Tessa’s eye twitched. She pressed her fingertips against it. “I’ll sign the final paperwork to sell the condo next week. And if you can believe it, a new listing popped up. I think it’s a good fit for me, so I put in an offer.”
Carolyn inhaled sharply. “You did? Well, honey, that was fast. I’m proud of you for making a plan and following through with it. Clayton, Tessa found a house.” Tessa heard her daddy’s grumbly voice in the background.
“It’s a historic home, and it needs a bit of work, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
Her mama made a noise in her throat. “How much work? Where’s the house?”
“Dogwood Lane.”
“Are you being vague on purpose?”
Tessa puffed out air, and the mint quivered beside her.Rip it off like a Band-Aid.“I bought Honeysuckle Hollow, and I’ve already put down my earnest money and signed the final contract, and I can’t turn back now, and I’m moving in tonight,” she said in one breath.
Carolyn made a choking noise. “I’m sorry, what? Dr. Hamilton’s place? Tessa, the last time I saw that house, it was hiding behind a forest of weeds. I don’t thinka bit of workis an honest description. No one has lived in that house in years as far as I know.”
“It’s a great house, Mama.”
“It was a great house twenty years ago. Now it’s a tragedy. Here’s what you should do. You should call back the seller and tell him that you suffered from temporary insanity because you lost your condo in the flood and you would like your earnest money back. There is no reason on this earth that you should purchase a fixer-upper, especially a mansion that’s falling apart. You can’t even change a flat tire. What in the world makes you think you can rehab a home or even have the money for it?”
Tessa’s body trembled with an emotion akin to outrage. Why was everyone so determined to destroy Honeysuckle Hollow or leave it to decay? “I used my savings to purchase the home. I’m not asking for my money back because I can’t. And even if I could, I don’t want to. This is what’s best for me.”
Her mama laughed. “Now I know you’re joking. You’d never use your savings on such an impulsive decision.”
Tessa wiped at the tears on her cheek. “You don’t have to support me or believe that I can do this, but I’d hoped you would.”
“Tessa,” Carolyn said in a gentler voice, “Idobelieve in you, but I know you’ve had a habit of rash behavior that has led to unfortunate consequences. I only want to help you and guide you. I love you and know where your gifts lie, and, honey, you’ve never rehabbed anything in your life. It’s best if you choose a different project. Maybe start small and work your way up.”
Tessa shook her head, even though her mama couldn’t see her. “This is what I want, Mama. Tell Daddy I said hey and that I love him.”
“Tessa—”
“Mama, I need to get going. Y’all have fun, and we’ll talk soon.”
“I’m worried about you,” Carolyn said.
Tessa’s throat tightened. “Don’t be. I’ll be fine. I’ll call you soon, okay?” Tessa said good-bye, and although she knew her mama wanted to talk more, she allowed Tessa to go.
Tessa sat in the Great Pumpkin with her bottom lip quivering. Everyone in her life thought she’d made an awful decision, and nausea swelled inside her body. Sweat beaded across her forehead. She looked at the mint. “My best friends and my mama don’t think I can fix the house. Paul . . . I’m not sure his opinion matters, but he was doubtful too.” She rubbed her temples. “What do you think? Do you agree with everyone else?” she asked the plant.
A breeze blew through the open car windows, and runners of mint unfurled and stretched across Tessa’s thigh. Another tendril curled around her wrist, and Tessa stared at the spear-shaped leaves pressing against her skin. “Is that a no?” She glanced out the windshield, blinked away her tears, and nodded her head. “I have a mint plant on my side, and let’s not forget about the protection spear. Oh, and the town clairvoyant agrees with my decision. What a team.”
Chapter 19
Honeysuckle Wine
Intheearlyevening,Tessa parked the Great Pumpkin against the curb in front of Honeysuckle Hollow as the burnt-orange sun descended toward the horizon. Lightning bugs performed a coordinated dance in the front yard, flicking on and off, signaling one another in a light show of wonder. An ache pulsed against Tessa’s temples, and her stomach growled, a sign that her discouragement was waning and her appetite returning. “Focus on the positive. Focus on the positive,” she repeated like a mantra.
The Potts had re-laid all the bricks in the herringbone pathway, and without the unruly overgrowth, Tessa saw the distinct outlines of flowerbeds. Dr. Hamilton’s damask roses displayed thorny branches punctuated with buds of green.
Pressure-treated wood, acting as temporary columns, structurally supported the front porch roofline, hindering any further collapse. Someone had spray-painted a smiley face on the plywood ramp leading to the front door.
Tessa popped open the Great Pumpkin’s trunk and grabbed a few bags of supplies for her overnight stay. Crickets chirped as she wobbled up the trembling ramp. Once inside the foyer, Tessa exhaled and thought,Mine. The boards on the living windows had been removed. Tessa could see some repair work had been done to them, and someone had washed the glass, allowing falling sunlight to stream through.
She continued to unload the car until all of her belongings and her hardware store purchases crowded the living room. Tessa did a quick walk-through to see what the workers had completed in her absence. The French doors had been replaced. The upstairs carpet had been removed, thankfully along with the acrid scent of urine. Stacks of supplies were shoved against a wall in the kitchen. A note written in black marker was pinned to the kitchen island with a hammer. It read,We’ll be back at 7:00 a.m. on Monday.
Tessa moved all the covered furniture in the front living room against one wall. Then she upended the bags from the hardware store. The electricity couldn’t be turned on in the house until an inspector checked the wiring and circuitry, which wouldn’t happen until Monday. So Tessa unpacked two LED lanterns and hand cranked both until they illuminated the front room in a soft, white glow. Lightning bugs flashed near the front windows as if watching her.
She unrolled the sleeping bag that smelled of newness and plastic and spread it on the hardwood floor. She lay down on it and shrugged. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing she’d ever slept on, but it wasn’t the worst either. Tessa looked at the tent box. She didn’t need a tent since she was inside the house, but she’d convinced herself she was camping. And once she told the store employee she needed camping gear, Tessa hadn’t wanted to explain it was for an indoor excursion. Now she was committed to setting up everything, but she hesitated before tackling the tent. Tessa vaguely recalled Anna earning a Girl Scout camping badge and learning how to properly set up a campsite, but Tessa had avoided that badge. She had only been talked into Girl Scouts for the cookies anyway.
