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“Park model?” I scrunched my nose. I’d never heard the term before. “So, it’s not a real house?”
“It’s a real house all right. It’s just constructed off site, probably in a warehouse somewhere, instead of being built directly on the land. Same destination, just two different kinds of journeys to get there,” Finn said as he watched me admire the built-in laundry room off the back bedroom. “It’s delivered to the site in two parts because it’s too big to fit on a flatbed in one piece without blocking the highway.”
“So it CAN be put back together then?” Excitement was growing inside of me. My wheels were turning.
“It can.” Finn’s lips turned upward in a crooked smile that made my mouth water.
There were no appliances and everything inside and out was beyond dusty. I had no idea how long the house had been sitting there, but it was long enough for some of the laminate on the cabinets to start peeling in the corners.
But it was salvageable.
I glanced back to Finn and clasped my hands together. I hadn’t even realized I was smiling until he came up to me and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “That’s the first time I’ve seen you smile,” he said; his words and touch were surprisingly soft and tender.
I craned my neck. “Thank you again for rescuing me the other night.”
Finn took a step back against the wall but tugged me against him so that my chest was pressed to his torso and his knee was between my legs.
“Thank you for rescuing me,” he said, lowering his lips to mine.
We’d barely touched when a voice broke the spell, sliding between us and breaking us apart. “Who’s out there?” a man called out. I stepped out to find Sterling coming our way. A huge dimpled smile across his clean-shaven face. “Sawyer is that you?”
“It’s me. Hi, Sterling.” I gave him a small wave.
“Here, let me help you down from there,” Sterling offered, grabbing my hands and lifting me to the ground.
Finn muttered something under his breath and followed me down.
“Finn?” Sterling asked, seemingly confused. “Wow, I didn’t see you back there.” Sterling pointed from me to Finn. “Are you…with him?” he asked hesitantly. I didn’t know if he was asking if we were there together or THERE together but either way the answer was no.
I shook my head at the same time Finn said, “Yes.” He stared Sterling down as if he’d offended him in the worst of ways.
Sterling cleared his throat and turned back to me. “I saw you admiring the park model. Did you know it was the one from the billboard?” he asked, smiling even bigger than before. “They used it for the ad. Never built a single one except this one before the bubble burst though. It’s been here ever since.”
“Do you work here?” I asked. “I thought you said you owned the feed store?”
“And the junkyard. And the paint store,” Sterling said, rubbing his hands together.
“Wow,” I responded.
Finn grunted.
“You think you’d be interested in buying it?” Sterling asked, waving his hand back to the house.
“How much is it?” Finn chimed in, snatching the words off my tongue.
“This baby here retails for over forty thousand dollars.”
I felt myself instantly deflate. Finn put his hand on the back of my neck and I’m not sure if it was a sign of dominance or reassurance but either way I found myself liking that he was there.
Even if he was doing more grunting and growling than actual talking.
“But THIS particular one,” Sterling started, wagging his finger at the house. “Can be yours for…” he moved his fingers in the air like he was calculating something. “MMMM…say seven thousand dollars, plus transport fees. So around eight thousand five hundred. Well, of course you’d have to get someone to prep the land as well. That runs right around three grand.”
And that was that. My short-lived dreams of homeownership were gone.
“Thanks, Sterling.” I looked back at the house. “Maybe someday.”
“Do you need to get anything?” I asked Finn who only shook his head and led me back toward the front gate.
“Sawyer, don’t forget I owe you that walk,” Sterling called out. “Are you working this weekend?”
“Lunch and dinner shift,” I called back.
Finn answered too. By tightening his grip as he led me back through the gates of the junkyard and steered me in the opposite direction of the way I’d come in. Behind the junkyard, where his boat was waiting in the waterway, tied up to a small rickety dock covered in metal and plastic hubcaps.
“You got here by boat?” I asked.
“You can get most anywhere in this town by boat,” he answered. “How do you know Sterling?”
I glanced back at the junkyard “I should have looked for truck parts for Rusty,” I said.
“Rusty?”
“My truck. That’s what Mom called him,” I explained.
“I have to come back this way tomorrow. I’ll look then,” Finn said.
“I’m working tomorrow.”
“I’ll get you what you need.”
“But how do you know what Rusty…”
“I know,” Finn reassured me, holding out his hand. “Now tell me how you know Sterling.”
I was hesitant in getting in the boat with him. I took a moment to take in his appearance. He wasn’t wrinkled or disheveled. He looked tired but didn’t reek of alcohol.
“Why are you hesitating?” Finn asked curiously, still holding out his hand.
“I’m just…”
Finn grabbed my hand. “I haven’t had anything to drink today. I’m not going to say I won’t, because I’d be lying but I’m not your father, Sawyer. I don’t beat on girls or women although I’ve given my fair share of beatings to men who for the most part had it coming.”
“And some who didn’t?” I questioned.
“Something like that.”
“What do you do? For work?” I suddenly blurted.
“Various things. A lot of unrelated things. Why?” Finn’s grip on my hand tightened.
“Because maybe you should think about changing professions. You’d make an excellent mind reader,” I said, keeping my tone light.
It worked. Finn chuckled.
My stomach flipped and I wasn’t even on the boat yet and already I was suffering from some sort of pre sea-sickness.
I stepped onto the boat which wobbled the second I got one foot in. Finn reached out with his other arm and guided me onto the boat. An electric current raced up my arms. I looked up at Finn and our eyes locked. He held onto me long after I’d steadied myself.
“I’ve never been on a boat before,” I admitted.
His eyebrows shot up like I’d just told him that I’d never eaten food or breathed air before.
Finn guided me down onto the bench facing forward and he untied
