“Okay, I’ll take another look at it.” Dan folds the plan and puts it into his back pocket. “What about turning upstairs here into an apartment again?”
Clem chuckles, “Nope, we ripped that out when we set up. It’s a great storage area, and we have it set up, as you know, so anything extra needed to be stored, can be. We discussed having it as a lease but didn’t, and still don’t, want the bother.”
“I can understand that. Some people don’t look after the place they live, and around where I’m living, they don’t give a dang. The houses are pleasant, but the people—not so much.”
“Well, you can get busy with us and get the apartment next door renovated. We can then organize the garage area.It will be better to do the apartment first, rather than drag stuff through a working garage area.” I pick up the mugs and take them to the small sink we have in the kitchen and rinse them. Then get my ass back to work or Mr. Burdell will be pissed his vehicle isn’t ready at pickup time.
I’m the driver today, and Clem is leaning back in the passenger seat, taking a minute before we arrive home. “Oh, is it okay if I take Oren to an ice-hockey game? He’s been watching with Whitney and seems to have caught the bug. Whitney suggested we go to a game and give Oren that experience.”
“Yeah, it’s fine with me, but check with Maylee. You know she’s a mamma-bear and will want all the details,” I chortle.
“You know she’s a great person. The way she’s taken to Oren, becoming his mother, and has this incredible relationship with you, plus kept her job. It’s a mammoth thing, and not sure I could have done it with the ease she has. She threw all in with you brother, and after the other bitch you deserved a good one.”
Grinning more to myself than Clem, I reply. “I love her, and I know she loves me in return. She is so open with things that if something irritates her you know it just by thelook on her face. She has the adoption papers done for Oren because she wants to be his legal mother. She mentioned something about maybe having to have an interview. It made me laugh because you know as well as I do that she’ll make sure she comes across as the best mother Oren could ever have. She also has a whole law office on her side.”
“She has enough people to character witness for her I’m sure. I wouldn’t even think twice about it, if it even happens.” Clem picks up his phone from where he’d placed it next to his thigh. “Hello Lou, what’s up?”
I hear mumbling but not what is being said. It has to be something important for her to call at this time.
Closing out the call, Clem turns his head and gives me what can only be described as a shit-eating grin. “That was Lou. Apparently the man selling the place was getting annoying, and Lou ripped him a new one. He wanted to renegotiate the price. Well, Lou renegotiated, and after throwing out that every single thing in the place needed renovating, and even the outside of the building needed repainting she knocked him down another $5,000.”
It was lucky I was pulling up in the driveway of the house because I stomp on the brake and look at Clem with more than a small amount of shock on my face. “So, we have the place for $125,000?”
“Yeah, we do. Maylee is going to do all the financial stuff with Lou. She’s got all the information she’d need to get this done fast. That’s what Whitney told me.”
“That’s right. Maylee said to leave all the financial sides to her, and she’d deal with it. I left it with her Clem, because she knows best, and she has, as you said the resources.” I grin. “Boy, things are looking up from only two years ago. I’m thinking I’m damn lucky, and I intend to stay lucky.”
“I have Whitney speaking with a friend about a new sign for outside the garage. I’ll show you the design as soon as I get it. But anything has got to be better than the shit we have up.” Clem laughs.
“You are right on that score. Okay, I’ll catch you later. I have a wife to see, and a son to mess with.”
Laughing, Clem gives me a wave as he mumbles something about a shit, shower and sex. I shake my head as I open the back door because I don’t want to know!
Chapter 14
Maylee
Sitting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, my mind is still at work. I’m waiting for the report from Mr. Wallis. He left a note on my desk first thing that he hopes to hear some news today.
“Mrs. Barstow, the doctor will see you now.”
I turn and give the medical assistant a smile as I head to the doctor. He’s a nice man, and my first contact with him when I came to town was confidence-giving. He listened to my history, which is next to nothing, and he asked about my background family history. Making notes and looking satisfied with my answers.
“Come on in, Mrs. Barstow. Take a seat and tell me what can I do for you today?” Doctor Charlesworth asks while sitting relaxed behind his desk.
“I’m going to stop taking the pill. I just wanted to be sure that was okay, or if I had to watch for something, dosomething?” I mumbled because honestly I’ve no idea if I’ll have a problem stopping them.
“Are you wanting to start a family?” Doc asks.
I give him a smile. “Yes. I’m in the process of adopting Oren, my stepson. We would like to add to our family now, too. Before Oren gets much older and the gap is large between them,” I explain.
“You have no record of any history with heavy periods, mood swings or the like. Is that right?” Doc is checking the computer screen, reading what history is on my file.
“No, I’ve been lucky really,” I reply.
“I want to have a health screen done, so we’ll have the nurse check your blood pressure and take some blood. Just making sure all is as it should be. From your records, I see no reason for concern. As you are here informing me you want to conceive I want to put you on prenatal vitamins daily. It can take up to three months for your body to return to normal after stopping the pill, so don’t worry if you don’t conceive immediately. If you have any heavy bleeding, see blood clots, redness in your arms or legs you come back to me with no hesitation.” Doc buzzes the nurse and asks her to come fetch me for the labs, while he hands me a prescription for the vitamins to take. I take it and thank the doctor.
I follow the nurse and have my health check completed, then quickly dash to have the script filled. If nothing unusual then I’ll hear nothing, but they will contact me ifsomething needs addressing. The nurse is friendly enough, but I may call to check on my results, regardless!
