and if you knew him better, you wouldn’t, either.”
I hadn’t heard anything about Peter McConnell one way or the other. I glared back at Mark.
Apparently, he got the message, because he looked away first. “If I were you I’d collect my fee up front.”
“He owes you money?”
“Just take my word for it, Jo Marie.”
“I will,” I promised, my irritation vanishing as quickly as it came. “Did you have something else on your mind?”
He returned my stare with a blank look, as if the reason he’d stopped by had slipped his mind. “Oh yeah. I have an estimate for the gazebo.”
“You already gave it to me; I trust you to be fair.”
He dug into his shirt pocket and withdrew a folded piece ofpaper. “I got everything tallied here. The price of lumber went up in the last week, so I had to revise the figure I gave you earlier. If you want to hold off building the gazebo, I’ll understand.”
I read over the formal estimate. The earlier bid he’d given me was off the top of his head. This time he’d priced the materials, added the cost of his labor, and written me a formal proposal. From the look of it, he’d taken the better part of the morning putting it together. The bottom line was only a two-hundred-dollar increase over the estimate he’d told me earlier.
“It’s fine.”
“You want me to get started, then?”
“I do.”
He grinned as if he was glad for the business, although to hear him, he had more work than he knew what to do with, which was probably true.
“Did you see the reader board at the hardware store?” I asked.
He gave me an odd look. “Yeah. What about it?”
“They’re looking for an experienced sales associate. That kind of work would be right up your alley.”
Mark frowned. “Why would I want to work at the hardware store?”
The answer should be obvious. “You’d be good at it, Mark. You know how to fix just about anything. You could help a lot of people.”
He shook his head as if the very idea went against the grain. “I help a lot of people now.”
“But you’d have a regular paycheck and benefits.”
“I have all the benefits I need, thank you very much.”
“Okay, okay, don’t get bent out of shape; it was just an idea.”
“A bad one.” He scratched the side of his head and frowned as if I’d insulted him by the mere suggestion.
I heard a car door shut in the distance and figured that either the Porters had returned from lunch or Peter McConnell was ready to check into his room. Despite what I’d said, I’d take Mark’s warningseriously, but I wasn’t going to turn McConnell away simply because Mark didn’t trust the man.
Mark walked around to the front of the inn with me. I’d guessed right. It was Peter. Right away, the Mark Taylor who I’d always known to be taciturn and short-tempered took on an entirely new persona. He raised his arm and waved to Peter, and called out a cheery greeting.
“Peter. How you doing, buddy?”
I looked at Mark as if seeing him for the first time.
My latest arrival stopped and looked as shocked as I was. Peter was in his late forties, I guessed … maybe early fifties. His hair was completely gray, and he was reasonably good-looking. I had to assume he lived alone, since he’d requested a room for one.
Peter looked from me to Mark and then back again. “Oh hi, Mark. Listen, if you’re worried about what I owe you …”
“Forget about it,” Mark cajoled, as if however much was due him was of little consequence.
Mark glanced over his shoulder and shot me a warning look. I wasn’t entirely sure what his message was, but I could tell he wanted me to keep quiet.
“Jo Marie was telling me you’re having some work done at the house.”
“Plumbing. The water’s been shut off and won’t be turned back on until tomorrow morning.”
“Better on the house than having a doc work on your plumbing,” Mark said, and laughed as if he’d found himself highly amusing. Then he looked at me and
I hadn’t heard anything about Peter McConnell one way or the other. I glared back at Mark.
Apparently, he got the message, because he looked away first. “If I were you I’d collect my fee up front.”
“He owes you money?”
“Just take my word for it, Jo Marie.”
“I will,” I promised, my irritation vanishing as quickly as it came. “Did you have something else on your mind?”
He returned my stare with a blank look, as if the reason he’d stopped by had slipped his mind. “Oh yeah. I have an estimate for the gazebo.”
“You already gave it to me; I trust you to be fair.”
He dug into his shirt pocket and withdrew a folded piece ofpaper. “I got everything tallied here. The price of lumber went up in the last week, so I had to revise the figure I gave you earlier. If you want to hold off building the gazebo, I’ll understand.”
I read over the formal estimate. The earlier bid he’d given me was off the top of his head. This time he’d priced the materials, added the cost of his labor, and written me a formal proposal. From the look of it, he’d taken the better part of the morning putting it together. The bottom line was only a two-hundred-dollar increase over the estimate he’d told me earlier.
“It’s fine.”
“You want me to get started, then?”
“I do.”
He grinned as if he was glad for the business, although to hear him, he had more work than he knew what to do with, which was probably true.
“Did you see the reader board at the hardware store?” I asked.
He gave me an odd look. “Yeah. What about it?”
“They’re looking for an experienced sales associate. That kind of work would be right up your alley.”
Mark frowned. “Why would I want to work at the hardware store?”
The answer should be obvious. “You’d be good at it, Mark. You know how to fix just about anything. You could help a lot of people.”
He shook his head as if the very idea went against the grain. “I help a lot of people now.”
“But you’d have a regular paycheck and benefits.”
“I have all the benefits I need, thank you very much.”
“Okay, okay, don’t get bent out of shape; it was just an idea.”
“A bad one.” He scratched the side of his head and frowned as if I’d insulted him by the mere suggestion.
I heard a car door shut in the distance and figured that either the Porters had returned from lunch or Peter McConnell was ready to check into his room. Despite what I’d said, I’d take Mark’s warningseriously, but I wasn’t going to turn McConnell away simply because Mark didn’t trust the man.
Mark walked around to the front of the inn with me. I’d guessed right. It was Peter. Right away, the Mark Taylor who I’d always known to be taciturn and short-tempered took on an entirely new persona. He raised his arm and waved to Peter, and called out a cheery greeting.
“Peter. How you doing, buddy?”
I looked at Mark as if seeing him for the first time.
My latest arrival stopped and looked as shocked as I was. Peter was in his late forties, I guessed … maybe early fifties. His hair was completely gray, and he was reasonably good-looking. I had to assume he lived alone, since he’d requested a room for one.
Peter looked from me to Mark and then back again. “Oh hi, Mark. Listen, if you’re worried about what I owe you …”
“Forget about it,” Mark cajoled, as if however much was due him was of little consequence.
Mark glanced over his shoulder and shot me a warning look. I wasn’t entirely sure what his message was, but I could tell he wanted me to keep quiet.
“Jo Marie was telling me you’re having some work done at the house.”
“Plumbing. The water’s been shut off and won’t be turned back on until tomorrow morning.”
“Better on the house than having a doc work on your plumbing,” Mark said, and laughed as if he’d found himself highly amusing. Then he looked at me and
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