Chapter 2 #2
Just as they were all getting ready to leave, she asked Melbourne if he was hungry.
She knew that she was, and when she said that he was starving, they decided to go to an all-night diner right outside of town and have a late dinner.
It was fun for the two of them, and she was glad that she had suggested it.
Just being with him was more than she could have hoped for only a few months ago.
She was in love with him more daily, too.
Getting ready to go to bed, she thought that she’d never been so exhausted.
With her belly full and her job finished up until Monday, she was happy to have a nice warm bed to get into and was thrilled when Melbourne curled around her.
She was asleep before she thought that she’d be, and was glad that she had everything she needed right here.
They were out the door by noon the next day.
She only had a few things on her list that they still needed, and she had a list from their cook that she’d like to have in the kitchen as well.
One of them was a knife sharpener. She knew that they had one at the restaurant, but never thought of needing one at home.
It was the first thing that she got as soon as they entered the kitchen store.
“We need to have everyday silverware too, I was told. The stuff we’ve been using is the things that I had when I was on my own, and it’s not a full set.
” She said that she’d had a few things too, but it would be nice to have a matching set.
“All right. I guess we should head there first and get that finished up. I don’t have it on my list, do you? ”
“No, so I’m glad that you mentioned it.” She didn’t know what she wanted in silverware, so she picked out the one with the prettiest design on it. “I guess it’ll be all right. I’ve never picked out silverware before. Do you suppose there’s a trick to it?”
“Not that I’m aware of.” She showed him the pattern on the set she’d picked out. “Looks good to me. I, like you, have no idea. So long as it’s enough for the two of us to use, I guess that’ll work.”
The rest of the day was spent on their lists.
The furniture was all purchased the last time they were both off, so this was a shopping trip to get the little things that they didn’t think about.
Mostly, it was kitchen stuff; they’d gotten a coffee maker for tea, but the cook drank coffee, so they got a second one for her.
She hated it when her tea tasted of coffee.
By the time they were ready for dinner, they had finished their lists.
She was sure that they’d think of something else before they had everything they needed, but for now, everything was just as they needed it to be.
She was glad that they’d hired someone to cook for them.
It was nice not having to make a meal after being around food all day.
Sammy found herself eating better as well.
~*~
Olivia hooked up the last wire to the electrical outlet.
Just as she was going to call to say that they could turn the power back on, she saw a loose wire and looked for its end.
Finding that it was just a loose wire from the roll, she wadded it up and tossed it into the waste.
Things like that could get a person killed.
She turned to her translator and told her to turn the power on.
The entire kitchen lit up in seconds after the call went out.
James, to the people that she worked with, Olivia James had been an electrical engineer for the past ten years.
She was good at it, too. So good that she’d been inspecting homes when the electrician said he was finished, and she was the inspector.
Today, she’d been asked to rewire a kitchen and pantry for a man by the name of Walsh.
She knew who he was. You’d have to be dead not to know who the Walsh family was.
The pull at her sleeve had her turning around.
“He wants to know when you’ll be finished with the pantry?
The inspector is supposed to come by tomorrow to look things over.
” She signed that she’d be done in about an hour if things were as finished up as they were supposed to be.
“He said that they’re finished, just waiting on you. ” She gave the man a thumbs-up.
Gathering up her things, she was headed to the pantry laundry room in seconds.
All she needed to do in here was convert an outlet so that the washer and dryer both had their own plugs.
It was easy enough and something she could do in her sleep.
Getting it finished up in about an hour, she went to find her interpreter.
She had worked for the local pack before when they were doing construction on a kitchen.
It was extra money, and she didn’t mind the work.
The pack, for the most part, knew how to sign some things to her.
However, it was the boss that she was looking for now.
Donald Gravely was the foreman in charge, and she needed to have him sign off on the work that she’d been doing to get paid. He had another job for her.
“The homeowner wants to know if you can put some plugs on the wall where he plans to put his Christmas Tree. It’s far up from the floor, and if you can do it, we’ll only need to pull out one wall of drywall for you to finish the job.
” She nodded. “I thought that you might. He said he wants it at least eight feet from the floor. If you can do that, it’ll be inspected tomorrow with the other work that has been done. ”
She found herself on the ladder about an hour later. Gravely pointed out where the plug was to be, and she had an idea that he was guessing. His idea of eight feet wasn’t anywhere near what her ruler said was eight feet. Just as she was coming down off the ladder, she saw the owner of the house.
He’d been in and out of the place since she’d started the day before yesterday.
While she never paid him any mind, she had a feeling that he was pissed off about something today.
Staying where she was, it wasn’t until he bumped hard into the ladder that she knew she was going to get up close and personal with the man before he killed her.
Just as she was coming down off the thing, he put out his hand to stop her.
He was talking, but she couldn’t see his mouth moving.
His teeth were pretty clenched, and his lips never seemed to move.
It wasn’t until she put her hand on his mouth that he finally looked at her.
Signing that she couldn’t hear or speak to him, he stood there fuming at her until Gravely came to save her.
“She can’t hear you. Speak to you either, but it’s the hearing part that you’re going to have trouble with.
” She asked what she’d done. “He wants the plug closer to where you said instead of me. He’s pissed off about something else, but I don’t know what that might be.
” Lucky for her, she could read lips because the woman who was supposed to be helping her out today had disappeared.
He finally took her hand from his mouth and stared at her. “Just let me take care of this.”
He continued to stare at her until she turned and walked away from him.
It was that, or she was going to have to slap him out of his stupor.
Going up the ladder again, careful where she put her tools, she asked Gravely to show her where he wanted the plug.
The man was starting to creep her out with his staring at her like he was.
When it was approved where the plug was going to go, she sat atop the ladder and worked to get the electrical wiring removed.
She was going to use one of the lights that were up here to get it done, and no one would be the wiser.
Even as she was finishing up, the man was still staring at her.
It wasn’t until her son came into the room that she felt like she could talk to the man.
“This is my mom, Olivia James. Most people here call her James. She’s deaf and cannot talk.
She’s been like this since birth.” Walsh put out his hand and shook hers, but not before shocking her.
“She said that she’s about finished for the day unless you need something else rewired. She’s done the jobs that you wanted.”
“Can I see?” Thatcher took the man to the kitchen and showed him around while she got her things gathered up. Just as she was going to find them again, they found her in the pantry, where the washer and dryer were going to go. “Did she have any trouble with the double dishwashers?”
“You talk to her, and I’ll translate for you.
Mom can read lips, but you have a mustache, and it will make it hard for her.
” He said he’d take care of that. “No worries. No, I didn’t have any trouble with the dishwashers; however, the double stove is beautiful.
I would imagine you have a large family. ”
“Five brothers and their wives. We have a couple of children around and one on the way, but I expect them to come to my house for the holidays. I have the biggest kitchen.” Olivia nodded and asked him if he had anything else that needed rewiring today before the inspector came tomorrow.
“Not that I’m aware of. The gas person is coming out tomorrow as well.
He’s supposed to be here at two, while the electrical guy will be here at ten.
I guess it’s hard to get them to come out on the same day. ”
“I’ve never seen that happen.” She looked at Thatcher when he told her that he had to talk to her. “As soon as I finish here, then I can go. Do you need the car still?”
“I do. And he said that he doesn’t have anything else for you to do today. I need to get going if I’m going to make the interview by two.” She handed him the keys and knew she could catch a ride with someone else if he didn’t make it back in time for her to go home.