Chapter Fifteen
Bas fought to keep the grin off his face for the rest of the car ride. He was so proud of Dane. When given the opportunity to lash out because he was uncomfortable, he just asked questions instead. He was learning. And Paige was patient enough to answer him without irritation.
She agreed to spend the night at Bas’s place. He knew he’d convince her to stay longer. No reason he couldn’t start his new home with someone who really needed it. He knew Paige had just turned nineteen, but had been on the streets since she was fifteen. After everyone left for the evening, he’d have a long talk with her about what really happened to give her those bruises and put her in the hospital instead of the free clinic she normally went to.
They pulled onto his street just as a couple construction trucks were driving off. Had they been at his place? The limo turned into his drive, and he couldn’t help but notice new tracks in the snow. He got out wondering just what had gone on while he wasn’t there.
“What did you guys do?” he asked Tommy as he headed toward the house.
Tommy just shrugged and followed him. Ru opened the door for them a moment later.
“Welcome home, Bas.”
“Please tell me there’s no one waiting to jump out and scream surprise at me.” No one else was in the house; however, his house had been transformed. The old galley kitchen was now open to the living and dining areas, a huge granite island in place of the wall that had closed it off. The dark walls were gone, replaced with a soft gray accent wall and a brick backsplash. The cabinets were white, but not because they’d been painted. The doors were actually different, paned, and the hardware he’d chosen had been added. The walls of the living room now matched the dining area in a warm coffee color that contrasted nicely with the stainless steel appliances and new farm sink. It was a dream.
Ru grabbed oven mitts off the counter and pulled a pan out of the oven, setting it on a hot pad on the island before moving to retrieve a second pan. Bas ran his hand along the counter.
“This is amazing. You did this all in one day? It must have cost you a fortune.”
Tommy shrugged.
“We’re here all the time. And, knowing what you want to do with this place meant that you needed something for the long-term.” He motioned to the room. “This is Ru’s and my gift to you for being such a great friend and doing good things for people who need it.”
Tears stung his eyes. He blinked them back as he opened drawers and ran through the placement of everything. The corner breakfast nook under the window had been updated, old vinyl seats and metal table removed and replaced with a polished wood bench and a table and chairs set that could fit at least ten.
“I’m thinking that you’ll have a full house in no time,” Ru said as he pulled out a loaf of bread and began to slice it into even pieces.
The food smelled amazing, and Bas was suddenly hungry.
“Is that the Corbins’ famous eggplant lasagna?”
“Sure is. Mrs. C and I have been practicing the recipe. I’ve got it down now. I have a boyfriend who can’t cook, so I need to excel to keep him fed.” He grinned at Adam, then pointed to one pan. “That one is vegetarian. The other one has meat in it.” He looked at Dane, eyes not lingering on his friend’s body but meeting his eyes.
“I’m so happy you decided to come with them, Dane. Those cookies you made for me were great. Will you try my cooking?”
Dane nodded, studying the contents of the pan without meat in it.
“There’s really no meat in there? What do you mean by eggplant? There’re eggs in there?”
Ru explained how the eggplant was a vegetable that was peeled and sliced thin to be the “noodle” layer between the cheese and sauce.
Bas lead Paige to one of the newly completed bedrooms and gave her some towels.
“You should wash up, get warm. Then come out and eat.” He brushed her hair out of her face, hating seeing her so bruised again. It would be the last time if he could help it. “You can talk to me, you know. I’m your friend.”
She pulled him into a hug, shaking for a moment but obviously refusing to let the tears she was fighting go. Bas knew her all too well. Had even tried dating her for a while, only to discover she was too much girl for him. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t be friends.
“I won’t be a burden.”
“You’re not a burden. You’re my friend, just like all those guys out in the kitchen are my friends. And I take care of my friends.”
“They bought you a new kitchen. I could never do that.”
“I don’t need anyone tobuyme anything.” Bas adjusted the threadbare shoulders of her dress. She needed clothes something fierce. “I need you to be happy and well. How about you stay here for a bit? Maybe get on your feet. It’s just a ten-minute walk to downtown North St. Paul. Lots of businesses there. Probably someone hiring.” A permanent address would help her find a job. The stability would do her good. He wondered if she’d ever completed high school. A lot of the homeless kids he met feared putting down roots, the memory of rejection strong enough it kept them wandering. He hoped he could change that for her.
“I’ll think about it.”
Bas translated that to she still didn’t want to be a burden.
