by Lane Martin
"Find out when Mona is working when you pull the permits. She'll probably try to grab your ass, but she's much easier to work with than Gerald. I swear that guy needs to eat more bran." I hopped in my truck with a nod and a grin. Penny was going to owe me big time if Mona down at the building permit office groped me.
Penny chewed her bottom lip nervously as she watched me park my rig. That traitor, Rascal, sat protectively at her side. She seemed shocked when we rolled up. It made me wonder about the type of people she had in her life. Where I came from, when people said they were going to do something, they did it.
"Do you need any help?" she asked for the third time. It was sweet that she thought she could do anything to help me. I handed her a wheel chock, and she almost dropped it. All I could do was shake my head and move to the next wheel. As I bent down next to it, she followed me.
“Hold this and watch your feet." I noticed her cute, painted pink toes peaked out the open ends of her shoes as I bent down, and she followed me. They were the same shoes she had been wearing earlier. They were utterly ridiculous for working construction in. I almost lost my mind when I saw her with a hammer poised to strike and a tool belt around her waist. Her wavy brown hair had been pulled up into a ponytail, and it took everything I had in me not to pull her out of the house by it. The woman had no idea what she was doing, but the look of determination on her face was what made me both hard and mad at the same time. Penny had a way of doing that to me. She made me crazy, exactly like she did to Rascal the first two times he’d seen her. Now the little shit couldn't get enough of her. I was afraid the same thing would happen to me.
"When do you work?" Penny asked tentatively when I took the final block from her.
"In about an hour. I'm going to need a key to the house and your hammer." I rose to my full height. I loved how tall she was. She had to be close to six feet. I couldn't wait to see her lounging by the pool in a swimsuit. Stop dude. It's winter now and you'll be gone by summer.
"My hammer?" She tilted her head to the side in question.
I bopped her on the end of her nose with my finger. "Most women would have asked why a man they hardly know is asking for a key to their house. You asked me why I need your hammer. You're something else, Penelope Anderson." She dipped her chin and shuffled her feet. "It's cute."
She looked up at me. "Did you just call me cute?" Surprise filled Penny’s voice. Did the woman have any idea how beautiful she was? Earlier she had accused me of calling her stupid. I would need to remember going forward she was sensitive to what other people thought of her.
"No, I called your reaction cute. Here's a key to my trailer. Can you put Rascal inside when you go to bed tonight and let him out in the morning? He'll be fine in the yard when you go to school." I handed her my key. Honestly, it didn't need to be locked, but after the lecture I had given her earlier about keeping her door locked, I couldn't bring myself to tell her I didn't bother locking mine.
She gave Rascal a pet behind his ears. "I can do that. Do you need me to feed him too?" Rascal had been guarded around new people since the fire. That was until a curvy brunette showed up. It was like he couldn’t help himself when she was around. I hated to admit it, but he wasn’t the only one. I couldn’t explain it, there was something about Penelope Anderson that me and my dog couldn’t get enough of.
Most of the time Rascal went to the station with me, but I didn't want her there alone. Gabe could come back. Rascal wouldn't be able to do much from inside the trailer, but maybe the barking dog and the sight of my trailer in the driveway would deter him from doing something stupid. I needed to make a call to Grady's brother, Grant, at the police department. I didn't have a good feeling about the guy. I had known something was going on with Kara. It was the one time I ignored the feeling in my gut. It didn't work out so well for me. I promised myself never to do it again. And my gut was telling me that guy was bad news.
"I'll leave his food and water out for him. He can eat when you let him in." Rascal would need to take one for the team.
"Okay, I can do that. But why do you need my hammer? It's not really your color." I barked out a laugh. No, it wasn't. It was pink, of course, to match her sexy tool belt.
When I finished cackling, I put on my serious face. "Because I don't want you knocking down any walls without me. Plus, you have a different job you need to do first."
"Oh yeah? What's that?" Her eyes widened as if she didn't believe me.
"You need an itemized budget." Her face fell. "I know you don't want to hear this, but it doesn't make sense to put seventy-five thousand dollars into a kitchen if you're going to try and sell the house in six months or use it as an income property. You need to figure out what you want."
"I want something that belongs to me. That’s mine." Her eyes were wet and her chin trembled. Shit, shit, shit.
"Don't cry, Penny." I pulled her into my arms. The timing was terrible, I needed to get to work. The last thing I wanted to do was leave her so upset, but I had no choice.
"Nobody ever cares about what I want." My shirt was getting wet from her tears, but it didn't matter. I held her tighter.
I pressed my lips to the top of her head, "I care, Penelope. I'd give you a penny for every single one of your thoughts, but it will have to wait for now. I've got to get to the station." I didn’t like leaving when she was upset, but I was going to be late. Plus, she wasn’t my problem. She wasn’t!
She took a step back from me and squared her shoulders. "I'll have a budget ready when you get off shift. Every cent will be accounted for, Carson." She might have as well declared she was "fine." Yep, I was screwed...
We got called out to a fire as soon as we changed shifts. We got it out quickly and nobody was injured. Bowie and I mopped up. It was already cold, but we always double checked everything.
"Did I see your rig heading south on Main earlier?" Bowie poked at a pile of debris.
"Yeah, I'm going to be helping Penny, the new music teacher, with some renovations at her place. She's over on Santa Fe. I was going to ask you to come and look at a few things before I get started." Bowie nodded his head in agreement. I knew he wouldn't give me shit and that I could count on him for help when needed.
"Just tell me when and where." I dipped my head in acknowledgment and we finished the job at hand.
"Hey, Saint I heard your trailer has a new parking spot." Here we go. I still wasn't ecstatic about Hitch's declaration of how hot Penny was. I glared at him.
"Jesus, dude. Lighten up. I think it's great you're hot for teacher." Hitch wasn't one of the guys I had already known when I’d arrived here. He loved pushing people's buttons, and he was enjoying hitting mine.
"You're a real asshole, Hitch," Bowie tossed at him before I could respond. I didn't need him to defend me, but it was good to know that the guys had my back. Not for self, but for all. They were my brothers, and didn't everyone have one sibling they didn't always like?
Typically, I liked my shifts, but that one had been a long one. Penelope's car was in the driveway when I got home. Home? I knocked on her door several times before I let myself in with the key. Her single camp chair was in the family room, but she was nowhere to be found. Her clothes were hung with precision in the closet and her mostly flat air mattress was neatly made. "Penny?" Where the hell is she? The other two bedrooms were empty. Fuck, it smells in here. How many cats did the previous owners have? "Penny?" I called out again, still with no answer. I couldn't even call her because we hadn't exchanged phone numbers. I expected to encounter Rascal when I reached the backyard. He wasn't around either. I was about ready to call Grady and Dylan when I opened the door to my trailer and stepped in. The dining room table was covered in papers and an open laptop. I picked one sheet up to examine. It was a very detailed budget. It still didn't explain where Penny and my dog were. That was when I turned around and found them curled up together, asleep in my bed.
Chapter Seven
PENNY
"Y ou need to fig
ure out what you want." His words repeated on a loop in my head after he left for the fire station. He was right. I couldn't expect other people to take what I wanted into account when I didn't even know what it was that I wanted. There I was trying to make a stand for myself, and I was screwing everything up. For the first time in my life, I was making my own decisions and they needed to be smart ones. My parents and my sister were so sure I would fail and there I was, setting myself up for it all on my own.
Rascal nudged me. "What's up, boy?" I asked the crazy dog like I expected an answer. He put his head in my lap and wagged his tail while I pet him on the head.
"Do you want to go for a walk?" I asked hopefully. His response was a friendly bark followed by him heading for the door. I guess that was my answer.
I quickly found Rascal's leash inside the trailer hanging on a hook by the door. Carson's trailer was neat and tidy like it had been the last time I’d been inside. It smelled nothing like my ugly house. I still couldn't believe the man was here. He was parked in my driveway, ready to help me with my remodel. He barely knew me. Half the time, it seemed like he didn't want to be anywhere near me or was busy lecturing me. It was the other half of the time that made my pulse race. He’d bopped me on the end of my nose and I swear I’d felt it everywhere. At one point he’d looked like he was tempted to kiss me, and it had taken every ounce of strength I’d had not to move closer to him. Carson St. James had a smile that made me feel like anything was possible and a scowl that could bring grown men to their knees. And don't even get me started on his voice! A chill ran through me. Focus, Penny! Falling for someone like Carson wasn't going to help me prove anything.
The weather was perfect for a walk and to my surprise, Rascal was well behaved as we explored the neighborhood. Lawns were freshly mowed and kids, some of whom I recognized from the school, waved at me and exclaimed, "Hello, Ms. Anderson!" as I waved in return. I looked at the homes surrounding mine and thought about what I wanted. The reasons why I’d taken the job bounced around in my head. As much as I wanted to prove myself to my family, they weren't what drove me to cancel my plans for the next six months. It wasn't the fact that I wanted to pick out paint colors and fill my own refrigerator either. If I were honest with myself, I knew I could have done that at home. It wasn't like my parents forced me to stay with them. Was it convenient? Yes. If I had wanted to leave and live on my own, they wouldn't have stopped me. Questioned if it was a good choice? Of course—probably to the point I would stay right where I was, no matter what I wanted for myself. It was easier not to rock the boat. I didn't need to hear again how much they had given up so I could pursue my music. Thinking back, I could see it was all bull. I had been a child. My musical abilities had afforded them the life they’d lived. What had it cost me? My childhood. All these years later, I was letting it cost me my future.
"What do you want, Penny?" I mused out loud. Maybe if I put voice to the question, I would find the answer I was looking for. Rascal barked his support of the idea, and a smile stretched across my face. I had six months to figure it out. For now, I only needed to decide about the house. Carson was right; I needed a budget. That was where I would start.
I returned to my house with a purpose. After an hour of sitting in my uncomfortable camp chair in the stench, I decided I was ridiculous. Carson had a trailer with a perfectly good table and his space smelled clean and fresh like him. It wasn't like I was going to move anything or damage his stuff. I worried my bottom lip with my teeth and considered calling Dylan to see if she had his number. But even if I got it, would I use it? Carson was working, so I decided to ask his roommate.
“Would your dad care if I used his house?" Rascal looked up at me before thumping his tail. "Great, I've officially lost my mind." Did I really expect an answer? I decided it was easier to ask for forgiveness than permission and headed for the trailer.
"You look like you need this more than I do." I was rushing around the school music room trying mentally to prepare for my first class when second-grade teacher, Cathy Clementine, came in with a cup from Better Buzz. I would have stopped for coffee myself, but I had fallen asleep at Carson's table sometime after four a.m. working on my budget, only to be woken up by the cold nose of Rascal pressed to my face about twenty minutes ago. Thank goodness traffic in Sunnyville was pretty much non-existent. I had no idea I could get ready so quickly.
Cathy was sweet, but goodness could she talk, and I didn't have time. Manners would have suggested I refuse the offer of her cup, but screw that—I needed the caffeine. I took a giant slug before even offering my gratitude since I was already being so rude.
"Oh yes," I moaned as the delicious blend hit my taste buds. In that moment, the bell rang, saving me from having to form a complete sentence and communicate with another adult for the time being. Luckily for me, I had prepared everything for today's class yesterday before I left to meet Gabe, the shady contractor.
"Shoot, I need to get to my room before my class steals all the erasers from the pencils and a glitter bomb goes off. I don't want a repeat of last year's cavity search." The delightful smell of the coffee filled my nose as I tried to process what she had said. Before I could close my gapping mouth and question her, my newfound friend was gone. Do I even want to know?
A white pick-up truck was parked in my driveway when I arrived home. I cautiously walked to the side of the house to investigate. A low chain-link fence ran from the back of the house to the garage, enclosing the yard with another section surrounding the pool. Rascal stood watch next to a man in a now-familiar navy-blue t-shirt who skimmed the murky water with a long net.
"Hello," I offered in greeting as I lifted the catch on the gate and approached. Surely someone dangerous wouldn't be working on my pool while wearing a Sunnyville Fire t-shirt.
"Hey, I hope you don't mind, but Carson asked me to come over and take a look at the pool before my shift started." I recognized the man from Dylan's party as I moved closer. He was attractive, but it was the sound of Carson's name and the idea of him asking a buddy to come over here that did something to my insides. Carson had moved his trailer to my driveway the same day he’d agreed to help me and was already making calls to get work started. The man just had a way of making things happen.
"Thank you. It was extremely kind of you to come so quickly. Can I write you a check?" I had a little cash in my purse, but I didn't have a clue as to how much a pool guy cost. And with my pool being pea soup green, I wasn't expecting it to be cheap.
"No need." He waved me off. "This is what I do in my downtime. I'll be back in a few days to see how it's looking. You lucked out. Your equipment is in good shape. We need to get the chemicals straight and the pool will be good to use in no time." He turned his back to me and hung the pole on the fence before saying his goodbyes to Rascal. Then he reminded me he'd be back in a few days and took off. In my world, people didn't do things purely out of the kindness of their hearts. Maybe I’m not living in the right world. I don’t even know the names of the neighbors at my parents' house, a home I had lived in since I was twelve.
Half the block had already been over to meet me. Del and Debbie lived right next door. Debbie was a seamstress who worked from home, and Del sold golf carts all over the state. A retired couple lived across the street. Jim and Patty were the original property owners, and our houses were built in 1954. Jim touted that he knew everything anyone needed to know about these houses.
A young couple, Sarah and Trevor, lived on the other side of me. I’d already forgotten what they did, but she’d offered to lend me butter or sugar anytime I needed it. I was tempted to walk over with a measuring cup as a test to see if she had been telling me the truth, but I hadn’t attempted to cook anything yet. The smell of the house and the kitchen's ragged condition had been keeping me from it. I had always wanted to cook at home, but Linda, the longtime housekeeper my mother employed, didn't let anyone in "her" kitchen. Home renovation and cooking shows had been how I’d occupied myself while traveli
ng all over the world to perform. I’d bought every kitchen tool I would ever need to make all the exciting recipes I’d watched being made in front of me. I couldn't wait to unpack them all and use them once the kitchen was remodeled.
The kitchen as purchased was painted a dark brick color with dark cabinets accessorized with large metal hardware centered on each door, which screamed 1970s remodel to me. When I turned the electric burners on the stovetop to high, only two circular coils began to glow red. I imagined the kitchen sink was once white, and I knew after spending several sleepless nights in the house, the faucet leaked constantly. The location of the counter facing the family room made absolutely no sense to me. Two barstools could fit at it, but even a child would have trouble sitting in the cramped space. Despite the abysmal layout, I had a vision for how it would look once we were done with it. We? Carson and I weren't a we, and yet, I was excited to get his thoughts on the house and see his reaction over the plans I’d spent all night working on.
I entered the house and my new shadow followed me. It was hard to believe he was the same dog from our first two interactions—he was actually well-behaved! The dog had been on a mission when he had come running at me outside the coffee shop, dragging his owner along, and he had been laser-focused on me when he’d placed his mud-covered paws on me at the party. "Were you trying to get my attention?" I rubbed him between the ears. Great, I was talking to the dog again. I did need some sleep.