her around the house. I was a teenager at the time and
trying to earn a few extra bucks. My mother had passed away and Lucy took me under
her wing.”
“Uh huh. She’s decided to be my older
sister.”
“That sounds like her,” he said, laughing.
“She’s quite a gal.”
“Well, let’s get down to business,” I
said. “I’ve been thinking I’d like to build a gazebo out here in the garden. What
do you think? Could you do that work for me, too?”
“Sure. Let’s get this contract signed so
we can start the other work, and in the meantime you and I can get together and
draw up plans for the gazebo. You can tell me exactly what you want.”
“That sounds great. Why don’t we go sit at
the table on the patio and we can go over the contract.”
“After you,” he said, pointing the way.
Mike Blake turned out to be a pleasant
surprise. He was around six feet tall, had light brown hair turned even lighter
from all the time he obviously spent in the sun, brown eyes, and he had a
strong face with the beginnings of deep laugh lines. My heart was thumping – a
little. I guessed he was probably in his late thirties.
I sat down at the table and he pulled his
chair over to sit close to me.
He placed drawings in front of me so I
could see what he’d come up with. I’d decided I wanted a hothouse put in, and a
fairly large shed for storage and tools. He explained it all to me in layman’s
terms, pointing things out and asking what I preferred in certain areas. We
squared away the plans and he pulled out the contract. We reviewed it slowly,
and I signed it.
“Good,” he said. “We’ll be here around
eight o’clock on Monday morning. We can work out a plan for the gazebo later.”
“That sounds great. I’m looking forward to
getting the work started. Would you like a glass of iced tea?”
“Sounds good. It’s nice out here on the
patio. It’ll get the morning sun and then cool off in the afternoon. Can I talk
you into showing me around the house? I’ve heard so much about it.”
“Sure. I think you’ll like it. I’ll be
right back with the tea.”
I entered the back door to the kitchen
quietly and found Lucy busily cleaning the stove top.
“Lucy!” I said sharply.
She hadn’t heard me come in and jumped. “You
just scared ten years off my life, and I can’t afford to lose any years. I’ve
got plenty to do before I give up and kick the bucket.” She was talking too
much, stalling because she knew I was onto her little game.
“Exactly what are you up to?” I asked.
“Now, slow down. I’ve known Mike since he
was a kid, and I thought you two ought to meet each other. He’s divorced, has
been for about five years, and after all, you are single. He’s
thirty-seven and you’re thirty-six and I decided you’d like each other.”
“ You decided...”
“I was right, wasn’t I?” she asked.
“I don’t know, I just met him.” I didn’t
want to give her an edge so easily.
“You’ll be seeing a lot of each other with
the construction going on.” With that she clammed up and wouldn’t say another word.
I took two glasses of iced tea out to the
patio and sat down with Mike.
“So you’ll be taking on boarders as well
as vacationers?” he asked.
“That’s the general idea. I’ll need
boarders for a steady income, but I think vacationers will like it, too. Those
that want to get away and relax can find what they need out here. I’ve got one,
maybe two, boarders already, as a matter of fact. My closest friend is moving
in tomorrow, and Lucy talked to a gentleman who is supposed to call me. I’ve
got an ad running in the newspaper beginning tomorrow, too.”
“From everything you’ve told me, it sounds
like you’ve got it pretty well under control. As a matter of fact, I know a guy
who’s been thinking about moving out of town. I’ll have him give you a call.”
“I really appreciate that. Well, come on
in and I’ll show you around the place.”
We walked round
trying to earn a few extra bucks. My mother had passed away and Lucy took me under
her wing.”
“Uh huh. She’s decided to be my older
sister.”
“That sounds like her,” he said, laughing.
“She’s quite a gal.”
“Well, let’s get down to business,” I
said. “I’ve been thinking I’d like to build a gazebo out here in the garden. What
do you think? Could you do that work for me, too?”
“Sure. Let’s get this contract signed so
we can start the other work, and in the meantime you and I can get together and
draw up plans for the gazebo. You can tell me exactly what you want.”
“That sounds great. Why don’t we go sit at
the table on the patio and we can go over the contract.”
“After you,” he said, pointing the way.
Mike Blake turned out to be a pleasant
surprise. He was around six feet tall, had light brown hair turned even lighter
from all the time he obviously spent in the sun, brown eyes, and he had a
strong face with the beginnings of deep laugh lines. My heart was thumping – a
little. I guessed he was probably in his late thirties.
I sat down at the table and he pulled his
chair over to sit close to me.
He placed drawings in front of me so I
could see what he’d come up with. I’d decided I wanted a hothouse put in, and a
fairly large shed for storage and tools. He explained it all to me in layman’s
terms, pointing things out and asking what I preferred in certain areas. We
squared away the plans and he pulled out the contract. We reviewed it slowly,
and I signed it.
“Good,” he said. “We’ll be here around
eight o’clock on Monday morning. We can work out a plan for the gazebo later.”
“That sounds great. I’m looking forward to
getting the work started. Would you like a glass of iced tea?”
“Sounds good. It’s nice out here on the
patio. It’ll get the morning sun and then cool off in the afternoon. Can I talk
you into showing me around the house? I’ve heard so much about it.”
“Sure. I think you’ll like it. I’ll be
right back with the tea.”
I entered the back door to the kitchen
quietly and found Lucy busily cleaning the stove top.
“Lucy!” I said sharply.
She hadn’t heard me come in and jumped. “You
just scared ten years off my life, and I can’t afford to lose any years. I’ve
got plenty to do before I give up and kick the bucket.” She was talking too
much, stalling because she knew I was onto her little game.
“Exactly what are you up to?” I asked.
“Now, slow down. I’ve known Mike since he
was a kid, and I thought you two ought to meet each other. He’s divorced, has
been for about five years, and after all, you are single. He’s
thirty-seven and you’re thirty-six and I decided you’d like each other.”
“ You decided...”
“I was right, wasn’t I?” she asked.
“I don’t know, I just met him.” I didn’t
want to give her an edge so easily.
“You’ll be seeing a lot of each other with
the construction going on.” With that she clammed up and wouldn’t say another word.
I took two glasses of iced tea out to the
patio and sat down with Mike.
“So you’ll be taking on boarders as well
as vacationers?” he asked.
“That’s the general idea. I’ll need
boarders for a steady income, but I think vacationers will like it, too. Those
that want to get away and relax can find what they need out here. I’ve got one,
maybe two, boarders already, as a matter of fact. My closest friend is moving
in tomorrow, and Lucy talked to a gentleman who is supposed to call me. I’ve
got an ad running in the newspaper beginning tomorrow, too.”
“From everything you’ve told me, it sounds
like you’ve got it pretty well under control. As a matter of fact, I know a guy
who’s been thinking about moving out of town. I’ll have him give you a call.”
“I really appreciate that. Well, come on
in and I’ll show you around the place.”
We walked round
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