Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
As promised, Brad and one of his landscapers lugged Bertha’s bed up the central staircase of the storefront on Wednesday after work. The noise startled me enough to pull open the door separating my apartment from the front of the house and call, “Is everything okay?”
Brad leaned over the banister. “Come on up and show us which room you’d like for the week.”
I chose the one directly across from the bathroom, mostly because the afternoon sun brightened it.
It had an old-fashioned closet, which wasn’t particularly large but it would work for me.
I looked around upstairs while the men put the bed frame together, and thought about the wasted space that could provide income for Brad—rather, for us.
As they clomped down the stairs to pick up the box spring they’d left leaning against the front door, I explored the attic to see if I could find a console that would substitute as a bureau of sorts.
The cobwebs draping two tiny windows and a dingy electric bulb in the center of the room made me cringe, but I found a bookcase that would serve the purpose.
I made as much noise as the men did when I dragged it down the steps.
Brad stared at me. “What are you doing?”
I coughed from the dust, then brushed cobwebs from my shoulders. “I found something I can use as a makeshift dresser.”
He caressed the top shelf, as if well-familiar with the grain of the wood. “I helped my dad make this for my mother when I was about twelve years old. We worked out in the garage so she wouldn’t know about it.” He paused to reminisce. “Mom told us it was the best Christmas gift she ever received.”
“That’s why you didn’t get rid of it when we cleared out the consignment shop to prepare for a buyer?”
He nodded. “I couldn’t dispose of the family heirlooms up there, but I haven’t had time to sort through and decide what to salvage.”
“We can do that this winter when we get ready to rent some of the rooms.” I gave him a quirky grin and waited for his reply.
He just shook his head and called to his buddy who tried to manage the queen-size mattress on his own. “I’ll be right there, so wait for me.”
While they finished the bed setup, I went to my apartment for sheets and a damp cloth to wipe the furniture. It felt strange to think I’d be alone on the second floor after my guests arrived, but hoped to adjust by bringing some of my personal items upstairs.
I returned to hear Brad’s worker mentioning his interest in renting a room if we decided to go that route. “Of course, you need a dorm refrigerator and, maybe, a microwave up here, but it could work for me.”
Brad nodded slowly. “We’d like to put in outdoor stairs so renters wouldn’t have to go through the shop. That’s going to take some time and money.”
“Not as much as you’d think,” the guy said.
“I mean, you’ll have to replace a window with a door, but you can buy pre-made composite deck steps.
” We followed him to the last bedroom. “I’d put access here, then use this room as a kitchen and laundry.
Of course, you’d need to hire an electrician for the wiring, but it could easily work. ”
I wanted to hug the young man.
“I’m a licensed electrician,” Brad noted.
The guy gave a chortle. “Man, you could be earning serious money, but it’s not my business to tell you what to do. Just think about it, and I’ll be your first customer. I’ve been looking to rent a room in a decent neighborhood.”
“I’ll think about it,” Brad said, reaching in his pocket for a twenty dollar bill. “Thanks for your help tonight and I’ll see you in the morning.”
We all walked downstairs together and I reached out my hand. “I didn’t catch your name, but I’m Jodie.”
“I’m Jerry Caldwell,” he said with a firm handshake. “I like Brad because he took a chance on me and, since you’re about to marry him, I promise to do you both proud.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “He took a chance on me, too, and we’re happy that you’re with Quality Landscapes. You wouldn’t happen to know someone who could install the outdoor staircase, would you?”
He beamed. “I’m your guy. My grandfather started the J. & J. Caldwell Construction Company in 1972 and I worked for him and my dad throughout my high school years.”
I stared at him, not sure why he’d have left their company.
“We’re diversifying,” he explained without my asking. “We see great expansion-potential with all of the apartments going up around here.”
“Why don’t you just rent one of those?” I asked.
He chuckled. “That’s what I thought but my grandfather and dad want me to experience life ‘at the bottom rung.’ That’s how they put it. I don’t really care, as long as I wouldn’t have to impress a girlfriend, but I’d like something decent.”
“That makes sense,” I agreed, smiling, “and you wouldn’t have a long commute to your workplace if you lived here.”
He laughed with me, then turned to Brad. “If you’d like, I can ask my dad to work up a quote to install the stairs and door.”
Brad nodded before reaching to shake hands. “I’d like that, but I’m not promising anything.”
Jerry smiled, opening the front door. “Got it, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Brad wanted to move his pickup truck to the back parking spot, especially when I announced that I had our supper warming in the oven. He didn’t even bother to ask what I’d made. Instead, he gave me a sensuous kiss and told me how much he loved me.
I wasn’t sure if that was because I made dinner or because I suggested all summer long that an outdoor staircase would make the upstairs an income-generating proposition. In either case, he seemed elated.
Angela and I were on the road to Stone Harbor by nine-fifteen the next morning. The night before, I’d gone over the route with Brad and we set up my phone’s GPS, so I felt ready for the trip. I’d even thought to fill my gas tank ahead of time, and we each brought a commuter cup of coffee.
In my mind, the worst part of the drive was the confusing stretch just before the Commodore Barry Bridge, so we didn’t talk much then. After crossing the Delaware River, I told Angela about my plan to get Rita settled in the apartment’s guest room.
“I thought your parents were staying there.”
“They were until plans needed an adjustment.”
She gave a wry chuckle. “Uh-oh.”
“Right,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “Tomorrow morning, I’ll change my sheets so my parents can stay in my room, and I’ll go upstairs. Brad and one of his workers moved Aunt Bertha’s bed from his house after work yesterday.”
“If I recall, you didn’t want to sleep in Bertha’s bed because she died there.”
I gave a shake of my head. “Not exactly. I needed to sleep in the bed Tony and I shared. That was the hardest part to let go.”
“I don’t get it. Aren’t you still sleeping in that bed?”
“Yes,” I agreed, “but I’m moving on. I slept well in Rita’s apartment, and I can switch to Aunt Bertha’s bed for next week.” I didn’t mention the few nights I’d stayed with Brad because that was our business.
She laughed. “You’re morphing right before my eyes.”
“In a good way, I hope.” It seemed a perfect time for a long sip of my coffee, which she did as well.
I concentrated on the GPS directions for a tricky part of the road before saying, “The guy who helped Brad with Aunt Bertha’s bed is one of the young landscapers we hired this fall. Jerry’s dad has a construction company, so we might be getting outdoor steps for the house.”
“That would be fabulous!” she exclaimed.
I knew she’d be interested because the manor had been a part of her family’s history. “We’ll use one of the bedrooms for a kitchen/laundry and rent the other three rooms. Brad’s finally on board with the idea.”
“Things are falling into place for you and my brother,” she said, sounding delighted. “I’m amazed at how the two of you work so well together.”
“We do,” I agreed. “We play into each other’s strengths, and I love that. Brad is phenomenally good at starting companies, but he eventually loses interest in them.”
“That’s his darn PTSD,” she noted.
“I know, and I have to deal with my own, as well. Still, I’m good with organization which helps us stay focused.”
“That’s what I’m talking about,” she agreed.
“I just wonder if he should have started the landscaping business. I mean, Brad loves fixing and building things. I think Aunt Bertha was right when she directed him to helping her as a handyman.”
She nodded. “He’d probably also lose interest in doing that, but diversifying is a pretty good idea. In other words, you keep the businesses afloat and he can do the things he loves.”
I hadn’t thought about it like that, although it made sense. For my part, PTSD led me to stay focused because I needed control of everything around me. Brad, on the other hand, seemed to grab for multiple options. Our different approaches worked for both of us, and neither was right or wrong.
I sensed Angela’s excitement as we crossed the causeway into Stone Harbor. “Smell that aroma,” I said, grinning.
“There’s nothing like it,” she exclaimed gleefully.
“I feel like a fully-alive person when I come here. Brad feels it, too, but we can’t afford these property values. Maybe someday. In the meantime, I’m so lucky I met Heather and Rita.”
She nodded, understanding my point. Her expression as we made our way to Rita’s house delighted me—because I knew she felt my joy.