Chapter 11 #2
“My dad says the best way to learn something is by doing it. And we have skates. Like a billion pairs. And you can borrow some.”
I hesitated.
“My dad said it’s important to be friendly with your neighbors,” Aiden said pointedly. “So you really kinda have to come.”
I huffed out a laugh as he hoisted his backpack and ran off to get his coat.
“He’s right,” Drew said gently. “You really should.”
“Webb doesn’t want to spend his afternoon teaching me to skate,” I argued. “He’s busy.”
“Too busy sometimes,” Drew agreed. “He’s responsible for everyone and everything—it’s just his way. Which is why the man needs to remember to take an afternoon to go skating every once in a while. And he’ll be more likely to do it if you’re there.”
Would he, though? We might be friends—neighbor friends who texted, even—and we might be accidentally handfasted, but I highly doubted that he wanted me all up in his business.
“I’ll think about it,” I promised before packing up my own belongings and heading home.
As I turned off the main road and onto my driveway, I slowed way down.
The long, gravel surface had become a sort of obstacle course over the past week thanks to the confusing Hokey-Pokey dance that Mother Nature was doing.
By day, bright sunshine forced the snow to melt into springtime mud puddles, but then at night, winter bounced back, freezing the mud into solid ruts.
No judgment on Mother Nature, though, since my feelings for Webb were doing the same kind of dance.
During the day, I reminded myself we were friends, and that was fine.
That he was straight, straight, straight, not attracted to me at all, and that getting involved with a student’s parent was never smart.
But at night?
When I was alone in the trailer, shivering under a bunch of afghans?
All my good intentions fell away, and I kept myself warm with fantasies of Webb’s big, callused hands roaming my body, and the hard, muscled wall of his chest against my back—
My fantasy replay cut off when I pulled around the house and found the driveway next to my camper was already occupied by not one but two giant pickup trucks, in addition to Murray’s. I recognized one of them—and that recognition made my heart rate pick up—but I’d never seen the other before.
What the heck?
I stepped out of the car just as Murray emerged from the barn, his red hair glinting in the sun.
“Murray? What’s going on here?” I demanded.
“Hey, Mr. Luke! Oh, that’s just the guys taking some measurements.” He grinned broadly as he ambled in my direction. “It’ll be nice to have that roof done, eh?”
“The roof?” I repeated. “How? I mean… who?”
“Oh, Jerry Walcott—you know, Walcott Roofing?—got one of his guys up there to see the condition so they could maybe repair it.”
“But he can’t!”
“No, he can’t,” Murray agreed sadly. “I heard ’em say it’s in real bad shape and needs to be totally replaced. But they might be able to get it done next week. Won’t that be great?”
I shook my head, speechless.
For months and months, I’d felt like a total outsider in the Hollow. Then I blew a bugle with the town’s favorite son just once… and suddenly I was the target of nonconsensual home repairs?
I knew who’d been the driving force behind this, of course.
I would have known even if I hadn’t seen his truck.
And when I spotted him coming around the corner of the house, looking way more sexy in his work boots and flannel than anyone had a right to, I was tempted to give the man a piece of my mind.
I folded my arms over my chest and walked toward him, and his eyes widened when he saw me.
“Uh. Hey, Luke! You’re… here.” Webb smiled winningly.
“Yes.” I narrowed my eyes. “I live here.”
His grin warmed with true amusement. “So, funny thing. Jerry Walcott—you know, Walcott Roofing?—is going to replace your roof. Surprise! Happy birthday.”
“That is a surprise,” I shot back. “Since my birthday is in September and you know perfectly well I don’t have the money to pay for—”
“Webb!” A gruff, heavyset man with white hair and concerningly pink cheeks toddled around the corner of the house. When he saw me, his face split into a broad grin, and he immediately extended his hand. “Luke! Well, hey there. We’ve never been properly introduced. I’m Jerry Walcott—”
“Of Walcott Roofing?” I asked, deadpan.
“You’ve heard of us!” Jerry’s smile grew even wider. “Real sorry to hear about your roof, son. You know, hard slate’ll last you a century, but this one’s seen that and more. Don’t you worry, though, we’ll get you sorted. You shoulda called me sooner!”
I rubbed my forehead. “Mr. Walcott, I—”
“Jerry!” he boomed. “After all, you’re neighbors with my brother-in-law Norm Avery, and that makes us family.”
It did? That was ridiculous, but also… kinda great.
I wasn’t sure what my face was doing, but Webb ran a hand over his mouth like he was trying not to laugh at me.
“The thing is, Jerry,” I began again, “you seem delightful, and I would love for you to do the work, but I’m short on funds at the moment. I tried getting a loan at the credit union, but I haven’t lived in town long enough—”
“Bup bup bup.” Jerry waved my objections aside. “Your man here’s sorted it all out. Convenient thing about marriage, eh?” He winked happily. “Two oars row better than one.”
“But,” I reminded him, “we’re not actually married. We—”
“Oh, well, not yet, sure,” he allowed. “But it’s the next best thing, now that you’re handfasted.
” He leaned toward me eagerly. “The wife and I caught the whole story on the news. Never heard of such a thing before, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see other young folks like yourselves revive it.
My Ellie cried, Lord love ’er. She’s a sap for tradition, and she’s a sap for love, and when you put the two together?
The waterworks start up.” Jerry sniffled, showing that Ellie wasn’t the only sap.
“She thought it was so romantical that you two kept it hidden so well for so long, too, just to avoid the gossips. You know, I don’t hold with gossip a’tall. ”
I nodded slowly. “Right, no, of course you don’t. But actually—”
“Why, I heard from Miguel, who heard from Evie, who heard from Katey at the diner,” Jerry said avidly, “that you were even denying it after the fact, just to throw people off, which was smart.” He tapped the side of his nose and winked. “But the cat’s out of the bag now!”
“Actually, Jerry, the thing is, Webb and I—”
“—are so relieved that we don’t have to keep up the pretense anymore,” Webb interrupted loudly, pulling me against his side so firmly I let out a little ooof. “And we’re so grateful for all you’ve done. Really. We owe you one.”
Pretense? What in the heckity?
And since when did we hug?
“You weren’t kidding about the surprise,” I muttered.
“Don’t give it another thought,” Jerry said with a wave of his hand. “Ellie would have my hide if she heard I could help you two out and didn’t. ’Sides, I’m makin’ out on the deal.” He rocked up on his toes excitedly. “I’ll come by for the Case early next week, alright? Gotta get home tonight.”
Webb nodded.
“The case?” I glanced up at Webb, but Jerry was the one who explained.
“Webb’s old Case tractor. We’re bartering.
It’s the way we do things around here. You’ll learn soon enough, Luke.
” The man patted my shoulder affectionately and made a move toward his truck, only to stop and snap his fingers.
“Oh, and if you’re still in the market for a loan, you might check with the credit union again.
I’ve got a feelin’ they’ll waive that residency requirement now that you’re making a home here permanently. ”
I blinked. “But—”
Webb’s grip on me tightened. “Ellie still working at the credit union, is she?”
“Yep. Twenty-seven years come March.”
Oh. I shut my mouth quickly.
“Congratulations again,” Jerry called as he and his assistant got in his truck, and I nodded, because it seemed impolite not to, even though I hadn’t the foggiest idea what was actually happening.
“Webb? Is there anything you might like to explain to me?” I asked out the side of my mouth.
“You mad?” Webb asked, still smiling in Jerry’s direction.
“Depends. What did I just agree to?”
Jerry started his truck, and Webb and I each gave him a cheery wave.
“Look, you need your roof fixed, right?” Webb said reasonably.
“You know I do. But—”
“You were gonna do it yourself. I know. Once you figured out how to repair a slate roof—which many roofers don’t even know how to do—and had the time to do it and learned how to safely climb a ladder.”
“Hey!” I protested. “I know how.”
Even if I didn’t always put what I knew into practice.
“If there were ever a job to leave to the professionals, Luke, it’s this one. It’s dangerous.”
I blew out a breath because I knew he was correct. But that didn’t make him right.
“You can’t pay for my roof,” I insisted. “It’s not fair.” I didn’t want to be a burden to Webb or anyone.
“I didn’t, though,” Webb said quickly. “No cash will exchange hands, I promise. For one thing, Jerry was so moved by the whole handfasting spectacle that he quoted us—I mean you—a really good price. And then it so happens I have an old machine he wants to restore, so we’re bartering my tractor for this job.
You’d be doing me a favor, honestly, by letting me do this, since it’s, you know, giving me an excuse to clear out old junk. ”
I peered up at him suspiciously, and his green eyes blinked down at me, all innocence. “Good gravy. You fib about as well as your son does, which is to say, really, really badly.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled back—a real smile this time, and wasn’t it a crazy thing that I knew the difference? “Then look at it this way: you offered to sell me the Pond orchard for peanuts, right? Well, maybe I’ll let you. Maybe this is me doing something nice for you, too.”
“But… we don’t even know for sure if the land’s mine in the first place. I called Stephen, and he hasn’t called me back. What if it’s yours already?”