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And it was. It was in good condition. Thank god for that. He didn’t fucking feel like replacing the drywall. He’d already done so upstairs, and it definitely wasn’t his favorite activity.
The old anchors fell onto the stairs with little plinks, leaving a pile of drywall dust as well. The new anchors went in and once he’d reattached the railing, it didn’t wobble. It didn’t move.
Sighing in relief, he went to pick up the spent anchor on his way down the stairs, only to stop when someone knocked on the door.
Frowning, he reached for his phone to check the time. It was after four. Brad wouldn’t be off work yet. Dave had just gone in. He wasn’t expecting any deliveries.
He recognized the silhouette in the frosted glass on the front door, and it made his stomach drop down to his feet, but he opened it anyway.
“Hello, Mr. Madden…”
Owen chuckled. “Jaxon. I’d tell you to call me Owen, but you never ever have, have you?”
Jaxon laughed nervously and stepped back. “Would you like to come in? It’s kind of a mess but…”
“If you don’t mind,” Owen stepped into the living room, glancing around the house. “Looks like you’ve been busy.”
“Yeah, I mean… I’m trying to be.”
“Teagan said you just fixed some pipes in the basement?”
Jaxon laughed. “Yeah, I mean… not so much fixed as realizing what the previous owners wrecked.”
“That’s half of house renovating, though. Figuring out the mistakes of the past and fixing them.”
They were slowly walking towards the kitchen, which had the most natural light this time of day, so when they got there, they both sort of slowed down.
“You just in the area, or…?” Jaxon asked.
“Oh, yeah. Yes. I keep meaning to come for a visit and see what you’re up to, and today, I had a cancellation, so I could make it down here. Looks really good in here.”
“You’re just here to inspect my work? I mean… I’ll give you a tour, if that’s what you’re after…”
Owen smiled, looking at him for a long moment before nodding. “A tour would be brilliant. But you’re right. I have ulterior motives.”
Ah, here it comes,Jaxon thought.The ‘please stop shacking up with my daughter’ talk.
“You want to get those out of the way before the tour?” Jaxon asked.
“I can do it during.”
Jaxon let out a sound that might have been laughter, but honestly, he wasn’t sure what it was. It could have been a laugh, but it was just as likely to be a sound of distress. He wasn’t sure anymore. “So, this is the kitchen, then. It’ll have a dinette, eventually. Built in breakfast nook over there…” He gestured towards the large windows along the back wall.
“You’re building that yourself?” Owen asked.
“Planning on it, yeah.”
Owen nodded in approval, and Jaxon walked out one of the two doors on the north side of the kitchen. Not the one they’d come in through. “This is just a hallway. That’s the master bedroom there. It’s got a half bath in it. I haven’t done much in there, needs something, not sure what yet…” He stepped into the room and Owen followed, looking around.
“It’s got this paneling, not sure what to do with that… and the ceiling’s just…
He wrinkled his nose and looked up.
Owen followed suit. “Do you mind if I give you some advice?” he asked.
“Not at all,” Jaxon replied, actually anxious to hear what Owen had to say on the topic since he’d made his early living doing this.
“What’s up there, above this?” Owen asked.
