Tessa nodded. “Be right there.” She looked at her friends. “Y’all free for dinner?”
Anna walked over and hugged Tessa. “I agree with Paul. I’ll call you this afternoon, and we’ll make dinner plans.”
Lily hugged Tessa and voiced the same thoughts. Then the three of them walked out, leaving Tessa and Paul in the bedroom. Tessa lowered her voice when she said, “You do think we’ll have the money for the basics, don’t you? Is it possible my impulsive actions are going to work out this time?”
Paul entwined his fingers with hers. “Impulsive or trusting your gut? But don’t worry. The condo money is going to give us enough for all the basics. Let’s see what Charlie needs, and then we’ll go to the apartment and sort through financials.”
In the hallway, Charlie walked them toward the balcony doors, talking about structural support and concrete footings. When Paul went downstairs to grab his notepad, leaving Charlie and Tessa alone, Charlie asked, “Are you having money troubles? Be honest. I have a lot of men depending on this job.”
Tessa’s stomach clinched, but only for a moment. Charlie was only voicing a fear Tessa had already been fretting over. “Paul and I are going to crunch the numbers just to be sure, but we both feel confident that everything will work out.” She smiled, and it felt genuine. “I want to help the workers. I don’t want those guys out of a job. We definitely have the money for a lot of the repairs that we’ll need to make this house livable.”
The crease between Charlie’s brows lessened. “I know you want to help, but you have to make sure you take care of yourself too. Don’t make decisions that will harm you.”
Tessa snorted. “I should have had that tattooed on my forehead years ago. I won’t keep the men working if I can’t pay them. I promise. But I think we’re going to be okay. Honest.”
Charlie nodded her head. “I believe you.”
Paul bounded up the stairs, and then he and Charlie continued their discussion about the balcony. She hadn’t realized she’d been carrying around the worry about whether the condo would sell and whether they’d have more money to help with repairs. Now that the deal was made, there was a good chance she could save Honeysuckle Hollow and herself.
Chapter 23
White-Lightning Grits and Thunder Eggs
Laterthatafternoon,Tessand Paul returned to the apartment. She tossed a folder full of her financial paperwork on the coffee table while Paul sat on the couch with his open laptop. She filled a glass with ice and water for Paul. Then she opened her twenty-ounce Pepsi, took a large gulp, and plopped down on the opposite end of the couch so she could stretch out her legs. As soon as she was comfortable, her cell phone rang.
“Charlie, hey, what’s up?”
“Do you have a minute?”
Tessa sat up straighter on the couch. “Of course.”
“The electrician and a friend of mine who’s a master mason just left. You know we already discussed the fact that you have knob and tube wiring all throughout the house, and, well, it’s not up to code. There’s no way we’d be allowed to professionally renovate this house and not update it. We wouldn’t even be able to get permits. Plus, you’d never be able to resell the house or be properly insured. It would be a mess. Anyway, the electrical will have to be replaced.”
“I figured as much,” Tessa said. “Any idea what that’ll cost?”
Charlie paused long enough for the acidic Pepsi in Tessa’s stomach to bubble and push burning liquid up her esophagus. “They’ll need to disconnect the old system, run new wiring, install modern junction boxes, replace fuses and breakers, and update any outlets, receptacles, and fixtures connected directly to the wiring. It’ll be time-consuming, and they’ll need full access to the house, which I don’t think will be a problem. You’ll need somewhere to stay while they’re working. The job will be easier since you have an attic and a crawlspace, but due to the size of the house and the fact that the garage will need rewiring too, it’ll be a big job. Plus, you’ll have to patch holes in the walls when they’re all finished. Not a problem to do that, but I just want you to know what’ll be going on—”
“Charlie,” Tessa interrupted, “what kind of cost are we looking at?”
Charlie hesitated, then answered, “Around twelve thousand dollars.”
Tessa’s eyes widened, and she pressed her hand against her collarbone because the Pepsi burn had turned into full-blown indigestion. Paul’s expression turned inquisitive.
“There’s more,” Charlie continued. “The master mason looked at the chimney and the brickwork surrounding the foundation as well as the actual foundation, since it’s brick too. The mortar is more than one hundred years old, and due to natural wear, it’s deteriorating. Unfortunately, it will continue to worsen. His suggestion is not to replace the foundation, which should ease your mind a little, but he suggests repointing the bricks.”
“Meaning what?”
“In layman’s terms, he’ll fill in and repair the joints in the brickwork. It’s kind of a dying art. I wouldn’t be comfortable with you using anyone else. He’s the best.”
Tessa sagged against a couch cushion and exhaled. “And how much doesthe bestcost?”
“This is a guesstimate, but I’d say you’re looking at twenty-five thousand dollars.”
Tessa pitched forward. “Twenty-five thousand! Are you serious?”
“Think it over tonight. I’ll call you in the morning. But, Tessa, I wouldn’t suggest it if I didn’t think it was important to be done. I know you’re in . . . in a tighter position financially. Think it over, and we’ll talk tomorrow.”
Tessa still had the phone pressed to her ear when she heard the disconnection beeps. Paul hadn’t taken his eyes off of her.
