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Stepping out of my truck, I stretch my back, grab my clipboard, and head toward the front door. It’s standing open, the screen door separating me from the interior with the breeze helping mask the intensity of the mid-May afternoon heat. Before my boots even hit the front steps, the woman I remember as Mary Ann steps out, a small smile playing on her lips.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Grayson,” I say, taking the steps two at a time until I’m standing before the petite woman.
“Just Mary Ann, thank you. It’s good to see you again, Rhenn. I appreciate you coming down,” she says, shaking my hand with a firm grip.
“It was no problem. I’m just glad to help out,” I tell her as she motions toward a small table with chairs sitting over in the corner on the front porch. I take a seat at the chair across from the piles of folders and papers, a clear indication that Mary Ann has been out here working for a while now.
“Can I get you something to drink? We don’t have power, of course, but Jensen has been keeping a cooler with cold beverages stocked.”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
She pulls what looks like blueprints out of one of the folders and opens the large document. “He should be here soon. Jensen had to run and finish a job not too far from here, but will be back shortly. You’ll also meet Marissa. She’s upstairs starting to clean the guest rooms. We got lucky that they were free of water damage, but unfortunately, the soot covered about every surface in the house.”
“I’ve worked a few electrical fire repairs. No one ever really thinks about the damage caused by smoke and soot, but it’s horrible,” I say, leaning back in the chair to get a good look at the property.
There’s a large garage with a storage shed out back, an old tire swing hanging from a branch of one of the big oak trees, and lush green grass. Even with the addition of several extra work trucks and the load of lumber and building supplies that was dropped in the driveway off to the left and out of the way, it’s still an impressive property.
“We have over ten acres here,” she says, drawing my attention away from the green leaves and gently swaying branches. “Our property extends about one hundred yards from that tree line, and all the way back to the ocean. When Jensen gets here, I’ll have him take you for a tour,” she says politely, taking a sip of what I’m assuming is iced tea.
“It’s great here. Very serene,” I note, trying to ignore the deep strum of my heart and weird sense of longing that tries to settle in as I take in the almost picture-perfect location.
“That it is,” she replies, digging out a folder and sliding it across the table. “Here is everything we were given from the contractor. I believe he forwarded the same to your boss.”
“He did. We went over it together before I arrived.”
“So you’re good?” she asks, twisting her hands on the table top in a nervous gesture. Frankly, she’s holding it together a lot better than other homeowners I’ve seen in this same predicament. Nothing brings on all of the damn emotions like the threat or reality of losing everything you own.
“I am. My supplies should be here first thing tomorrow and I’ll be here to oversee the shipment, as well as start immediately.”
Mary Ann takes a deep breath and seems to relax just a bit. “Thank you, Rhenn. It means so much to me to have a familiar face here to help. It has been incredibly stressful, and not just on me, but on my children.” She looks over my shoulder, not really focusing on anything. “Especially Marissa.”
I nod my head, understanding what she’s saying, but at the same time, I’m not really as close as she may think. To tell the truth, I don’t really know her at all. We have mutual connections. My best friend’s wife is the granddaughter of Mary Ann’s brother – the one she just recently reconnected with. So there’s a family connection, and while I’m not family, I was there at Nick and Meghan’s wedding when Orval introduced Mary Ann as his sister.
“And Marissa is…”
“My youngest daughter. She was here when the fire started and called 911,” Mary Ann says.
I remember now. She’s the one who runs this place with Mary Ann. She made the phone call to her mom when she was with all of us at Nick and Meghan’s wedding.
“If you have any questions, you can find either her or me. I’ll be in and out, but Marissa lives in the cottage out back, so she’ll be on site most of the time,” Mary Ann adds just as the screen door opens and slams behind me.
“Mom, I’m going to call Jensen and see if he can…” the sweetest voice I’ve ever heard says behind me. I turn toward the sound, my eyes colliding with intoxicating green eyes. Something strong stirs in my chest. It’s as if a tornado has touched down, leaving my blood pumping and my breathing erratic. She is, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
And she’s filthy.
“Marissa, this is Rhenn. He’s going to do all of the electrical work on the house,” Mary Ann says casually, standing up to greet her daughter. I follow suit, though I’m not really sure I should. Thank Christ for thick denim material. I only pray that it helps conceal the impact Marissa has on my body.
Specifically the lower half.
This angel, with her long, thick sandy blonde hair piled high on her head and smudges of dirt and soot smeared on her lightly freckled skin, gazes up at me with a look of shock. I’m not sure if she’s feeling the same pull as I am, or if it’s the fact that she looks like Cinderella right now after cleaning the entire castle.
But I can’t ignore the way my heartbeat speeds up and my body tightens.
I’m completely intrigued.
And so very well screwed.
