AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Sully thought for a moment. “Caulk.”
“Yep. Why don’t you do this part, engineer boy.”
Sully grinned as he checked his inventory list and moved to Box Five to find the caulk.
Over the next few hours, the two men replaced all of Cinderella’s windows. After instructing Sully on the first window replacement, Hue let him do the next on his own. By the time Sully was done with two windows, Hue had completed the rest. The work was hard but satisfying. Sully could understand why Hue didn’t really consider this a job.
“Looking good,” Hue whistled as both men stared at the house.
Indeed. Cinderella had come a long way in just the past four weeks.
“Thanks for your help,” Sully said and adjusted his glasses.
The bigger man shrugged. “Yeah, whatever. Gave me something to do.”
“Really, I mean it. The house looks incredible,” Sully pressed. The passive income this rental property would provide was crucial to kick-starting the exciting and terrifying new phase of his life. He looked at Hue, first unofficial friend of Yucca Hills. “Is there anything I can do to thank you?”
Hue’s lips tugged into a scheming smile. “Sure. Next time a toilet clogs in the middle of the night at one of my units, I’m calling you.”
“Deal,” Sully said with a laugh.
“Not done yet,” Hue said. “There’s one more thing you can do for me.”
“And that is?”
The big man’s smile turned into a grin. “Buy me a drink.”
*
Of all the places Sully imagined Hue Cairn would go for a drink, a rustic winery sitting atop a scenic hill would be dead last on the list. But here they were, at The Rose and Thorn, sitting at a scarred and listing wooden table.
The large tasting room included a scattering of similar tables, most unoccupied, and a long oak tasting bar. The place had good bones with a vaulted wooden ceiling and breathtaking views of vineyards out the windows. But the winery also seemed a little… neglected.
I would expand those windows,Sully thought to himself. The views demanded far more appreciation. The patio was nothing more than a few tables placed on a square of concrete.Lights, umbrellas, benches,Sully thought.With a little help, this place could be transformed.
Across the table, Hue stretched in his chair, causing his back to pop. He then glanced at Sully and quirked an eyebrow. “You take a shower before you got here?”
Sully looked down at his clean t-shirt and jeans. “Course. You didn’t?”
It wasn’t really a question. Hue was clearly still wearing the same sweat-stained plaid shirt from the morning. “Nope,” he replied. “I put on some more deodorant, though. You’re welcome.”
Sully sighed. Evidently, the military’s stringent standards of cleanliness had worn off as soon as Hue had left the service.
“Guess what?” he said to Hue. “Just before I left, I got a request to see the rental house.”
“Good.” Hue gave Janet a pat. The old dog lounged next to his feet. “The earlier you get rental applications, the more time you’ll have to do background checks.” He leaned his elbows on the table. “Be especially careful about the ladies.”
“The ladies?”
“Women will hit you with all kinds of sob stories, bat their pretty little eyes, and beg you to cut the security deposit in half.” Hue leveled a finger at Sully. “Don’t fall for it. Women will twist you around their little finger if you give them half a chance.”
Honestly, Sully wouldn’t mind twisting around the right finger. He’d been going through a bit of a dry spell. Okay, more like a dry megadrought.
Michelle.
Even thinking her name felt like a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick to his heart.I need to get over her, Sully told himself. After all, he was living in a new place and starting a whole new life. It was time to move on. There had to be someone in this charming little town just waiting for a gallant gentleman like himself to sweep her off her feet.
“And, whatever you do, never, EVER rent to a crazy cat lady,” Hue announced, jarring Sully out of his thoughts.
