Page 20 of Under the Radar

Maxx nodded in agreement. “Decks and fences, we do. But roofs, nope.”

Dom grinned. “I do. I spent three summers working at a roofing place. Put myself through mechanic school working in the hot sun installing shingles. I can help there. I can teach you guys. You get the dumpster bin and supplies, and we can do it in a weekend as long as there isn’t a lot of rot under the current shingles.”

“That would be awesome.”

“I’m looking for a place right now.” He grinned. “I don’t want to rent if I can buy. So when I’m ready, you can return the favor.”

Maxx chuckled. “That’s how we do it around here.”

“I’ll drop over tonight and have a look if you want,” Dom offered.

“Awesome. Maybe you could help me carry Hannah’s dresser and bed frame into her room? She slept with her mattress laid out on the floor last night.”

“Not a problem.” He stood. “Now, back to this invoice.”

* * *

That night, Hannah came out of the kitchen as I walked in, Dom following. She smiled at us.

“Hello again,” she greeted us, recognizing Dom from the garage.

I introduced them, and Dom shook her hand. He was polite and friendly.

“We’re going to move your bed, and Dom is going to check out the roof.”

“Well, you should eat first. I made my mom’s famous casserole, so there’s lots. It’ll be ready in about ten minutes.”

Dom grinned. “Never say no to a casserole. Especially a famous one.” He glanced into the living room. “We can get some of this done fast.”

We carried the bed frame in and set it up, adding the box spring and mattress once Hannah pointed where she wanted it. Then she informed us it was time to eat. We sat down, and I inhaled deeply, the scent of the food making my mouth water. “That looks awesome,” I commented with a wide grin. “I don’t think I’ve ever come home to a meal before. Brett or I would pick up something or throw a burger on the grill. But a real meal?” I shook my head. “And on matching plates?”

She laughed and patted my arm. “I unpacked a couple of boxes.”

“This is great.” Unable to resist, I kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Hannah.”

She laughed, and Dom looked between us with a grin on his face. We ate dinner, chatting about Lomand and Littleburn. Dom said he planned on looking in both places for a house. He asked Hannah about working here. “Must be different from the big city.”

She swallowed and nodded, pausing before she spoke. “Very much. Fewer people, less crime, far too quiet for some officers, but it suits me.”

“Were you in Toronto a long time?”

She paused before speaking. “About two years. I realized the big city wasn’t for me. Luckily, I saw this posting.” She picked up her glass, and I noticed the slight tremor in her hand.

Dom abruptly changed the subject, and I wondered if he saw the tremor as well. After we ate, she insisted on cleaning up, and we went outside, climbing up onto the roof. Dom walked around, inspecting it, and was pleased. “I think the plywood is still strong. It feels sturdy—no bouncing. We’ll scrape off the old shingles, and as long as it’s good, we’ll have the new ones up in a weekend. Faster if I get a couple of my buddies to help out.” He paused. “Maybe a couple of weeks from now?”

“Yeah, great. I’ll have finished the sale by then, so everything will be in order.”

“Great. You can order the dumpster bin and pick your shingles. Make sure to go with thirty-year shingles. You don’t really get thirty out of them, but they are far better quality.”

“Great. I’ll do that this weekend.”

We looked at the fence, and he even gave me a couple of ideas on the deck outside. “Two levels would be nice. Put your grill up close to the door and a nice seating area below. Great entertaining spot.”

“Good idea. I hadn’t thought about that.”

He grinned. “I love home improvement.”

Inside, we moved the dresser and night tables and carried the last of the boxes marked “Bedroom” in for Hannah. She smiled as she looked around the living room. “I’ll start painting in here this weekend.”