Olivia grabbed my arm as I was walking out the door and pulled me into a tight hug.
“I don’t think inviting him to stay with you is the way to get over the way that jackass treated you, but I also know you and know you trust your gut. Just be careful, okay?”
I nodded and hugged her back, and she handed over a ziplock bag with the rest of the cookies. I followed the girls out the door and down Olivia’s driveway before turning around and waving to her as I climbed in my truck and cranked the ignition.
Maybe they were right. It was stupid of me to let one foul, evil little cockroach under my skin. Tomorrow, I’d text Mark and tell him the offer was there if he needed it. A part of me hoped he’d say yes, but even if he didn’t, I wouldn’t be embarrassed. I’d own it.Probably.
8 - MARK
Iwas scrambling to clean before Mom got here. If there was one dish in the sink or shirt in the laundry basket, she’d take care of it. She was already doing me a favor today by watching Phoebe while I was at work. I didn’t need to leave her a mess. So the dirty laundry went in the closet with the door shut, and the dishes went in the dishwasher. I straightened the pantry, replaced the hand towels in the bathroom, and threw away all the takeout containers in the fridge. She’d still find something to do, but I felt better giving the house a quick once over.
I was tying off the trash when she opened the back door with two casserole dishes in her hand and a frown on her face. The kitchen floor creaked as she came closer, reminding me the house was a ticking time bomb, and I had to find a place to stay.Soon.
Mom had on jean capris, a green button-down shirt, and white keds, like she was ready for a game of bridge or to gossip on her porch with a white wine spritzer. Her short blonde hair matched mine, came down to her chin, and was white at the temples. I quickly walked over and kissed her cheek before taking the casseroles and laying them on the stove-top while she sighed and looked me up and down.
“What happened to the porch steps, Marcus? I had to maneuver these dishes all the way around the house, but the landscaping is beautiful.”
She patted my shoulder and took an apron off the pantry door, tying it around her waist and pulling two coffee cups and sugar out of the cabinet.
“Hi, Mom. I took my frustration with the termites out on the steps.”
“Well, better the steps than the drywall. Grab my knitting bag and purse from the front seat, please.”
I nodded and headed out the back door, jogging to her car and grabbing her things. The missing steps looked awful, but I would meet with the crew on Wednesday to come up with a game plan. Maverick came through with a recommendation, and Bill sent me his full write-up to pass along to the construction guys. They could work me into their schedule and looked to get the work done in about a month.
I shook my head and locked her car door, bringing the purse, knitting bag, and two sacks of groceries. The back door made an ominous squeak as I opened it, but in the quick minute or two, I was gone—she’d filled the kitchen with the smells of sweet French toast and crispy bacon.
“Put the groceries on the counter, hand me the syrup, and go get my grand kitten.”
She reached behind her as I opened the fridge and passed over the syrup, then shooed me away. Phoebe was waiting for me at the top of the stairs, pacing back and forth like a little lioness, and meowed at me as I climbed the stairs. I cooed an apology, picking her up and carrying her down.
Mom was waiting with outstretched hands, and I passed Phoebe over, hoping I could steal a bite of whatever she was cooking while she was distracted. The groceries were on the counter, and I snatched the loaf of bread she brought and turned it right side up. An upside-down loaf of bread was bad luck, and I didn’t want to spend the day worrying something was going to happen with the house.
“Marcus, it’s so tiny. Whatever made you adopt?”
“She, Mom, it’s a girl. Named Phoebe. Loony was freaking out about a stray kitten wandering around the neighborhood. I took her to the vet, and, um, she’s grown on me.”
“Loony. If I never hear her name again, it will be too soon. I would never have thought you’d get a black kitten. Not as superstitious as you are. You picked that up from me, you know.”
She baby-talked to Phoebe, who started purring as soon as Mom hit the sweet spot behind her ears. I snatched a piece of bacon from the stove before she could stop me and broke off a little for Phoebe. She ate it out of my hand, then snuggled up to Mom like I wasn’t even there.
“What? No, I didn’t. That was all Dad.”
“You were too young to remember, but I chased him out of the house so many times to give him that lucky rabbit’s foot keychain he always forgot that he eventually tattooed it on his shoulder.”
“Huh,” I said, reaching in my pocket to rub my own rabbit’s foot, my mind whirling until Mom pushed a plate in my hand. I sat down at the round table in the kitchen, and she joined me a minute later with two cups of coffee. Phoebe stayed curled up on her lap, and I glanced at her before digging into my French toast casserole.
The toast melted in my mouth, and I couldn’t stop the moan I made around my second mouthful of food.
“This is amazing,” I said, offering Phoebe another tiny piece of bacon.
“I know.” Mom sipped her coffee. “I was thinking about your predicament.”
“It’s an easy fix, and I’ll be back in the house in no time.”
“Yes, but I have a feeling you aren’t telling me how serious the damage is. You bought the house from me, not knowing about the termites. So I’m going to pay for it, and I don’t want to hear any excuses. You pay for any upgrades you want to do, and I’ll handle the rest. Now drink your coffee and say thank you.”
Mom crossed her arms and gave me the same look she did when I was a kid. A look that was ball-shrinking, unyielding, and not up for discussion. I’d talk with the construction crew and make sure they lowballed the structural damage. This was my fault. I should have had the house inspected as soon as I moved in.
