntie Jenna. Maybe we can do this every Saturday.”
“I hope to goodness we don’t” Josh muttered darkly while Jenna shot him a glare.
“Well, Audrey, as fun as that would be, I don’t think we can do it every Saturday, but I look forward to seeing you all next Saturday and we’ll try cleaning the house then. Thank you for spending the day with me,” Jenna said, walking Audrey to the car and seeing her buckled in before she shut the door.
“Thanks so much for a lovely day, Jenna,” Callan said. “We’ll get the house whipped into shape next weekend.”
Shaking Clay’s hand, Josh thanked him again for his help. For some reason, their day spent in the trenches just made him appreciate his brother-in-law even more. Not everyone would have stuck it out like Clay had, right to the bitter bat-filled end.
When Clay arrived the next afternoon, he and Josh both steeled themselves for whatever they were going to find when they opened the door at the little house. They weren’t quite prepared for the mass of corpses on the floor that covered everything from spiders and flies to mice, snakes and what looked like a lizard. Retrieving two scoop shovels from the shop, they donned face masks and soon had the floor cleaned. They pulled out the carpeting and tossed it in a heap out back, then began the task of finding holes and sealing them.
They also added strips around the front door to keep anything from coming in under or around the door edges. Jenna sent along a couple of bottles of bleach spray and they sprayed down all the cupboards, the counters, the kitchen sink and floor along with nearly the entire bathroom. They reset all the mouse traps, set fire to the mess out back and called it a good day’s work.
Josh checked the traps each day and didn’t find any more mice in them. He also noticed there weren’t any more mouse droppings in the house, so that was a good sign.
One afternoon, he took a scythe and worked down the weeds closest to the house then drove the tractor with the mower over the yard.
When Callan and the girls arrived early Saturday, Josh could confidently state there were no surprises in the house and it was just in need of a good cleaning. Finishing up his irrigating, he checked in on the women to find them busy scrubbing and cleaning, deciding it was safe to head on over to the ranch for the rest of the day to work.
As Jenna and Callan dumped the last bucket of water they had used to scrub the house from top to bottom, they were quite pleased with their efforts. Although the floor really needed sanded and refinished, the hardwood was in good condition and would serve Jake fine. The house was only about 500 square feet with a living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. You had to walk through the bedroom to get to the bathroom which was pretty small. If Jenna stood sideways in it, she could touch her fingers on both walls at the same time. At least the tub did have a shower head in it. She couldn’t think that Jake would want to take baths all summer.
As small as the house was, Jenna knew it wouldn’t take long to paint so they quickly gave all the walls a coat of new white paint. Somewhat boring, but it looked so fresh and clean. They finished their efforts by giving the floors one more good scrubbing, effectively mopping up any paint splatters before they left.
Now the only problem was trying to furnish it. There wasn’t a stick of furniture in it and if there had been she would have insisted Josh burn it. Mr. Harold had taken the appliances, so there was a hole for a stove and a refrigerator.
Jenna and Callan were standing there looking around the empty house when Callan remembered an ad she saw in the paper yesterday.
“Jenna, let’s go get cleaned up. I know just what we need to do,” Callan said, hustling out the door and calling to the girls, who had been pulling weeds around the yard.
They loaded all the cleaning supplies and hurried back to Jenna’s where they washed up and climbed into Callan’s car. She drove them back to town and out on the other side where a huge yard sale was taking place. Although it had started earlier in the day, there was still a large selection of merchandise.
Spotting a bedroom set that had not yet been purchased Jenna looked at the price and smiled. Pulling the tag of
f, she couldn’t believe they only wanted $100 for the bed including the mattress set, a dresser and a chest of drawers. This was too good to be true.
Walking up to the little old couple manning the payment table, she put down the tag and told them she’d take the bedroom set and wasn’t finished shopping yet. They told her to keep looking while they put a sign that said sold on the dresser mirror. Callan found a recliner and end table along with a small dining table with two chairs.
The girls came running to say they found something exciting which turned out to be a refrigerator. Although not a new model by any means, it was plugged in and running. Jenna picked up a few dishes, bowls, a set of glasses and a couple coffee mugs and added them to her growing pile. The last thing she purchased was a large area rug that was in excellent condition. Her total bill came to just more than $350.
She asked the couple if they could come back later to pick everything up and they assured her it would be fine. After visiting with them, she and Callan found out they had no children and were no longer able to take care of their home, so they were moving to a retirement center. Their rooms would be furnished, so they needed to get rid of their house full of belongings. Jenna was extremely grateful for her good fortune in finding so many things they needed for the house. For an additional $150 Jenna told them she’d come back when they were ready to move to take their stove and a small love seat.
The girls then went out for a late lunch and celebrated their morning of hard work and success. Calling Josh as they drove back home, Jenna gave him the address and asked him if he and Clay could pick up everything when they finished up with work that evening. Callan suggested they both take their pickups.
“Just exactly what did you buy?” Josh asked, envisioning the shopping spree Callan and Jenna were capable of taking.
“Just a few pieces of furniture for Jake’s house,” Jenna said, now referring to the Harold place as Jake’s, since he would be moving in next weekend. “You won’t believe the deal we got. And there will be a few more pieces to pick up on Thursday.”
“Okay,” Josh said, disconnecting the call. When he and Clay arrived at the address, they introduced themselves to the elderly couple who pointed out the pieces they needed to take. It filled both their pickups and Josh was impressed with the shopping the girls had accomplished.
Pulling up at Jake’s house, Josh and Clay walked inside to see what the girls had done that day.
“Wow, are we in the right place?” Clay asked, looking around at the freshly painted walls and sniffing the now clean smelling air. “Those two sure got a lot done today.”
“Boy, I’d say,” Josh said, walking from room to room. Everything looked move-in ready, so he and Clay tugged in the furniture and set it up, put the fridge in the hole in the kitchen and admired how the house was starting to look like a home.
Josh noted a few things they would need to purchase before Jake moved in, but all-in-all, the house didn’t look too bad.
Outside, they could see someone had pulled the remaining weeds around the house and even the sidewalk looked clean and inviting.
“I think our girls outdid themselves,” Josh said as he and Clay walked back to their pickups. “Maybe we should take them out for dinner.”
“Great idea,” Clay said, thinking Jenna and Callan had more than earned it.
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Jake moved in the following Saturday. By then, Jenna hung blinds in the windows, added a few throw rugs, brought in two sets of sheets, blankets and a comforter along with bath and kitchen towels and purchased a small microwave and television set. Rummaging through some of the things she and Josh had in storage, she found some art to hang on the walls, added a couple pillows to the loveseat and made Josh install a small window air conditioner in the bedroom.
The place was as ready as they could make it.
Jake was thrilled to have a place to himself, as small as it was, and couldn’t thank Josh and Jenna enough for providing room and board. He was invited to eat any and all meals with them as well as have the use of their washer and dryer.
The first few days Jake was at the house, he loved it. He liked Josh and Jenna, enjoyed the good meals she had provided and was settling into the new routine. Working full days Monday through Friday and until noon on Saturdays, he would still have plenty of time to take care of his horses, hang out with friends and continue his hunt for a job. The small barn and corral allowed him to bring a couple of horses with him to work on during his free time in the evenings.
He was sitting in the recliner one evening watching the news when he thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he could have sworn he saw a tail slither around the corner into the bedroom, but decided he was seeing things.
The next morning, he knew he wasn’t seeing things when a snake slithered under the bathroom door while he was brushing his teeth. Spewing toothpaste all over the mirror, the snake disappeared into the bedroom before he gathered his wits enough to chase it. He searched the small bedroom and didn’t see the snake anywhere. Moving furniture around in the living room didn’t turn it up either. He had no idea where the snake could have disappeared to, and decided he wasn’t going to stick around to find out.
That evening he was again sitting in the recliner, hoping the snake had gone when he saw it wiggle beneath the closet door. Willing himself not to freak out, Jake opened the closet, broom in hand, ready to send the snake to its demise, but couldn’t find it anywhere. Questioning his sanity, he decided maybe he was imagining the snake. After all, he hadn’t lived in a house by himself ever. When he moved out of his mom and dad’s place, the apartment he rented came with three roomies. It wasn’t like he was used to solitude or quiet. Maybe it was getting to him.
The following morning when he found the bullsnake curled up the bathroom rug, he turned his back to grab the garbage can to trap it in, only to turn around and find it gone. Hustling to Josh and Jenna’s house, he hastily knocked on the back door before hurrying inside. Jenna was gone on an overnight trip, but Josh was in the kitchen making breakfast. He could smell the bacon that was already cooked and watched as Josh expertly cracked an egg into a hot skillet.
“Josh, do you know how to trap a snake?” Jake asked, surprised when the egg in Josh’s hand hit the floor.
“A what?” Josh turned around and asked, his face turning pale beneath his tan.
“A snake. There is a snake in my house and I don’t think I can spend all summer living with it. Do you know a way to trap it?” Jake asked as he tore off a paper towel and wiped up the splattered egg. “I can’t quite bring myself to grab it in my bare hands.”
“I’ll get something today,” Josh said, then started muttering about rodents and reptiles. Jake didn’t know what had Josh all worked up and decided he better leave well enough alone.
True to his word, Jake came home to find a snake trap in each room. Apparently, there was a smell inside the box that attracted snakes and glue that held them captive once they got inside. Jake sincerely hoped it would work.
Exhausted from a long day of hard work, Jake took a shower then climbed into bed. He was nearly asleep when he could have sworn he felt something by his foot. Remaining perfectly still, he realized not only did he feel something by his foot, but the something was moving. Yelling, he jumped straight out of bed, turned on the light and yelled again when the snake slithered across his bed and disappeared behind the headboard. Grabbing his jeans and keys, he raced over to Josh’s house and pounded on the door.
Josh answered, his hair still wet from just getting out of the shower, towel wrapped firmly around his waist.
“What’s wrong, Jake? You look awful,” Josh said, opening the door wider so Jake could come in.
“The snake was in my bed,” Jake said with a shudder. Just thinking about it made his skin crawl all over again.
Josh stared at him with his mouth wide open. When he finally spoke, he shook his head and put a hand on Jake’s shoulder.
“I’m really sorry. I thought we caught all the snakes. Evidently one is quite an escape artist. I’ll go over tomorrow and make sure it is taken care of,” Josh said walking Jake into the living room. “Why don’t you sleep in one of the upstairs bedrooms tonight? Take your pick.”
“What do you mean you thought you caught all of them?” Jake asked, suddenly wondering how many had been in his house.
“Oh, there were a few in there when the girls went in to clean. Clay and I sealed all the holes so it should not be a problem,” Josh said, turning on the stair light. “Sleep tight.”
The next morning when the two of them went to the house, they could hear a thumping noise as they came in the door. The snake was lodged in one of the traps and let them know how much it didn’t like the arrangement. Josh took great pleasure in removing it from the premises.
They decided to leave the other traps in place, just in case. Although they didn’t have any more problems, Jake developed an acute fear of snakes.
CHAPTER FOUR
Josh was settled into his recliner reading the paper and enjoying the quiet of day’s end when the phone rang. Jenna was outside watering her flowers, so Josh picked it up on the third ring.
“Hello?” Josh answered, barely able to contain his anger as he recognized the name on the caller ID.
“I want to talk to Jenna,” a male voice that was becoming all too familiar replied.
“I don’t think so. What do you want?” Josh asked, choking on his irritation.
“Tell her Dennis called. I need to speak with her.” With that, the line went dead.
Josh felt like throwing the phone into the fireplace. Dennis Gillman had called Jenna every evening for the past week and a half. Sometimes on her cell, other times on their home phone. She never answered, and never said anything about the calls. The whole situation was making Josh uncomfortable and suspicious.
Country Boy vs. City Girl Page 6
