Chapter 2

The house was a work of art. While doing a walk thru on it, keeping track of the work that had to be done on it with her tablet. Her dad, he was the one in charge and Mac was only his foreman on jobs like this one. Today, he was letting her figure out the price that it would cost to renovate the entire down stairs and three of the bedrooms on the second floor into something livable. She just wanted to find the man who owned the house and ask him if he had taken a look around at the wood and tilework that had already been laid.

“I heard tell that Mr. Hathaway, the one that bought this, got a good deal on it. I wonder how much of a deal he got. It’s a big flipping house, don’t you think, Mac?” She told him she didn’t know, but he should be looking at the house itself and not the deal that he had gotten. “Yes, you’re right. It sure would be a waste of good craftsmanship to just pull it all up and change it out with chrome and glass.”

Neither one of them thought very much of modern houses. They’d work on them, even give the people a good deal on it. But they’d rather live in a home like this one than not. She even lived at home because she couldn’t find herself a house that even came close to this one in what she loved.

“I used to come by here when I was about your age, honey. Just to see the old place. I think that’s what made me go into construction was this one. I thought that if I could live in a house like this, I’d be a tinkerer rather than tinkering at other people’s homes.” He stopped so suddenly that she ran into him from behind. “There’s a fireplace there if I don’t miss my bet. See how the wall has about an eight-inch difference. And I’m betting too that those windows there are full length, and somebody just boarded them up from the inside. I’m going to have me a look see. You wait here, and I’ll be back.”

Smiling, Mac put her hand on the wall and knew that Dad would have had it right in saying that it was only eight inch difference. As soon as she heard him whooping it up, she knew that he’d been right. Not only was there a chimney, but the windows were just what he said. While she was waiting for him to return, someone came into the room she was in and asked her what she was doing here.

“I’m with Booth Renos and Construction. We’re here to give an estimate on the house to do the work.” He said that he was sorry that he’d had several run-ins with people wanting to get a look at the house since buying it. “You just assumed that I’m a trespasser even though I have a badge on my shirt as well as the name of the company on my back. That’s not very nice of you, now is it?” She should just keep her mouth shut but she just wasn’t able to do that. Not since she was old enough to speak.

“Don’t get your panties in a twist. You wouldn’t believe the people that come by here hoping to find a dead body around or something. I had people in the kitchen just last night trying their best to get out of here with the big counter in the middle of the room.” She told him that she’d not been there yet. “You’re doing estimates, correct?”

“My father and I are, yes.” He told her again that he was sorry, so all she did was nod at him. The guy was an arrogant ass, and she immediately disliked him. If they got the job, she’d have to work with him, but she knew she didn’t have to like him. “My dad went out to check on the windows in this room. He was sure that they were floor-to-ceiling ones.”

“They are. I’m hoping that you’ll be able to salvage as much as you can with the woodwork that’s in this beauty rather than having to tear it out.” She told him about the fire place. “A fire place? On this wall, you mean? No one else mentioned that to me.”

Her dad joined them as she was pulling out her pocket knife to see what they were going to find. With Mr. Hathaway’s permission, she cut through the wallpaper that was only the top layer to four more sheets of the stuff to find drywall. After cutting a hole in that, she could see that it was a beautifully done tiled-up chimney with a large, at least it looked that way to her, a large fireplace that looked like it was built and decorated just for this house.

“I’m betting that under this ugly carpet is tile work in the hearth, too.” He helped her pull the carpet back, and there it was. The most beautiful tiled work of art that she’d seen. Pulling it back further, she wasn’t the least bit surprised to find that the floor was oak with a darker wood, more than likely mahogany design going around the entire room that made her salivate to see it all in its glory. “Christ, this is wonderful. I’m guessing you want it covered up with something less hard and cold, am I right?”

“You’re a prickly little thing, aren’t you? No, I don’t want carpet in any of the rooms. My mom told me that I’d have to get large area rugs for the bedrooms so that you don’t have to step on a cold floor in the winter, but I disagree. Get some slippers if you think you’re going to cover something up simply to keep your feet warmer.

Mac felt a little less angry with the man when he said that. He also wanted to know if there was a way to figure out how all the carpet was to be taken off the stair case. She went to the hallway that had the stairs going up to the upper two levels and leaned down to pull some if it off. It, too, was wood and not only that, it had stair runners on each side that had been in the house since it had been built. She did a little gig around the room when Mr. Hathaway said he wanted the carpet there gone as well.

“You like old things, I take it. I have a dining room and ten chairs that I’m having cleaned up. I don’t know that anyone took a good scrubbing to the thing since they had their last meal on it. Also, don’t even get me started on the beds I got. I was terrified that I wouldn’t get the house and would be stuck with six sets of bedroom furniture and nowhere to put it.” She asked him who was doing the work. “A company called Dixon is supposed to come out tomorrow and have a look at the stuff that’s out in the barn. He was supposed to be here today but bailed on me. He said he forgot about the appointment.”

“You should call Jamie…what is his name, honey?” She told her dad the last name when he asked her. “That’s right. Jamie Girlington. He’ll do you up right and won’t be charging you a good deal more than he gives you an estimate for when he’s finished too. Jamie and his family have been cleaning and restoring old furniture since…well, I don’t remember. It’s been a few decades, and they don’t cut corners either. They’ll do it up right.”

Dad handed Mr. Hathaway one of the cards that he carried around with him all the time. He had a lot of business cards from people in many different kinds of renovations and would only recommend them if they were good people. And Dad would know. Her family had been in construction since before her dad had been born.

Dad and Mr. Hathaway started for the barn when she picked up her tablet again to start on this room. It made it easier to know that it wasn’t going to be carpeted and the floors to be redone. It would be hard work but so worth it all.

“Aren’t you coming?” She told Mr. Hathaway that she had to get some work done here for the deadline of tomorrow morning. “Oh, you’ve got the job. I have had ten or more companies come out here, and not one of them showed me the fireplace or the floors. I’d be stupid not to hire your company after you going the extra mile to show me that sort of thing, don’t you agree?”

“Thank you. You still want to know how much it’s going to cost, though.” He said that they could work that out later. Right now he wanted her opinion on the furniture and if it was worth the cost to get them cleaned up. “Dixons don’t need to know that we were talking about them, do they? I mean, it’s hard enough in this business without pissing off someone that you may have to work with somewhere down the road.”

“I understand completely. And while we’re looking out there, if you could call Girlington and ask them to come out, I’d appreciate it.” She told him that her dad had the cell phone and he’d gladly make the call. “You don’t carry a cell phone?”

“Usually, yes. But not when we’re on a job. Dad carries around this burner phone to call home and such, or in this case, someone to come out to a job site, but we don’t want to be distracted by senseless phone calls while working.” She went to the barn with her dad and Axel, what he begged her to call him to look around. Even the flipping barn was a beautiful piece of art.

Jamie showed up about the time she’d gotten to the bedroom furniture. She wanted it all. And the master bedroom set was the most beautiful piece that she’d ever seen. Just to touch the huge bed when it was raw like this was more than she ever could image happening. But to see it before and after…that was going to be epic for her.

It was nearly supper time when they finished up with the house. Axel walked around with the two of them after Jamie quoted a price on the furniture and was going to do that for the man. Dad would point out things that he could see with his experience of older homes and she made notes about it on the company tablet. Axel then invited them out to dinner.

“I’m sorry, Axel, but we’re having dinner at the house already. My wife, Dani, will about have it on the table when we get there as it is.” Dad looked at her and she couldn’t read his face. “Why don’t you come to the house tonight. I know for a fact that there will be plenty of food. My son was going to be there but he’s been called out of town as of this afternoon.”

“I’d love that. Thank you very much.” After giving him the address, she and her dad got ready to leave the house. She was going to have to have a talk to her dad about inviting strangers to the house, but he’d just laugh at her and tell her that it was his home, too. “I’ll see you there in about half an hour if that’s all right.”

“Sure it is. Just come on down, and we’ll have a nice meal together while Mac here figures out what it’s going to cost you to have your house redone. It might take her a while. She’s got herself a program on the computer at home that does the estimates right. Right down to how many nails it’s going to cost us to do the work. My Mackenzie, she’s brilliant.”

Embarrassed now, she walked to the car. She didn’t like compliments nor did she take criticism all that well either. But she’d keep her mouth shut and do what her dad wanted until the man left. She still didn’t care for Axel but she really wanted the job for this house.

Mom met them at the door. She looked slightly upset but didn’t say anything to her. She hoped that she was going to tell Axel he was on his own tonight, but all she did was welcome him with open arms and bid him to go to the library to wait for dinner to be ready.

“It’s been a day, I’ll tell you.” Her mom was obviously upset because her Irish accent was stronger. “I’ve had to fire Mrs. Curtain and her daughter, Trina. Caught them stealing, I did. They were stealing right from the cupboard like it was something of a grocers. Oh, I tell you that I’m so mad that I could put a hex on them.” At the shocked look on Axel’s face, Mom laughed. “I don’t be really going to do that. I’m only saying that because it makes me want to use a few choice words to them.

~*~

Axel couldn’t believe how much fun he’d had having dinner with the Booths. At first, he wanted to smack Mac around for being snippy to her father, but he soon learned that they did this all the time. One of them would take a swipe at the other until they ran out of things to say. Then, the other would start. Dani seemed to be in a better mood after dinner and he couldn’t have been more delighted when she told him about Mac and her construction experience.

“There she was, all of seven years old, taking down the drywall in her room. Wanted a bigger closet than the one she had in there. Not that I blame her. It was barely fit for a person to stand in it much less the clothing as well. Her daddy went in there ready to bust her bottom when she turned to him and told him she was going to use her birthday money to buy the drywall and would he please show her how to hang it. The two of them have been in business since. And the closet? Well, it’s a right nice one, too. She doubled the space, and it only took her a couple of weeks to learn a new trade, hanging drywall.”

“They were just bits and pieces that she could do then. But she got the hang of it right quick. Never been as proud of her as I was that day. And I get more and more out of her daily when we’re working.” Charlie, what he insisted he call the other gentleman, put his hand on the back of Dani’s chair while finishing his part of the tail. “Worked every job, too, that you have to work with reconstruction. Mac here can plum out a bathroom or kitchen and do the rewiring as well. You do understand that your house is going to need rewiring, at least in the kitchen, correct?”

“A heavier load is what one of the others quoted me. But all he said was that it was going to have to happen and didn’t tell me that he’d do it.” Both Charlie and Mac said, Daniel Jefferson . It shocked him when they knew which person had told him that. “Would he have done it?”

“No, sir. He might well have left it open for you to have someone else come in and do it, but you’d have to put that in writing for him. Also, if he tells you that he’s going to need fifty sheets of drywall, then he’d only going to work until the fifty is gone. Won’t go out of his way to tell you he needs at least another sheet of the stuff.” The more he spoke with this family, the better he was feeling about telling them that they had the job. “Someone else you might want to watch out for is old man Trimble. Don’t rightly know if you have silver that needs to be cleaned up but he’s not too trustworthy about that sort of thing. He’ll find you cheaper pieces and then tell you that is what you gave him to work on. After that, he’ll fence it off for a much better deal after it’s cleaned up. Now, I don’t usually go around bad-mouthing my fellow reno guys, but I’d hate to see you ripped off when you’ve been a stand-up feller about your house.”

“I can’t thank you enough.” It was Mac who told him about the lawn services. “I do have a lot of grass that needs to be cut, that’s for sure.”

“Also, you’re renting out the land that would lay fallow if you didn’t. I’d check my receipts on that, too, if I were you. I’m not saying that the realtor or whoever you purchased that house from is steering you wrong, but I’m betting that you don’t get paid in the low months when there is no planting can be done.”

“You think that they’re only paying me in the productive months?” She said that she didn’t know for sure, but she’d bet that was why the Heathers were having so many money problems. “I’m assuming because it’s doubtful to me that you have anything to gain about this that you’re dead on the money. Do you think that the agency is in on it?”

“As I said, I don’t know for sure, but they were biting at the bit to have that house to sell. If no one paid enough during the auction, the real estate company in town was going to be able to sell it for a large profit.” He told her that he’d gotten it at the auction. “I figured as much. I’d keep an eye on your profits, Mr...Axel.”

That was a great deal to digest, so he pulled out his phone and began making notes on things. He’d have his brother look into the information that he’d been given, Penrod being a homicide detective, and see where that landed him. He did wonder if Mr. Lundon was aware of things going on too.

It was nearly ten when he made his way home. He’d had such and enjoyable time at the house, and the food was so delicious that he found himself wanting to see what they had for breakfast. After he was shown the closet that Mac had fixed, it surprised him that she still lived at home and in the same room as a child. But then, when Charlie was walking him to his car, still talking about the things in the house that he’d loved, he asked him about Mac.

“Her name is Mackenzie Caroline Booth but she can’t stand to be called that. Left at the alter she was literally left there by the man that we all thought was a good feller. But then I walked her right up to him, having the biggest odd smile on his face. He then took the time before leaving her to tell her that he only wanted to marry her on account of her having money. But there wasn’t any. Or so he thought. Left her there to deal with all the fallout the little pisser did.” Charlie laughed. “Her mother and I renewed our vows that day, had us the grandest party you’ve ever seen and she moved back home with us because she was heartbroken. Wouldn’t know if to see her, but I could hear her crying at night, and then…” He snapped his fingers. “She was over him. I think that him getting arrested was a big factor in that. Donald Richardson is his name. He was a con artist she found out and watched him close enough that when he tried to get an elderly woman to turn all her funds over to him after they got married, he’d leave her high and dry. Turned out that was what he’d been planning to do with my Mac but she had him sign a prenup for again as he assumed was lots of money.”

“I don’t mean to be crass or anything, but is there a lot of money? You’ve hinted at that twice now.” He laughed, it was like a barking sound that had him thinking that the man had been laughing all his life. “You’re a good man, Charlie.”

“Yes, sir, you are too. Me and my wife, not counting the businesses, own a house in about every country that there is. Insurance money, too, as well as a nice retirement bundle that we’ve never touched but put into every week. Millions. Mac has quite a bit more with her grannie leaving her all her money and a house too. She never liked me, but she did like our kids. Our son, Charles, he works for the government in real estate for them and makes a good living off that as well. He’s married with a son and one on the way. And they have an extremely comfortable life. Neither of them would have to work for what he had, but he likes to stay busy. So does Milly, his wife.”

He put out his hand and was happy that the man took it. He really had enjoyed his time with them and was glad that they had shown up while he was there. Axel was sure that he had chosen the right people for his house.

The next morning, he was up bright and early. He’s slept well, too, knowing that his days were numbered in the condo. To have his own yard was something that he’d never considered before, and he was happy that he was getting a very large one. Turning on his computer, he opened the email from Booth construction. The estimate was a little higher than he thought it would be, but he knew nothing about this particular line of work. However, when he opened up the work sheet, he was surprised to find that Mac’s dad had been right. There was a listing for nails in each room and how many they’d need to get the job done. If he was honest with himself, he’d say that was a great many nails but he didn’t have any idea if that was a lot or not. It wasn’t his area of expertise.

After making himself breakfast, he headed out. His thought was to go and find something to do, to keep himself busy while he worked out his two-week notice. But he found himself back at his house. There was already a construction crew on site, and he thought that he could learn a few things from them as well.

“Mac, she’ll have the estimate from your home in town by tonight. She told me to tell you that if you want carpets and other items that you didn’t have in the house, to let her know. She’s going to assume, until she hears from you, that it will be the same in the building.

“I did want to go by there and have a look. I’m thinking right now I’m going to need to have it rewired as well. If for no other reason than the internet will need to be upgraded.” Charlie told him to call the cable company and they’d drop off the wiring needed for that and that Mac could have it ready for them to hook up. “She is a jack of all trades, isn’t she? Didn’t your son want to go into business with you two?”

“He had his heart set on procurement for the government. His grandma was in charge of that when she’d been alive and he thought it was something that he could do. Worked out better than he thought. He met his Milly there one day and they’ve been in love since. Charles is a mite older than Mac. She was what they called a late-in-life baby. Couldn’t be more in love with her if she’d been born right after her brother. There are eleven years between them.”

On his way home that night, he had driven by the house in town. It had a sold sign on it, and he hoped it was his. To know that it was being worked on, too, made him feel like he’d done the right thing in buying the Heathers estate.

After being shown around the house that they said he’d be living in soon, he went back to the building downtown. It wasn’t a bad hike to get to it from the house, but it would serve him well when the winter weather decided to keep the roads closed around town. At least he’d be able to work when things were down.

He found a crew of about ten men in the house. For whatever reason he was disappointed that he couldn’t be in the house just with Mac. Axel wasn’t even sure that he liked her all that much. She was caustic and a little bit hard on someone. He found her working in the second-floor rooms. When she glanced at him, not saying a word, he asked her how things were going.

“The plumbing in this house is new, so you won’t have to worry about that. Also, the entire place has been rewired another thing you won’t have to worry about either. However, while there is internet service here, it looks like instead of wiring it up in the walls, someone thought it was a good idea to just run lines from room to room by stapling the wire directly to the floor. Morons.” He asked if she could fix that. “The true way to fix it would be to run it through the walls, but that would cause a lot of mess. Tearing out walls, even if it might need it, is always messy. However, there is a solution that can work as well. Tearing out only half of the walls to hook it from room to room and floor to floor. That’s the way that I’d go. If someone trips over a wire, you’ll lose everything.”

She told him too about the windows on the second floor. They were in terrible shape and should be replaced with something more energy-efficient.

“Even doors inside the house could use a bit of updating. You’re not planning on living here, are you?” He told her that he’d not. “I’d not take out the kitchen. Remodel and rewire it so that you have sufficient power if you want to run a microwave and the coffee machine at the same time. But if you’re just going to use this for a breakroom of sorts, I’d not do much more than throw some paint on the cabinets and leave them. It’ll save you a bundle doing that.”

“All right.” There were two half baths as well as two bathrooms in the house. He asked her about them. “While the demo is going on, however, you want the internet going in, I’d go ahead and take care that they’re updated as well. Leave one of the bathrooms with a tub, but I’d put in a stall for the other one. And the two half baths, being on the first floor, I’d redo those since you might have clients using them as well.”

He’d not thought of someone using his bathrooms. He didn’t like sharing toilet space and thought that he’d be using one of the bathrooms on the second floor if he needed to go. But he would do as she said about the bathrooms, even enlarging the one by the garage so that he could have a small washer and dryer put in should he want it.

“You’re thinking long term then. If I were to sell it, it would be better if the house was family-oriented rather than not.” She said she was forever working with the assumption that the house or whatever might be going to someone else. “I like that idea. And while I’m at it, I think that I’ll take care of the kitchen but last. If that’s something that you can work into the project.”

“You’ll have to pick out some cabinets if you want new ones, which is what you should be doing. And the flooring. Hard wood would wear better than carpet or even tile. Tile would be cheaper, but I have a feeling that you’d rather go with what it needs and damn the money part of it. If that’s your thinking, you should step out of the living room area and look at the screened in porch. I’d not change that at all, but to put in new screens and better windows for winter. It’s a lovely room that you could use for some of your clients too that need a breath for something.”

He loved the way that she seemed to think outside the box and told her so. When one of the workers called for her, she told him she’d be back in a few minutes. That was when his brother Gilman showed up. He was just showing him around when they saw what the workers were doing.

“Dad told me that you were going to hang out your own shingle. Is that true?” He said that it was that he was sick of working for a firm. “If you want to have a partner in this venture, I’d like to rent some space from you as well. I could easily set up here and not be in your way.”

“Don’t you need to have a studio or something? I mean, I know very little about art and glass blowing but it would seem to me you’d not need an office space.” His little brother laughed. “Tell me what you need. I don’t care if you want to have space here. Just…the contractor is here now, and we can have her design the rooms for you. If you want.”

“Absolutely. I’ll get with him.” He told Gilman that it was a her, not a him, and he laughed all the harder. “I’ll have to be careful with that. I was assuming something that wasn’t right, and that could get me castrated.”

Gilman walked around the upper floor with Mac. He found himself trailing along, and when his brother asked Mac out, he wanted to smack him upside the head. Again, he didn’t understand that. He still didn’t like her very much.