work.
She went to the bedroom, gathered up sheets, a blanket and towels. Then went back to the kitchen and took dishcloths and towels, then loaded them all into her car . Back in town , she found the laundromat, put them in the washer and went back to check out of the motel. Then back to the laundromat to move he r laundry to the dryers.
When her cell phone rang, she was surprised to see Kyle’s name. “Hi,” she said.
“Hi yourself. I came to pick you up for dinner and the motel’s attendant says you checked out.”
“Oh. Yes, I did. I’m going to stay at the house.”
“Okay. Wish I’d known that. I just came from the farm. I’ll come back out and get you there, then.”
Jan glanced at her watch, amazed to see it was almost six-thirty. Yikes, she should have changed before going to dinner. Cleaning up a bit at the rest room here would have to do. “No, Kyle, actually, I’m in town at the laundromat, just finishing up some wash. How about I meet you at the restaurant in fifteen minutes?”
“Fine. I’ll go ahead and get us a table. See you then.”
It took twenty minutes before she arrived , and the restaurant was again crowded. After scanning the many faces, she found him at a back table and hurried to join him . A pot of coffee and two cups sat in front of him.
“Sorry to be kind of a mess,” she apologized. “I decided to move on the spur of the moment and lost track of the time.”
He frowned at her and lifted the pot and a cup. “Want some coffee? You were doing laundry?”
She nodded to the coffee. “Well, yes. The sheets, towels and dishcloths were pretty dusty. Besides, there were mouse droppings in the kitchen drawers and I couldn’t see washing and drying dishes with those…”
He grinned and held up a hand. “I get the picture. But what made you decide to stay at the house? I thought you were going to stay at the hotel so as to get done out there as soon as possible.”
She grimaced. “The best laid plans…and all that. My roommate in Chicago called and dropped a bombshell on my budget.”
“Oh?”
Jan explained the new situation. “I really like my apartment and it’s close to the school where I teach. But it’ll take me a while to find another roommate, so money will be tight through the summer, at least. So saving the cost of the motel by staying in Esther’s house is important right now. Do you mind?”
The waitress interrupted to take their orders . They b oth ordered the special, walleyed pike dinners and s he retreated to the kitchen.
Jan eyed Kyle, who sipped his coffee. “You don’t mind my staying there, do you? I mean, I guess it is your house now, so I should have asked. I didn’t think…”
He raised an eyebrow and shook his head. “No, I don’t mind if you stay in the house while you’re sorting stuff. It’s just that I was hoping you would be done in just a few days, but if you’re spending time doing cleaning and laundry and cooking…”
“Only what I have to, to make it livable,” Jan protested. “Harry said he’d fixed the water problem so I could use the kitchen and downstairs bathroom, but not the rest of the house. And the refrigerator is beyond salvaging, so I’ll continue to use my ice chest for food and drinks. Or eat out.”
“ But you were doing laundry. You didn’t bring enough clothes for a week?”
“Of course I did. Though I misjudged the work clothes I’d need, so bought more at the farm store. But I didn’t plan on need ing clean towels and sheets and dishcloths, you know? ”
“I understand.”
The waitress brought their salads and rolls. Jan buttered one and bit into it. “Oh. Delicious. I’m starved.”
“Me too,” Kyle said , helping himself to a roll as well . “I missed lunch. The guy who’s taking down the barn was having problems with his help. Seems like one thing after another is going wrong lately.”
Jan raised an eyebrow. “Unusual problems?”
“More like sabotage, I suspect,” Kyle
She went to the bedroom, gathered up sheets, a blanket and towels. Then went back to the kitchen and took dishcloths and towels, then loaded them all into her car . Back in town , she found the laundromat, put them in the washer and went back to check out of the motel. Then back to the laundromat to move he r laundry to the dryers.
When her cell phone rang, she was surprised to see Kyle’s name. “Hi,” she said.
“Hi yourself. I came to pick you up for dinner and the motel’s attendant says you checked out.”
“Oh. Yes, I did. I’m going to stay at the house.”
“Okay. Wish I’d known that. I just came from the farm. I’ll come back out and get you there, then.”
Jan glanced at her watch, amazed to see it was almost six-thirty. Yikes, she should have changed before going to dinner. Cleaning up a bit at the rest room here would have to do. “No, Kyle, actually, I’m in town at the laundromat, just finishing up some wash. How about I meet you at the restaurant in fifteen minutes?”
“Fine. I’ll go ahead and get us a table. See you then.”
It took twenty minutes before she arrived , and the restaurant was again crowded. After scanning the many faces, she found him at a back table and hurried to join him . A pot of coffee and two cups sat in front of him.
“Sorry to be kind of a mess,” she apologized. “I decided to move on the spur of the moment and lost track of the time.”
He frowned at her and lifted the pot and a cup. “Want some coffee? You were doing laundry?”
She nodded to the coffee. “Well, yes. The sheets, towels and dishcloths were pretty dusty. Besides, there were mouse droppings in the kitchen drawers and I couldn’t see washing and drying dishes with those…”
He grinned and held up a hand. “I get the picture. But what made you decide to stay at the house? I thought you were going to stay at the hotel so as to get done out there as soon as possible.”
She grimaced. “The best laid plans…and all that. My roommate in Chicago called and dropped a bombshell on my budget.”
“Oh?”
Jan explained the new situation. “I really like my apartment and it’s close to the school where I teach. But it’ll take me a while to find another roommate, so money will be tight through the summer, at least. So saving the cost of the motel by staying in Esther’s house is important right now. Do you mind?”
The waitress interrupted to take their orders . They b oth ordered the special, walleyed pike dinners and s he retreated to the kitchen.
Jan eyed Kyle, who sipped his coffee. “You don’t mind my staying there, do you? I mean, I guess it is your house now, so I should have asked. I didn’t think…”
He raised an eyebrow and shook his head. “No, I don’t mind if you stay in the house while you’re sorting stuff. It’s just that I was hoping you would be done in just a few days, but if you’re spending time doing cleaning and laundry and cooking…”
“Only what I have to, to make it livable,” Jan protested. “Harry said he’d fixed the water problem so I could use the kitchen and downstairs bathroom, but not the rest of the house. And the refrigerator is beyond salvaging, so I’ll continue to use my ice chest for food and drinks. Or eat out.”
“ But you were doing laundry. You didn’t bring enough clothes for a week?”
“Of course I did. Though I misjudged the work clothes I’d need, so bought more at the farm store. But I didn’t plan on need ing clean towels and sheets and dishcloths, you know? ”
“I understand.”
The waitress brought their salads and rolls. Jan buttered one and bit into it. “Oh. Delicious. I’m starved.”
“Me too,” Kyle said , helping himself to a roll as well . “I missed lunch. The guy who’s taking down the barn was having problems with his help. Seems like one thing after another is going wrong lately.”
Jan raised an eyebrow. “Unusual problems?”
“More like sabotage, I suspect,” Kyle
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