Page 46 of Heir to a Curse

Chapter 18

The next few days passed without incident. The fact that I wanted something to happen was telling. We finished the kitchen. I’d wished the guys goodbye, watching them drive off with their truck and the camper, and the announcement party for Hitori’s growing family was scheduled for the end of the following week.

Three days of yard work, including hedge trimming, a lot of time on the riding mower, and several tons of delivered dirt to create the small garden area around the cabin and shrine, and I was running out of things to do.

“You’re supposed to be resting,” Addy said as she dropped off my woodworking tools. “Not building new sheds and gardening.” She pointed out the large area I’d created, a home behind the mansion that still didn’t feel like mine. The shed was large enough to house a few built-in tables, and shield me from the heat of the day as I worked on whatever project. I’d also added a peg board section for tools, including some basic garden shovels and trowels. Why I thought the garden was necessary, I had no idea. I was not a man into playing in the dirt. I could do it. Had spent enough time doing basic landscaping in my life to create a satisfying outdoor space. But the pots of dirt waiting for plants, and the rows of fresh raised garden beds I’d built? Those were beyond my norm.

I unpacked the tools she’d brought, thrilled she’d added my supply of rare wood pieces. “He hasn’t been back for a few days,” I told her. Not in my dreams, or in any reflection or damage to the estate. I’d been taking flowers into the shrine every day, clearing out the old, and lighting incense.

“Maybe you broke the curse,” She said handing me boxes of stuff to sort.

“No.” My gut said no. That it was something else. He was staying away. Maybe he’d realized how much of an asshole I’d been in the past too, and decided not to come back. Of course that idea made my heart hurt. Odd how I knew so little about him, and yet needed him so badly. It wasn’t how I normally functioned. I had to know details about a person before I let them close at all. “Maybe he’s mad ‘cause the house is finished?”

“Each time you saw him did seem to correspond with damage to the property,” Addy pointed out.

“Correlation does not equal causation,” I reminded her, though the thought had occurred to me too.

She sighed and handed me the last box. “Can you please take a week off?”

I motioned to all the stuff she’d just brought. “Plan to work on Christmas presents. You know I’m not going to just sit here and do nothing. Montana even restocked my fridge and pantry. So I can hang out and craft some fancy bowls or something.”

Addy put her hands on her hips, staring at me like she thought I was up to something. But I had no other plans. The cabin was done, the house fixed, only waiting for the final outside bricks to arrive, and the shrine had been as restored as I could make it with new paint and a lock on the doors.

“It’s summer time,” I reminded her. “I want to be working, not bundled up inside like it’s twenty below. Let me craft.”

“Fine. But don’t start carving drawings into the walls of the cabin, that’s a little over the top.”

“Right, cause that’s something I would do,” I said. “Thank you for bringing my stuff.”

“Of course. Could you just…” She looked at the cabin and the new shed, and garden. “Grieve?”

“I am,” I promised, hand over my heart. “It feels right to be here. To know she’s close.” I’d picked up a handful of flowers for the planters so I’d have options other than the roses to add to the shrine. They were perennials, and supposed to be low maintenance, but time would tell.

I spread my arms wide. “Virtual hug,” I told her. She sighed again and mimicked me, squeezing the air from a distance like she was hugging me.

“This will all be over eventually.”

“Sure,” I agreed. “Then we’ll hug it out for real. Share our germs like we used to. Now go. You have kids to tame. Those little germ bags need constant attention. I am already house-trained.”

She snorted. “Mostly.”

“Hey!”

She laughed as she headed toward the path. “Rest please. And call me.”

“I will,” I promised and watched her disappear toward the house. The quiet of the space, an echo of nothing but birds chirping and bugs buzzing soothed something in me. I’d put together a small patio area of stones large enough for a tiny two-seater table. It was perfect for my morning coffee. The edge of it was surrounded by planters, and I’d spread a swath of wildflower seeds in the area surrounding the house opposite the path with the idea of providing lots of food for visiting rabbits. Though I had yet to see the little white bunny return either.

I set up my supplies in the shed, having even installed a small air regulation unit that could offer heat if I wanted to work in the winter, or cool air if the day got too hot. But crafting bowls wasn’t what was on my mind. I stared at the little hair piece, knowing the rest of it had been made out of wood. Likely carved with hands much more skilled than mine and a lot less tools. In theory it should have been simple.

But after several hours of frustration, and nearly injuring myself twice, I realized there was no way I would be able to replicate that hairpiece. I could craft large things, like chunky trim, or elaborately framed doors, but tiny hats were not in my scope. I cursed my incompetence and put everything away, locking the shed behind me and wondering if Montana had brought me any liquor. I hadn’t asked for any. There was probably some at the house, since part of the new kitchen install had been a wine fridge to store stuff from the wine cellar I had yet to see.

A perfunctory search came up dry, so I sent Montana a text.Is there any alcohol in the mansion that isn’t worth a fortune?

I wasn’t a big drinker by nature. Life as a business owner and contractor did not lend a lot of time to hangovers and recovery. But I felt like I needed something to help me relax, and to ease the loneliness and depression of my failure. That was the worst part, the depression, eating away at me with a million thoughts of things I really didn’t have the power to change.

Sofia had died from cancer. I’d been unable to save her, not that I knew much about medicine in general, but it still bothered me. Xiang was cursed, and so far, I seemed unable to break it. And even the house seemed to have constant trouble, though whether or not it was tied to the curse, I wasn’t certain. But the people whose jobs were tied to the house were looking at me to create a way to make it work. That hadn’t happened yet either. I was beyond frustrated with my own incompetence, though I wasn’t sure what other avenues to try yet.

Montana responded back that there were several bottles of wine that were not ancient vintage and that he’d bring them my way, as well as dinner. I hated the idea of him constantly cooking for me, but my stomach grumbled with hunger at the thought. In truth, if I wanted to settle down here on the estate and have a normal sort of life, Montana would have been an option.