Rico clapped him on the back and started down the trail again. “Hey, maybe someday I’ll need pay back.”
Aside from the one time they’d both been toasted, Rico was as closemouthed as a clam.
“Sure, pal. Sure.”
Chapter nine
Chelseaglanceddownather phone.
—Sorry. Car problems. Be there soon.—
She sighed as she shuffled outside. Her first thought when she saw the text from Theo was that he was canceling. It had been his suggestion to get the dog, but now she was more excited than she’d been in a long time. No matter how many times she’d asked her father growing up, he’d always said no. With all their money and the amount of land they owned, it would have been easy enough to hire people to make sure the dog was clean and walked and didn’t bother her father. Another way he had controlled her.
Tossing the trash bag in the barrel out back, she turned and grabbed the railing to go back up the steps, still looking at her phone. The wood swayed and cracked. She tried to catch herself but ended up falling over the side, her leg scraping on the concrete landing.
Ow, that hurt.The broken railing post had dug into her side, and she’d landed hard on her butt. That would leave a bruise. Not that anyone would see it. Reaching for her phone, she checked that it hadn’t cracked in the fall. Nope, all good. The heavy-duty cover she’d gotten had protected it. Too bad she didn’t have a heavy-duty cover, too. When she lifted her top, she saw a jagged scratch down her side with several spots seeping blood. At least Theo being late would give her time to clean it up.
Getting to her feet was a bit harder, as her side hurt and her shin throbbed. She limped to the downstairs bathroom. Did she even have any medical supplies? It hadn’t been something she’d ever had to think about. The estate had been filled with anything you’d ever need. Well, except love. And comfort. Some of the staff had been kind to her, but mostly her father hired people with little emotion, who could do their job without getting involved with the occupants.
There were a few bandages in the cabinet over the sink, so Chelsea took a facecloth, wet it with warm water, and began patting the scrapes on her side. After taping up the worst of the injury, she attempted to pull up her pant leg, but the jeans were too snug. The scrape stung. She removed the pants and scanned the damage. Yuck. Most of her shin was scraped. Where the edge of the step had gouged into her was already beginning to turn colors.
Okay, jeans wouldn’t work today. Once she’d cleaned off the wound and wrapped some gauze around her leg, she went upstairs and changed into a pair of loose linen pants. A quick brush of her hair and some makeup and she was ready to go. Plus, some painkillers to dull the ache in her side and leg.
As she got the ibuprofen from her purse, her hand encountered her medication. The stuff she hadn’t taken in a while. Should she? Would it help quell the anxiety pouring into her at the thought of being with Theo again?
Not that Saturday hadn’t been amazing. It had been. But too many people had stared at her like she’d either had six heads or had murdered her entire family in their sleep. Would that happen again today? They were heading off island to Trenton, so hopefully no one would know the history between her and Theo.
The sound of a car pulling into the driveway cut her thoughts off quickly. After downing the pain pills and slipping the others back in her bag, she grabbed a gray hoodie and trotted out to the front porch. The back stairs would be another thing to add to her list of what had to be fixed.
“All ready?” Theo asked, emerging from the driver’s side.
“I am. Thanks for taking me.” Getting into the car caused a few twinges, so she gritted her teeth and dragged a smile onto her face. Not hard when she glanced in the back and saw the beaming face of her daughter. Her daughter. She’d never get tired of that.
“Hey, sweetie. Ready to help me pick out a dog?”
Jordan’s eyes widened. “Yep, Mama, I’m so excited. But Daddy said the doggy has to stay at your place, since he’s not home much.”
Theo put the car in gear and pulled onto the road. “I wanted her to understand we aren’t keeping the dog. That doesn’t mean you can’t bring it over when you visit.”
“I appreciate that.” Especially since she planned to visit as often as Theo would allow. She wished she was brave enough to ask if she could take Jordan during the day sometimes. Was she ready for that? Having her daughter all to herself? Maybe taking care of the dog would show Theo she could be trusted. Right? Because dogs and children were so similar.
As they drove, Jordan chattered away in the back seat about some of her friends who had pets. Theo chuckled, asking, “What did Mike have to say about your house? He came on Monday, right?”
Mike Gomez had been great. Chelsea was glad Theo had suggested him. “He said the house was structurally in good shape, but there are some things that should be replaced or updated.”
“Good. Did he give you any idea of people who could do this?”
“He gave me lots of names. Said I should check them out myself, but he’s worked with all of them and highly recommended most of them. I think I’ll start with updating the bathrooms. At least the upstairs one first. The carpets also all need to be ripped out because of rodents and general wear and tear. He suggested I don’t put in the new carpets until all the walls have been repainted. You don’t have to worry about spills and stuff that way. But I’ll be without carpets for a while.”
“There’s a place in Ellsworth that has carpet remnants real cheap. I’d be glad to pick up a few for you to use until you can get the new ones installed.”
“Really? You’d do that for me? Thank you.”
“I want you to be comfortable, Chelsea. What else needs to be done?”
“The front porch has a few railings that have rotted out and need to be replaced. The back steps, too.” She touched her side where the throb had only slightly lessened.
They chatted for the whole drive about her house repairs and the new appliances she wanted to get.
