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"Looks like this job just got more expensive," Decker said.
She turned back to him, suddenly realizing he was still holding one of her hands. She pulled it away, wishing her heart wasn't beating so hard or that her breath wasn't coming so fast. Licking her lips, she said, "Thanks for getting me out."
"No problem. There must be a lot of rot in that floor."
"And spiders," she said. "I was stomping one to death when I put my foot through the floor."
"Well, I hope the spider is dead," he said with a smile.
"I definitely got him, but at what cost?"
"Probably a high one. And Joel didn't mention that your tenant was a hoarder."
"Joel didn't know. I had no idea, either. Eleanor Johnson lived here for nineteen years before passing away two weeks ago. I haven't been inside this house in years. The home actually belongs to my parents, but they don't live in town anymore, and I'm in charge of getting this place ready to sell." She shook her head as she let out a breath. "It's mind boggling that someone could have been living here surrounded by so much junk. And I'm thrilled the floor didn't give way when my eighty-five-year-old tenant was in here."
"That would have been bad."
"I should get downstairs, make sure Leo is okay."
"I'll look around and meet you outside."
"All right." She hesitated. "I'm almost afraid to take another step."
"You'll be okay going down the stairs."
"You should be careful in here."
"I will be."
She moved down the stairs and out of the house, feeling more than a little relieved to get into the fresh air. It was a sunny day in early April, and with Easter just four days away, it was feeling like spring in Whisper Lake. While there was still snow on the surrounding mountains, it had disappeared at lake level a few weeks ago.
"Are you okay?" Hannah asked, her sharp brown eyes searching her face for the truth.
"I'm fine."
"No cuts that need tending to?"
"I'm fine, Nurse Hannah," she said with a smile. Hannah was not only her friend since childhood, she was also a nurse at the local hospital, and as a result, she'd taken care of more than a few of her cuts over the years. "See?" She lifted her sweater just to make sure she wasn't lying.
Hannah took a closer look. "Not too bad, just some scratches."
"Mommy," Leo said, interrupting their conversation. "Look what I found." He held up a long stick that he was dragging around the dirt in the neglected garden.
"Be careful with that," she said, thinking again how grateful she was that Leo hadn't been hurt by any falling floorboards.
"Where's your rescuer?" Hannah asked.
"He's looking around the house. He said the job just got more expensive."
"I can believe that. This house is a disaster." Hannah paused, giving her a mischievous smile. "But on a positive note, your contractor is pretty hot."
"I didn't notice," she lied.
"How could you not notice?" Hannah challenged.
"I was focused on not falling through the floor. And it doesn't matter how good-looking Decker is. I'm trying to hire him, not date him. He doesn't even live here. He's just staying here for a few months until his next project starts."
"All right. I get it. He's just passing through. And you don't date people who are just passing through."
