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“Oh, I’m sure I will.”
She playfully snatches the keys from my hand and heads for the door. I like the kick in her step as she makes her way over to the foyer and I follow. She’s excited. Good, so am I. I can’t get enough of this woman. My brother and I shared her last night, and I’ve got a feeling she will continue to open up to us, more and more, until a bond is formed, one that nothing and no one can break.
Avery is unique. Kellan knows it. I know it. Luke suspects the same.
It’s a dangerous game I’m playing here, but I can’t help myself. She stumbled into our lives, and now I’m addicted.
9
Avery
Fallon and Helen were right—Larry Freeman is a wonderful guy. He’s warm and kind and definitely generous. I followed the advice given to me and negotiated a slightly higher rate than what Larry originally offered. To my relief and delight, he agreed. His wife Marsha even threw in a tray of freshly baked cookies into the mix, something my girls will be very happy about when I get home.Home. Well, our temporary home, at least.
I’ve created a plan for Larry and Marsha’s place, taking on one room at a time. There isn’t any in-depth construction work that needs to be done since the original structure, walls, and piping are still in great shape. I’m changing the floors, though. I can do those on my own since the original hardwood is relatively easy to pull up. The kitchen and bathroom tiles are in excellent shape, as well, so I’m going to give them a good scrub and steam cleaning.
“We’re gonna be staying at our kids’ place in North Platte while you work here,” Larry says.
I’m spreading out plastic sheeting across the living room floor before I pop open the paint cans. I’ve already done the reparative plaster applications, and the primer has already set. “That’s great, I would’ve hated to have to move you guys around all the time,” I reply, smiling. “It’s also a good thing that you got all of the old furniture out of here, already.”
“Yeah, I figured you could use the room to move around and do your thing. We sold most of it off, and we had a yard sale for the smaller pieces. Everything else is in storage, but I expect Marsha will want to buy some new stuff once this remodel is done.”
I chuckle softly. “She has good taste, Larry. I hope you’ll trust her choices.”
“Oh, I absolutely do. She made a home of every house we’ve lived in,” he says. “I know she’ll make this one home again too.”
“I’m glad you have the opportunity to do this remodel,” I say to Larry.
“Thanks, me too. I listened to my kids’ advice when I invested in crypto, though I’ve gotta be honest, I didn’t think we’d hit a jackpot like the one we did. It’s all in the timing, I guess.”
“Well, I know who to reach out to when I’ve got some funds to invest,” I laugh lightly. “Maybe some of that good luck will rub off on me.”
“Or I’ll just put you in touch with my son. He’s way more advanced with these things,” he says, keys jingling in his hand. “Alright, then, I’m gonna leave you to it. The key copies are on the windowsill by the door for you to lock up when you’re done. I’ve deactivated the alarm system while you’re undertaking this project, so no need to worry about that. Thanks again, Avery, and should you need anything, please call me. I’ll be resting at my son’s home for most of the week.”
“Will do, Larry. And thank you again, too, for giving me this project. I won’t let you down.”
“Oh, I know you won’t. When the Cassidy boys vouch for someone, I know I can trust them,” he shoots back with a smile, then walks out.
I’m left standing speechless in the middle of the living room, in awe of what he just said. I can’t help but giggle as the door closes behind him, genuinely happy and eager to get started. Kellan and Fallon vouched for me. They’ve never seen any of my work—I had absolutely nothing in my portfolio along the lines of this type of project—yet they took it upon themselves to provide a guarantee on my behalf. I’m going to have to reward them when we’re together again. I know exactly how that reward will play out.
They’ve been so good to me. It’s all the motivation I need in order to do better for myself and my girls. I owe them my life.
I straighten my denim overalls and get to work. The preparation is always the most time consuming but I settle into a rhythm, taping off the corners and edges, as music blares in my ears. I’m running smoothly at full speed, evenly distributing the paint after cutting in and carefully painting the smaller spaces. Two hours later, I’m looking at one full coat of soft beige already drying. It’ll be ready for the second coat by dinnertime, which is perfect because I will then leave it to dry overnight.
My phone buzzes. I reach into the chest pocket of my overalls, take my earphones off and check the screen. A private number. A familiar uneasiness sets in as I answer. “Hello?”
Nothing.
“Hello?” Once again there’s no response. It’s making my stomach churn. The blood starts rushing to my head as I look at the screen once more. The call is still active, but there’s still nobody speaking. I turn the volume up and hear breathing the other end of the line.
Almost immediately, my heart jumps as the worst-case scenario slams into me and I end the call. I turn the phone off with trembling hands and put it back into my chest pocket. I’m shaking like a leaf, and all I can think about is that it’s Daniel. This is a new number. How could he have gotten it? Only two people outside the house have it—my lawyer, and Larry Freeman. That’s it. I’ve kept all of my other conversations with potential clients via email.
I’m confident my lawyer wouldn’t give my new number out to anyone, especially not to the man who’s trying to hurt me or worse. This doesn’t make sense.
Maybe it’s a spam call; the number was listed somewhere else, and they’re still trying to reach out to whoever had it registered to their name. Besides, this number was assigned under the fake identity that Kellan and his buddy provided for me. No, it can’t be Daniel. I can’t imagine how he would be able to track me down to this number. No. I shake my head, rejecting the idea altogether. I can’t allow myself to even consider it as a possibility because that would mean that nowhere is safe for my daughters.
The panic threatens to set in, so I take a few deep breaths and decide to work through the rest of the day with my phone off. Miley and Annie are with Helen back at the mansion, so I don’t need to worry about them. The guys know where I’m at, so if something were to happen, they know where to find me, not to mention, I know they put a guard outside in a car on the street. I need to put this concern out of my mind and focus on my job. I need the money, and I need the distraction.
The hours go by in peace and quiet. Well, not really quiet since I’ve got the music playing at full volume in my earphones. But tranquil enough to keep me focused and busy. I’m halfway through the second coat when I notice it’s already dark outside. The evening has set, so I check my watch. It’s almost six. I keep forgetting it’s winter, despite the biting cold that snaps at me whenever I open the window to let some fresh air into the living room. The days are shorter.
