Page 50 of Second Chance

“Good bones here but needs some TLC.”

While the house has a solid foundation, many of the original elements are going to be lost if we start fixing things. I hang my head at hearing this comment for the second time in a few hours.

“I think I need a contractor.” The list of repairs is long. Roof. Porch. Stairwell. Kent offers up two names and their numbers.

“I might be biased toward Duncan Construction, though. My brother Griffin owns it.”

After thanking him for the recommendations, I retrieve Cora who has been waiting on the ride I promised to give her, since she owns the Lodge where I’m staying, and Mati ditched her. She’s been busy talking with Magnolia and then sitting with Mother a bit so Dolores can rest. The weight of watching someone die is heaviest on my sister. When I look at Mother, I feel like I’m looking at a stranger. I don’t know the woman with shallow breaths and hollow eyes lying in a bed. Then again, I remember the blankness in her stare as my father took his temper out on me.

“Kip, you’re hurting him.”

“Dear,” he said through clenched teeth, “shut your mouth or you’re next.”

I’d swallow the beating to keep it from her until I could no longer take it and fought back.

An ache in my brain forces me to rub at my forehead. Dolores and I need to discuss the house and our grandmother before too much longer.

We could sell. That would be the easiest solution. Sell as is.

We could renovate and then sell, upping the investment and gaining a better return. My neighbor in California is an investor and might know someone who handles property like Magnolia’s.

Either way, Magnolia cannot stay here alone. Dolores runs the diner which is another issue. It needs some upkeep as well. I’m overwhelmed with all the things crumbling around me.

Thinking of Garrett, I’m reminded of home. I want to go home—LA home—then I recall the side yard.

We were having a good time—throwing leaves at one another like kids—and the way Mati looked at me like she wanted to trace my abs with her tongue. A smile curls my lips with the thought. I’d let her have her way with me as long as she sees it’s me. Not because of lust. Not because I was a rockstar. Not because I was in magazines. But just because she could—and Mati did. Her eyes roamed my skin in appreciation, and her gaze sent shockwaves to other places, places ready to oblige her in all ways.

Then Cora had to bring things to a screeching halt, and I do mean screeching. I don’t fault her directly, but her theatrics popped the mood and stole Mati’s laughter. I haven’t heard her laugh in so long and I hadn’t realized how much I missed it. Her laugh was loud and strong like she really thought something was humorous or pleasant, and when she got going with the giggles, it could make you laugh as well without even knowing what was so funny to her. I miss that—that kind of laughter—and I’d forgotten it. Of all the things I remember about Mati, her laughter is something I shouldn’t have forgotten.

I also realize Mati needs more care from me. Grabbing her tit like a bumbling teen wasn’t exactly the way to win her into feeling not guilty.

Do I want to win her?

Is she a contest?

If I were still a hungry teen, I might respond with a yes. I remember the little things irking Chris about our continued friendship. The late night drives. The love of dance. The constant pranking. But Chris being Chris, took those things in stride. Maybe he also did it because he had Mati by his side.

However, Mati isn’t a competition. I’m going home as soon as I settle things here. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not rushing my mother’s death. Surprisingly, she seems to be hanging on as the two weeks projected by the doctors passes. Still, I need to start thinking ahead. The house. Magnolia. The diner. But what about Mati? Do I just want sex with her or do I want all in? I’m not even certain it’s a me question, but more of a Mati one. She needs to find herself, give in to herself. She’s still young. She told me she doesn’t date. She told me she doesn’t touch herself. She’s not a nun, though. She’s too vibrant to be celibate, and I know just the man to help her with everything.