"They're not going to gut the fish in front of her," Mitch asked worriedly.
"Oh, no," Rico assured him. "Sam told me Mr. Jasper is very discreet, and he's the only one who ever catches any fish."
"OK," Mitch said then he called Sammy to come and hear the good news.
She was up for some fishing, but she was really excited to get to hang out with the other kids. Sammy went to get ready and came back dressed in yellow shorts and a green top with straps that tied into bows at her shoulders. She also had on that big purple hat from Grandma.
Soon after that, Wyatt and the boys came by to pick her up. Seeing her off, Mitch gave her some final instructions. "You be careful around the water and listen to what you're told. OK?"
"OK," Sammy said while peering up at him from under her big hat. Then she rose on her tippy toes for a kiss, and Mitch leaned down and gave her a kiss and a hug.
Turning to Rico, Sammy said, "You too, Rico," and gave him a hug as well.
"We'll watch her," DJ promised Mitch and Rico solemnly. "And we'll make sure she doesn't fall in the water."
"Fall in?" Mitch said with a worried frown.
"We'll all make sure she doesn't fall in the water," Wyatt reassured him. "We'll keep a close eye on her."
"I'll hold her hand," Riley volunteered, but Sammy shook her head.
"No. I'll hold hands with Gloria," she decided.
"You can hold my hand," Wyatt told Riley, and he smiled up at his uncle.
"I won't let you fall in, Uncle Wyatt," Riley said then he giggled.
"Make sure to catch us some fish," Rico said to Sammy.
"I will," Sammy promised.
"Fishing is hard," DJ warned her, but she wasn't daunted.
"I'm gonna catch lots of fish for Daddy and for Rico," Sammy insisted then she was off.
Now that the coast was clear, Mitch and Rico could get to work. They both put on masks, and Rico hated it instantly. "In this heat, this thing is so ugh," he complained.
"The mask stays on until I say it's OK to remove it," Mitch told him sternly.
Rico saluted him. "Yes, sir."
Mitch groaned.
"Go ahead and be as strict with me as you want," Rico said then he noticed how Mitch eyed him sternly. "Boss, I've been bad."
"Stop that. We're supposed to be working," Mitch told him.
"See, I'm slacking off. I definitely need to be punished," Rico persisted.
"Is this the reason you arranged an outing for Sammy?" Mitch accused him.
Rico grew indignant. "I'm not some evil mastermind. I'm ready to get to work, for real."
Mitch cut into a section of wall and floor, and then checked over the pieces. He didn't say anything, so Rico looked for himself.
"The wood is messed up, but it's not damp and it did rain a few times," Rico said, glad they didn't have to worry about mold. "It's all dry."
"This window might only leak when it rains really hard and the rain hits the window at just the right angle. That would leave enough time for it to dry out after each time that water seeps in," Mitch said while he used a flashlight to check inside the space they made under the floorboards and inside the wall.
