Chapter 9
Cole
Pulling up to the Cedar Falls Inn, I slid out of my truck and grabbed my clipboard just as Gavin and his friend walked outside. “Morning,” I called out.
“Morning,” they both responded.
Allie wrapped her coat tighter around herself. “Do all jobs around here start this early?”
“If you want daylight on your side, they do,” I replied. “Better than chasing shadows with a flashlight.”
Gavin gave a quick nod, his hands deep in his pockets. “I wasn’t sure what you’d need from me.”
“Just walk with me. I’ll show you what needs attention, and you can make some decisions later. We’re just getting a handle on things today.”
The door creaked open behind them, and Mrs. Ross stepped out with a tray. “Coffee before you get started?”
“That would be great,” I said, walking up the unsteady steps and taking a mug. Gavin accepted the second, and Allie grabbed the third with a grin.
We stood for a moment on the porch, steam curling from our cups. After a few sips, I set my cup on the rail. “We’re starting right here. This porch has to come down before anyone else steps on it.”
Gavin’s eyes tracked the posts. “That bad?”
I shook the railing and inspected it further.
“Yeah, it’s a safety hazard. The posts are rotted, the rail’s loose, and if someone leans wrong, they’ll end up on the ground.
Tomorrow, we’ll demo it, and you’ll have to use the back door to get in and out, but my dad and I should be able to get a new one built in a few days once we have the lumber. ”
Allie tilted her head, already eyeing the width of the porch. “When we rebuild, we could make it wider. Big enough for rocking chairs, maybe some planters.”
“Yeah,” Gavin agreed. “I like that idea.”
“You draw it up, we’ll see what fits.” I made a note on my clipboard. “Let’s move inside,” I said, pushing the front door open.
The entryway smelled of dust and must. Wallpaper peeled at the edges, and a stain spread faintly near the corner of the ceiling. I pointed it out with the end of my pencil.
“Leak?” Gavin asked.
“Could be from the bathroom upstairs, could be a supply line. I’ll have a plumber check it. If it isn’t the plumbing, we’ll look at the flashing on the roof.” I jotted it down and moved into the dining room, checking the first outlet I came to.
Right away, I could see that it was two prongs with no ground, and I knew the whole house was more than likely wired the same way. For a place that hosted guests, I wanted proper grounds for every outlet.
“I’ll want to change out the outlets to have grounds to make it safer for guests.
After I check the electrical panel, I’ll have a better assessment and determine if I need to rewire anything.
We should probably tear all the plaster down and hang drywall instead.
It makes it easier to patch whatever holes need to be covered. ”
Gavin’s eyes widened. “The whole bed and breakfast?”
“Drywall is cheaper and won’t take nearly as long as having to hire skilled plasterers. My dad and I should be able to do the drywall.”
Allie tapped her pencil against her notebook. “Okay, I’ll need to plan for new fixtures and paint.”
We moved into the kitchen. Cabinet doors sagged on loose hinges, and the floor near the sink showed signs of warping.
“This room’s going to need more than new wiring,” I stated. “Once it’s opened up, we’ll have the plumber check the lines and drains.”
Gavin rubbed the back of his neck. “That sounds expensive.”
“It is. But once it’s done, you won’t have to touch it again for years.”
“Or hopefully ever,” he said under his breath as we moved into the back hall.
We headed upstairs. Each of the six bedrooms had worn carpet and cracked plaster. In one room, the floor dipped near the window beneath a wall unit with its own thermostat. I pressed my boot down and felt it give.
“Water damage. It could be an old leak; could be the unit’s not draining right. A plumber needs to check it.”
“Anyone else seeing dollar signs or just me?” Gavin grumbled.
I cracked a grin. “Once we get this place in top condition, you’ll have people booking it every night and money will start rolling in.”
“Promise?”
I nodded. “Promise.”
I flipped the bathroom fan on, and it rattled without pulling any air. “Something’s off with the venting. It could be dumping into the attic instead of outside. I’ll trace it and run it outside with a proper cap.”
“This is turning into so much more than I thought it would be.” Gavin sighed.
“It’s probably why Old Man Price never bothered.” I lifted a shoulder.
“Nope. He just dumped it on his son, who happened to die before him, and now I'm stuck with it.”
“But just think about what Cole said. Once it’s fixed up”—Allie patted his back—“we can make it like a mini-Kellerman’s.”
“Like Dirty Dancing?” Gavin asked.
“Hell, yeah.” She beamed. “With a hot dance instructor and all.”
Gavin glanced at me. “Know any hot dance teachers?”
I barked out a laugh. “Not at the moment, but I’m sure we can find some.”
We headed outside. The ground softened as we neared the lake where the boathouse leaned toward the water. The siding had buckled and the roofline was sagging. I knocked a sill plate with the toe of my boot, and it crumbled apart.
“Stay out of the boathouse. The frame’s shot. No one goes in until I make sure it’s safe.”
Allie’s eyes lit up. “But later it could be a studio space. Maybe a game room.”
“Maybe. Not until it’s rebuilt.”
“Or this could be where Johnny takes Baby’s virginity,” Gavin teased.
I laughed before I could stop myself. “You’re a little young to know Dirty Dancing that well.”
He shrugged. “It’s a classic. Besides, have you seen Patrick Swayze shirtless?”
“I have,” I admitted, still grinning. “But that’s not what made me like the movie.”
“Let me guess, it was Penny?” Allie asked.
“Wrong. It was the music. My mom played the soundtrack nonstop when I was a kid. You hear “Hungry Eyes” enough times, it sticks.”
Gavin tilted his head, a grin tugging at his mouth. “So you’re telling me it wasn’t Lisa’s singing?”
A bark of laughter escaped me. “Definitely not Lisa’s singing.”
Allie threw her arms out in a mock performance. “Hula Hana of Kamana Whaleya…”
Gavin groaned and covered his face with his hand, but he was laughing too.
I shook my head and made another note on the clipboard.
It was hard to look serious with those two cracking up behind me as I walked back to the house and into the kitchen where Mrs. Ross was preparing something in a bowl.
I set the clipboard on the counter and ran my hand along the nearby window frame, where a slight draft slipped through a gap.
The sash didn’t close all the way, and I pointed it out to her.
“It’s cozy enough most days,” she said, setting her towel on the counter, “but it gets tough once the temperature drops.”
“And once we start demo tomorrow, the doors will be open and the breeze will come in,” I explained to her as Gavin and Allie walked into the room.
“Well, if you’re tearing into the place, I don’t imagine it’ll be very peaceful here.”
Gavin frowned. “I don’t want you to feel pushed out.”
“You’re not pushing me anywhere. My niece in Burlington has been after me to visit her. This might be the excuse I need. I’ll come back once the worst of the noise and dust is over.”
“You’ll be the first call,” Gavin told her.
I left them in the kitchen and went to tape off the porch rail. Afterward, I hung a handwritten sign to close the front entrance. I stepped back just as Gavin and Allie came and joined me.
“Tomorrow we’ll take down the porch. After that, we’ll cover the furniture and start to tear down the plaster.”
Gavin blew out a breath. “Guess there’s no turning back once we start tearing down the porch and making holes in the walls.”
“No turning back,” I agreed. “We’re going to make this place beautiful again.”
Allie bumped his shoulder. “It’ll be worth it. You’ll see.”
I tucked my pencil behind my ear. “I’ll be here at eight in the morning to get started.”
* * *
The next morning, I had Pete in my truck and Ryan following in his pickup. Pete was off shift from the firehouse, and Ryan said things were slow at Dalton’s Auto Body, so they both had the day to spare.
Pete lifted his travel mug and took a long sip. “You owe me for this. I pulled a twenty-four at the firehouse, came home to cartoons and spilled cereal as the sun came up, and now you’ve got me tearing down porches.”
“You’ll live,” I told him.
When we got to the inn, Ryan parked behind us and climbed out, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Gavin and Allie stepped out the front door. Gavin had on a pair of gloves that looked fresh from the package, and Allie tugged her beanie lower against the cold.
I tipped my chin toward the guys. “Gavin, Allie, this is my cousin Pete and my buddy Ryan. They’re helping out today.”
“Good to meet you,” Gavin answered.
“You too.” Pete gave him a nod and turned back to unloading tools.
Ryan’s eyes went to Allie, and hers went straight to him. She smiled and Ryan’s grin spread slowly.
“Hi.” Allie all but batted her eyelashes at my friend.
“Hey,” he replied. “You two helping out with demo?”
“Yeah. We thought we’d help where we can,” Gavin said. “The dumpster being delivered woke us.”
“Sorry about that.” I’d ordered the dumpster so we could do the demo. “You sure you want in on this?”
“Yeah, I’ll pull nails, carry boards. Whatever helps,” he offered.
“That works. Pete, Ryan, grab some pry bars. We’ll start with the rails.”
The porch groaned under every step. Pete jammed his bar under the first railing, Ryan knocked nails loose with a hammer, and I called out where to brace. Gavin bent to pry nails once we loosened the pieces, his shoulders tense as he tried to keep pace.
“You’re pulling too close to your leg,” I told him. “Angle the bar out so if it slips, you don’t hit yourself.”
He adjusted. “Like this?”
“Better.”
Pete leaned against the post, watching Gavin wrestle with a stubborn nail. “At least you’re trying. Half the people I know would’ve run the other way by now.”
“I’ve seen it on some HGTV shows where the homeowner helps with demo. Thought it would be fun.” Gavin chuckled.
“Is it?” I asked.
“No.” He snorted. “Not even close.”
We all laughed then got back to work.
Two hours in, sweat ran into my eyes even with the cold air.
I dragged my shirt over my face to wipe it off and let it fall back down.
When I looked up, Gavin’s eyes were on me.
He blinked fast, grabbed for a pry bar he didn’t need, and focused hard on the board in front of him.
His comment about Patrick Swayze came to mind.
It wasn’t something most guys around here would admit to liking.
Maybe he meant it as a joke, maybe not. Either way, I pushed the thought aside and kept working.
By early afternoon, the porch was gone, the debris stacked in a pile ready for the dumpster. Gavin leaned against the side of the house, breathing heavier than the work should have left him, and Allie paced the dirt where the porch had been.
I wiped my hands on my jeans. “Porch is done. Let’s head inside and open up the entry after we cover everything in plastic.”
Gavin’s brow creased. “Today?”
“Come on, City Boy. Work’s not done until four,” Ryan ribbed him.
“Actually, we were talking last night,” Allie spoke. “We’ve decided to donate all of the furniture and start with everything new.”
“Oh.” I nodded. “Okay. Well, let’s get to work inside then.”
Once we were ready to continue the demo, Pete swung the first hammer through the plaster by the check-in desk, Ryan carried sections of lath straight out to the dumpster, and Gavin tried to keep pace pulling trim. Dust filled the air quickly, coating everything in a thin layer of gray.
Behind the wall, the wire’s insulation was baked and the copper showed in spots. “See the scorch? We might be looking at a full rewire; I’ll know after I map the circuits.”
He nodded slowly. “I trust you.”
Allie slipped in behind us, snapping a picture of the mess. “Before and after,” she said lightly.
By four o’clock, the dumpster was full and we called it for the day.
Out front, Ryan dropped onto the tailgate of his truck and twisted the cap off his thermos. “Karaoke night at The Tap. You guys in?”
Pete peeled off his gloves and tossed them into my truck bed. “Can’t. My wife will kill me if I don’t spend some time with her and the kids before I go back on shift.”
Ryan clapped me on the shoulder. “No excuse for you since you live alone.”
I glanced toward Gavin. He was watching me again until our eyes met, then he looked away quickly.
“Yeah. I could use a beer.”