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A woman waves at me from the porch of the house and calls out. “I was hoping someone would get more use out of it!”
“Thank you!” I reply, wrestling with the biggest parts. The top bar is a little unwieldy and it takes me a minute to get it to fit. The chains for the swings will need to be replaced, but that shouldn’t be a problem.
Another hour of cruising around scores me a white dresser and two matching nightstands that need nothing more than some sanding and paint. Not a bad day. The dresser was a bitch to get into the truck alone. My back is screaming at me when I pull the truck into my driveway and start to unload it. After getting the playset stacked behind my trailer, I pause to dig my fingers into my lower back and massage out a knot before grabbing one of the nightstands to lug it around back.
I’m carrying the chains for the swings to the recycle bin, lost in thought about what color I might want to paint the new stuff and don’t notice the man pulling the dresser out of the truck bed until he has it out and sitting on the ground.
Seriously? “Hey!” I hold up one of the rusty chains. “Leave it or I’ll wrap this around your neck and start you like a fucking lawnmower!”
He turns around and I’m met with a smartass grin. “Is that your kink? Chains? I’m not judging.” Great. It’s Cooper Addington. Excuse me, Cooper Addington Junior. He crosses his arms, and that infuriating grin remains on his face.
“What are you doing?”
“Helping you. Where do you want it?”
“I don’t need your help, Junior.”
His eyes narrow at the nickname, but he doesn’t let go, only gestures for me to grab the other end. “It’s a two person job.”
Pops steps out onto the porch and holds the storm door open. “I’ve got the door!”
Damn it all.
CHAPTER
FOUR
COOPER
It’s been a long day already. Hours after Dylan left to go back to his hotel yesterday, I was still cleaning out the largest room in the community building. It mostly consisted of shifting all the paperwork and junk over to one of the smaller rooms until it can be sorted. I managed to grab a few hours of sleep in my truck before getting back to work this morning.
The tables and chairs are all set up for the tenant meeting. Two big dumpsters have now been delivered. Both an electrician and plumber have started doing rounds to check out what needs to be done, and I’ve pulled the putrid carpet out of my trailer so I can walk in there without gagging. Not bad for my first twenty-four hours. There’s still so much to do.
Instead of doing any of it, I’m moving a dresser into Maren’s place while she looks at me like I’m inconveniencing her instead of doing her a favor. Once we have it placed in one of the back bedrooms, she grumbles a thank you, then retreats down the hall.
The man who held the door and accompanied us sticks out his hand. “Ronnie Kline.”
“Cooper,” I reply, shaking his hand. “Good to meet you.”
“Same to you.”
The front storm door thwacks shut behind Maren, and I meet Ronnie’s gaze with a grin. “Your daughter threatened to choke me with a chain.”
“Don’t doubt her. She’s my granddaughter. You just missed the electrician. He wants to replace the circuit breaker box and some outlets.”
We start back down the hall to the living room while I look around. This trailer isn’t nearly as bad as the one I’m staying in, but it still needs a lot of work. They’ve done their best to keep things nice and it shows. Comfortable furniture fills the space, along with family photographs and some art on the walls. Thick rugs cover the old rough flooring.
“I appreciate you letting them in to have a look. Once we get an idea of what needs to be done, we can work more by appointment, so it isn’t such an inconvenience.”
He pulls a Coke out of the fridge and offers it to me, then grabs one for himself as I thank him. “There’s no need for an appointment. I’m retired and home a lot.” I’m met with a knowing look. “You having trouble getting permission to enter from some of the neighbors?”
It was something I didn’t anticipate. Not that I expected these people to be thrilled to see me, but I thought they’d be happy to let the workmen in to do repairs. Instead, I got plenty of threats to get off their porch.
“Some of them.” A realization strikes me. “Do you think they’re worried I’m going to complain about damage or try to get them to pay for repairs?”
He sips his Coke and cocks one gray fuzzy eyebrow at me. “Does Raggedy Ann have a cotton cooter?”
I’m going to take that as a yes. “That’s another thing I need to address at the meeting, then.” Add it to the list. “Do you happen to know what the community building was used for before? It looks like it was set up for classrooms.”
