Page 8 of More Than A Fixer-Upper (Hope Runs Deep #13)

Chase

It’s been two days since Gerald calls me, and last night he sends a message asking me to meet him at the Lavender and Roses Bed and Breakfast this morning at ten.

Rosalie’s ready to talk. I shoot a message to Seth and Hailey she’s still bummed she didn’t get to meet Rosalie and the kids the other day, so I tell her she can come along today.

When I pull into the driveway, Gerald’s already waiting.

“The roof looks like it needs to be replaced,” Hailey says, pushing her way out of the front seat.

“What else?” I ask. Seth smirks, already amused.

“There’s some siding on that side,” she points, “that looks like it should be redone. If I were the contractor, I’d say redo it all.

There could be damage under there, especially with how the front roof looks.

Also, the porch needs sanding and paint.

I don’t know how solid the structure is, so we might need to redo that too. ”

I nod. She’s not wrong.

“Windows?” I ask.

“I think they’re fine. Ms. Rosa had them redone in the last five years, if I remember right.”

“Good job. Grab the notebook we’ll check things out while we wait for the new owner.”

“Will we be able to go inside?” Hailey asks, standing next to me.

I shrug. No clue how Rosalie wants to handle this. We walk around the building, commenting on the landscaping, roof, siding, trees, and porch. I try the front door, but it’s locked.

“Trying to get the cops called on you?” Gerald tsks. “Turning my Hailey Bug into a criminal?”

Hailey giggles and runs to hug him.

“Sorry I’m late. Got caught up talking. Rosalie isn’t here yet?” Gerald looks around, frowns, then perks up. “Oh here they come.” He slaps my shoulder and heads toward the three people walking up from the cottage. Hailey and I go over our notes.

“Good morning, everyone!” a chipper voice calls out behind us.

I tense. I’m not built for cheery people. Hailey knows when to dial down her sunshine around me.

“Chase, this is Rosalie Potter and her two children, Winnie and Drew.”

I turn to greet the new owner and swallow hard. Brown hair, warm eyes, and a smile that scrambles my thoughts. She holds out her hand, and I just stare at it. Hailey bumps my arm, snapping me out of it. I take her hand.

“Pleasure to meet you,” I say. She smiles. I frown, it’s a reflex.

Hailey steps forward. “I’m Hailey. Uncle Seth and Uncle Chase let me tag along when my parents are busy.” She turns to Winnie and Drew. “I’m turning thirteen this weekend. We’ll be in the same grade. If you want to come to my party, I can introduce you to my friends.”

Winnie smiles and looks to her mom.

“As long as your parents are okay with a couple extra kids, they’re more than welcome,” Rosalie says.

Drew steps back, guarded. I glance at Seth he nods. The kid reminds me of myself at that age.

“They’ll be fine. I’ll let their folks know,” Seth says.

Hailey and Winnie exchange numbers and start chatting about school, music, movies, and local fun. Drew sticks close to Rosalie, phone in hand, pointing things out. I walk over to him.

“Hey. I saw you pointing at the porch roof. What are you thinking?” Drew stiffens. “Sorry didn’t mean to sneak up.”

“It’s okay,” he says, voice low but steady. “I think the porch roof needs replacing. We were sweeping yesterday it’s sturdy, but there’s a lot of mold.”

“I noticed some warping. See how it droops in places?” I point out a few spots. Drew nods. “That means it got wet and dried unevenly. Could be from tree cover or something hanging over it. You’re right it needs replacing. Hailey spotted some things too. What else do you see?”

He rattles off the same list as Hailey, then adds that some tree roots are starting to push through the siding. Rosalie watches us with a look of wonder. I don’t know why, but something about this kid makes me want to know him better.

Seth and I stay outside with Drew while the others head inside.

“Is it going to be expensive to fix?” Drew asks, biting his lip.

“I’m not sure yet. I need to bring in the right people. We want to do it right don’t want to mess up the foundation. I also need to see what’s going on inside.”

He nods and walks toward the house.

“I have the list,” he says. “Mom and I went through every room while we cleaned. We made suggestions, and anything that looked off went on the list.” He pulls out his phone, clicks through, and hands it to me. “Mom’s going to want to talk to you, but I figured you could get a head start.”

We reach the porch. Before we go inside, Drew turns to me.

“Mr. Marks says you’re a good guy. I may only be thirteen, but don’t mess with my mom.

She raised us alone, gave up everything for us.

This is her dream her connection to her family.

I won’t let anyone take that from her. Not even my sister’s attitude about moving to a smaller town. Do we understand each other?”

He stares me down. Seth too.

Is this kid for real?

Yeah. He is.