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“Too bad your personality is worse than your pigs.”
Chapter Three
I didn’t mind helping him as long as he worked too. I brought up a trash bag, and we filled it with all the old medicines from the cabinet behind the mirror and cracked bars of soap in the tub and the sink.
He scrubbed the sink after dressing, still unsatisfied with how it looked. The tub was the same after I tackled it. They were both badly stained, the porcelain chipped in several places. “I can’t live like this,” he moaned. “And I know you’ll think I’m pretentious, but I don’t care what you think of me.”
“Good. You shouldn’t care what people think unless, of course, you make everyone hate you. Then maybe examine yourself,” I advised while rinsing the cleanser from the tub's sides. “These have had it; you’re right. Maybe we can get some new things if you okay the purchases.”
“I’d rather spend every dime I have than be forced to live in squalor.”
He sat on the toilet lid, got up to scowl at it, then sat again, too tired, it seemed, to care if it was clean enough for his ass.
“This isn’t squalor. It’s just a house that hasn’t gotten a lot of love, updates or care in the past few years. The man’s wife died, and I think he mostly gave up, except for the pigs. They seemed well cared for.”
“Isn’t that what these people do? They wallow around with their animals?”
“You were at Burke’s. Did that look like this?”
“No, but they’re not…farmers or whatever.”
I was getting annoyed. “Burke, Damon, and Joel have animals, horses, goats; they’re getting chickens. They just happen also to have a retreat and a business there.”
“Why are you sticking up for all of them? Do you live like this?”
“No, I live in a tiny apartment, looking out on other tiny apartments,” I informed him, grabbed his arm, and pulled him to the window. After some struggle, I got the thing up, and the fresh air was nice after smelling all the chemicals from the cleaners. “Smell that? See that? That’s better.”
He gazed out the window onto the front of his property, the fields of green and the dirt road stretched, all framed in a forest. “It’s lovely, but I could have a nice view from a chalet in France or a bungalow in the Caribbean.”
“I give up. Hate it if you want.”
“No,” he said as I was turning. “Do you… think we can make this place livable? We don’t have to do all the work, do we?”
“I’ve never installed a new tub, and toilets are tricky too. I’ll have a plumber come for that bigger stuff.”
“Then…then fine. I’ll allow it, the purchase. I chose the things!”
I wanted to smile but wouldn’t give him that yet. “Good. But remember, this is short-term for you, or at least you say so now. Don’t spend a fortune on something you’ll leave in a month.”
“Won’t it increase the value of the home?”
I was surprised he’d think of that. “Sure, but I doubt your family will get back what they paid into it anyway. They overpaid to give you a place to hide.”
“Fine,” he said, then nodded to the door. “I need to shower again.”
I left the bathroom, returned to the closed door, and couldn’t help but smile. There were chinks in that armor, and I was seeing them. He was a human in there somewhere but damned if getting in there to find him would be easy.
The next day, I called Burke to watch over him while I drove to town to hit the grocery store. I bought enough supplies, including many more cleaners and toiletries, to last a week at least. While there, I bought some vitamins, minerals, and things Theo lacked. He was terribly thin, and I worried he was one of those that starved himself to stay that way. If so, he needed help.
One more stop at the hardware store for new locks for the external doors, motion sensor lights, and cameras for the house.
When I got back, I expected Burke to be pulling out his pretty black hair, but he was on the porch, sitting on the steps, laughing with Tucker and Dale. As I pulled in, all three came to help unload my canvas bags from the trunk of the Lexus.
“Gonna need a different car if you guys are gonna stay into fall and winter,” Burke warned.
I grabbed four of the heavier bags and followed him into the house. “I didn’t think about it, but you’re right.”
“Our Jeep is great, but we needed another truck besides Joel’s, and Damon just brought it home today. He’s also got a scoop for the front for snow, so don’t worry. It cost a fortune so that he can come to your driveway too. I’ll get our money’s worth that way.”
