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Though I had a feeling she was going to be hard to forget.
Chapter Three
Krissy
“Thank you, that’s good right there. No, I appreciate it. Thank you,” I said, feeling like a broken record the entire time.
There were three men carrying boxes into the house for me, and though they insisted on helping me put together the things I’d ordered, I maintained I wanted them to leave the boxes in the middle of the floor in the living room.
“And you are sure you don’t need any help with the setup?” the man who appeared to be in charge asked me as I signed for the order.
“I got it,” I said. “I just moved in, so I’ve got all the time in the world right now to make things just how I want them. I appreciate your offer, really, but I’m good.”
“Okay, well, we have our number written on the bottom of the sheet there, so if you change your mind, any of us would be glad to come back and give you a hand,” he said.
“Thank you,” I smiled warmly as I handed him back the papers I’d signed, and he gave me my receipt. I then herded the three of them out the door, closing it and locking it behind me. I was used to living in Nashville, and I always locked my door there.
Already, however, I was feeling comfortable here. I felt I could easily leave my doors unlocked at night and not have to worry about anything. It was habit, and I wondered how long it would take to change. Or if I even would.
I turned my attention back to the boxes in the living room. There were two small tables and a dresser. Not much, but enough to fill in the blanks of what I was missing here. And it sure beat bringing down any of the ones I’d had back in Tennessee. This way, I could start fresh.
But I was riled up the day before with the interaction I’d had with my neighbor, and because of it, I hadn’t been able to sleep well that night. So, looking at the boxes left me overwhelmed at the moment even if I didn’t want help from the delivery guys.
I grabbed a cup of coffee from the kitchen, then headed outside to sit on the porch for a while. The boxes would still be there in an hour, and I figured I had the time to relax a bit before I got into dealing with those. What was the rush anyway? I didn’t have a job right now, and I wasn’t going to go out looking for one until I was all settled into the house, anyway.
I had enough money to live on without worrying about work for the month at least, so I could calm down a little.
I texted Erin before settling into my chair on the porch. Then, I sipped on my coffee as I flipped through the internet, familiarizing myself with the small town.
The sound of someone driving up in front of my bungalow caught my attention, and I looked up to see Kim, my other landlord, waving to me from the back of her four-wheeler.
I waved back as she stepped off the ATV and walked up the path.
“Mind if I come in?” she asked at the gate.
“Please do,” I said with a warm smile. “It’s your place, remember?”
“I have to ask once you take residency,” she said. “It’s just like any other landlord.”
“I thought that only had to do with going in the house,” I said.
“Legally, sure, but I tend to think it’s polite to ask before walking into someone else’s yard. And since you paid rent, Missy, it’s your yard,” Kim told me with a smile.
I smiled back, but even I knew it was forced. It wasn’t anything she’d said, but the fact that I was tired and overwhelmed was making it difficult for me to be myself. And that was annoying since I really liked Kim and her husband. I could see myself renting from them for a long time if I could get a job I liked here.
Kim walked right to the base of the porch but didn’t come up the two stairs.
“Do you want to sit with me?” I asked, motioning to the vacant chair next to mine.
“No, dear, that’s quite alright,” she said with a wave of her hand. “If I sit down up there, I’m not getting up for a while. It’s hard getting old, let me tell you.”
“You don’t look that old,” I told her.
“Thank you, I take that as a compliment,” she said. “But I know myself well enough to know I love those chairs, and if I let myself sit down, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. I’m sure you don’t want to hang out with your landlord on your first day in your new place.”
I gave her a small laugh. “I don’t know, I think I got lucky with a pretty cool landlord here.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I always hope for the best experience with all the tenants who come through, but you really never know how it’s going to go until you move someone in and get to know each other.”
