Chapter 7
Bastain had to get up and take another shower.
He’d been thinking of Trinity all night, and it was getting him nowhere but hard as stone.
As soon as he got out of the shower, having jerked off again, he didn’t feel any better than he had before.
Nothing was working to get her delicate kisses and touch out of his mind so that he could sleep.
Finally, he just got up. Getting dressed for the day, he realized that it was four in the morning.
He thought about going by to see Trinity again, but she’d be sleeping, and he didn’t know if he’d be able to leave her again.
The first time had been hard enough, and he didn’t know how he’d done it then.
Pulling on his jeans and t-shirt, he was headed to the antique building on Maple so that he could lose himself in picking out things for his house.
The master bedroom was finished. All he had to do now was finish the other four rooms, and he’d be done. His mom’s room was finished as well.
“I didn’t expect to see you here.” He was startled out of his thoughts when Dayton spoke.
He told him he couldn’t sleep. “Me either. I’ve been excited about moving into my own house, so I thought I’d come by and see if there was anything left for me to snitch.
I guess there is more here than I thought. ”
“Seven rooms. That doesn’t count the antiques in the four bathrooms. She had stuff everywhere.
” Dayton said that he was looking for a kitchen table and chairs that he could put in the kitchen.
The block table that was in the room was too big for him to be able to have meals there.
“I’m sure there are plenty. Did you look in the kitchen areas? ”
The two of them looked around for some of what Dayton needed and found just what he was looking for. Bastain told him he could have it, as he had already picked out one for his home. He told him that it was only for about three people, but it was the perfect size for the place he wanted it at.
“I’m finding all kinds of things in this place that I never thought to put into my house.
Did you know that there are baskets around here?
They’re handy for putting extra towels in when you need them in the bathroom.
” They went to the area where Tilly had stacked up baskets from the floor to the ceiling in three large stacks.
They were beautifully made, too, and even though he didn’t know what he’d be using them for, Dayton took a couple to his home, too. “When is David moving out?”
“Next week. He’s leaving behind most of the furniture.
He wants to start fresh, and so he’s not taking a great deal with him.
He said that I could keep it or burn it for all he cared.
I think he’s just looking forward to getting out of town while he can.
Did you ever hear back from the testing group about Tilly?
” He said that he’d heard this morning. “And? What did they say? I’m hoping that she’s unfit to stand trial so that she can be put away somewhere.
Whatever gets her out of everyone’s hair.
I have a good source at the prison who said that she’s still going on about the checks like she deserves them.
That Trin had no right to have them when she was her sister.
I wonder if anyone has pointed out that she was her mom to her? ”
“They have. It’s been a nightmare since she got it into her head that the money belonged to her.
And the Social Security office isn’t pressing charges against Trinity either.
They’re saying that she went well and above her job in trying to get someone to stop sending them to her mom.
” He thought about some of the horrible things he’d said to Trinity and the one shot about her mom being dead. “I’ve fallen in love with the girl.”
“Congratulations. I never saw that coming.” He said that he’d fallen in love with her from the first time he’d seen her, but was too pissy to realize it. “I’d say that’s about right. You were pretty mean to her when she started talking to you. What changed your mind?”
“I don’t know. I’m not supposed to do this anymore, you know, compare her to Debra, but she’s nothing like her.
I think that’s what I was expecting her to become.
Another Debra and wanting all my money.” He laughed.
“She told me that she’s not signing a prenup because she doesn’t want my money.
Hell, Dayton, she barely wants me around. ”
“Are you sure that’s…Never mind. Of course, your money is safe with her around.
She might not have much of her own, but she wouldn’t touch yours either.
She might even put hers with yours just to keep her money safe.
” The two of them laughed and patted each other on the back.
“She’s something else. I can’t wait for her to be my sister. She feels like she is already.”
“That’s what mom said you guys would say.
That she’s your sister and not sister-in-law.
” The two of them continued to look around the large building.
“I’m going to move my offices in this building when I get it empty.
It might take me a while to get it emptied out, but I’m going to enjoy working from here. ”
They found a larger room full of linens.
Not just sheets and pillow cases, but there were napkins and tablecloths as well.
Even dollies that were laying around the room in so many different colors that he wanted them made into a bedspread and put on the beds.
He picked one up and held it up to the light from the window.
“I wonder how old this one is? It looks like it was just made yesterday, and that they put it on their dresser. Look at this one.” It was made in red and green, and the perfect little trees around it were decorated for Christmas.
“I could see these hanging all over a Christmas tree in the winter. I’d not do it; I’d make a mess of it, but I could see it. ”
They talked about other things that they’d find.
There were two large dining room tables filled with China sets.
Large ones that would feed twenty people at a time.
In the same room that they found little rocking chairs and high chairs in, there were dozens of children’s sets for dining too.
Old bibs as well as toys were all along the shelves that were in the room.
Tonka trucks that they had as children, as well as dolls that he thought were beautiful and in good shape.
“You’re not going to be able to sell all this stuff, do you think?” He said he didn’t know, but he was willing to give it a shot. “She seemed to want so much for this stuff. That truck goes for less than that brand new. Why would anyone want to pay that much for one that has a bit of rust on it?”
“I don’t know. Mark said she’d get bedroom sets for a couple of bucks each.
” He said that the one he left behind was one of them.
“Yeah. But did you see the prices she had on them? Again, a brand new set would be cheaper. Not as nice, of course, but I’d not pay five thousand dollars for a headboard and footboard with some rails.
That seems like too much to me. Maybe she didn’t want to sell anything. ”
“Could be there is some added expense that we’re not seeing.
” He said that it couldn’t be rent, she wasn’t paying any.
And while some of the pieces are in terrific shape, a few pieces in the bedroom stuff looks bad.
Bastain said he’d just use it as firewood and be done with it.
They talked about other things that they couldn’t believe how much they were going for.
“Maybe like we said, we’re missing something. But I don’t know what it could be.”
Dayton marked a few other pieces that he wanted.
He didn’t know for sure if he needed them or not, but he really loved them.
One of them was another tall boy, like his mom had taken.
The second item that he wanted was a porch set that was made of wicker.
He was going to put it on his back deck so that he could enjoy it.
The price tag on the four pieces, two chairs, a table, and a flower pot was ten thousand dollars.
Neither one of them could understand that at all.
“Want to get some breakfast? We could then go and see Trin. I’ve been wanting her opinion on some things anyway.
Did you know that she has a degree in forensic science?
That’s what she said is good for her job.
” He’d not known that but wasn’t hurt by it like he might well have been.
They were getting to know one another now that he wasn’t pushing her away.
“She works in an insurance office, but she really works all over the place. They pay her good money to find fraud in insured people. She said that it happens more than it doesn’t. ”
“How many times have we had to bring someone to court who has done that same thing?” Dayton said more times than he could count. “I know. I had no idea what she did for a living. I knew that it must not have been too shabby a job. She does have that nice rental.”
“Actually, I own the house she’s living in.
I have since before she moved in.” He wanted to ask Dayton what her rent was, but didn’t.
It was none of his business, if it ever would be yet and he didn’t want to make any waves from her.
“She’s looking for something that she can live in while she’s down with her leg.
I guess Mom is going to be staying with her while she recuperates. ”