Chapter 7 #3
“You might get some junk, but the dumpster will be here for another three days. Just dump what you don’t want in there, and I’ll take care of it.
” He said he’d do that. “Some people will leave behind trash, and that’s a killer, but I don’t expect too much left behind that’s pop cans and the like.
The recycling bin helps along with that. ”
The Cargo family met Lisa at the auction when they were ready to leave.
They had trucks with them and were going to take the furniture with them when they left.
He was excited to have the things cleaned professionally, and the repair work would keep him from having to fiddle with them.
He wasn’t a handyman, and he thought that everyone knew that. He told Lica what was going on.
“I was going to say have them do the table and chairs, but you said they were covered in something.” He told him that he thought they were covered in vinyl. “That’s fine. If they can clean them up, that would be great. Something less I have to do.”
“The house seems to be in good shape, too. The few things I was able to get for you were in better shape than I thought they’d be for a house as old as it is.
” Lica told him that he was appreciative of him getting the house for him.
“No problem. The next auction next weekend has a house too, but I know nothing about it. Do you?”
“It’s a three bedroom too, but it’s a bit more modern.
I’d say it was built in the seventies. The first house you got for me was built in the fifties.
” They talked about how much rent they’d have to charge for what he paid for it.
“As I said, it’ll be a starter home for some small family.
The house you got today will be painted and cleaned from top to bottom.
If it needs the carpet replaced, then I’ll do that too.
I don’t want to put too much effort into it because it’s going to be rented out. ”
“I understand that. I remember my first rental. The person I was renting from didn’t seem to care about anything but his check each month.
The carpet was worn so badly that you could see the wood beneath it.
Not to mention the ceiling. It was a mess.
” He said he’d try to be a better landlord than that.
“I know that I do when I rent out the condos that I own. I want them to appreciate it from the moment they get in until they leave.”
They talked about rentals while he packed the boxes that Lisa got into the car.
There were some interesting things in the boxes, and he was excited to go over them with her.
For now, they’d just put them in the garage and bring them into the house a couple at a time to see what they had.
She said that there were things that she could hang on the wall as displays, and he kind of liked that idea.
Whatever they did to make the house more homey was something that he could live with.
The four of them stopped to get some dinner on the way home.
It wasn’t that far from where they lived, but they’d been on their feet all day and just wanted to be pampered a bit.
He was still sore from making love, but he was getting better every day.
He wondered if any of his brothers felt the same way after making love to their mates for the first time.
It wouldn’t be a question that he’d ask.
“Next weekend, the house is going to sell too. Did you know that?” He told Mac that he hadn’t until Lica told him. “He’ll probably want to buy it. I was thinking of taking him on.”
“He more than likely won’t bid against you if you want the house. He’s just like that.” She asked where all the fun was in that. “I know what you mean. He can bid without knowing you’re bidding against him? That might be fun.”
“He’ll find out and stop. He’s going to ruin all my fun.
” Mac laughed, and it drew attention from the other people in the restaurant.
It wasn’t a bad laughter but more like the bells on a windchime going.
That was the first thing he’d noticed about her, her beauty and her laughter.
“I’ll have to think of some other way to get him going.
He’s so much fun when he’s flustered. Don’t you think? ”
“I’m not going to answer that. He’s not much fun to me when he’s flustered.
He gets upset.” Mac grinned at him and asked if it was only the women he got flustered with.
“That’s all he shows you. Most of the time, he’ll take it out on us.
” Devlin laughed. “Not really, but he does tell us how much he gets flustered when he’s around you other women.
I think he just does what Brandy says to him, and that’s final, but with the other women, he tries very hard to stay on your good side.
With good reason, too. He doesn’t want any fights, so he’s careful what he says.
I’m the same way when it comes to you, women. ”
“So you temper yourself for us?” Devlin said that sounded like he was afraid of them, and he wasn’t. Just respective. “I love you, Devlin. You’re a good man. And a great brother-in-law.”
Now he was flustered. As soon as they were finished eating, they parted ways.
Edmond and Mac had bought a few more items than they had, so he was glad that they’d brought their truck.
The outdoor bench that they’d gotten was going to look good in their rose gardens, and he was sure that the birdbath that Mac got was going to be a nice addition to it as well.
“I’m going to get us a birdbath to go in the flower gardens.
I think they had the right idea in doing that.
” He said he thought the bench was going to be good as well.
“I do too. But I want a newer one. Theirs was covered in some kind of moss, and it didn’t look safe.
Perhaps they’ll sturdy it up before they use it. ”
“I saw that as well. Yeah, if nothing, Edmond will have someone take care of that. He’s a better handyman than I am.” She pointed out that he wasn’t at all. “I know, that’s what I’m saying about him. He’s just better.”
The drive home was spent making fun of Lica. He was really a good man, and he loved him like a brother. But he had a lot of flaws. Much like he did. Not flaws so much as things that made him stand out against the rest of them. Like Lica didn’t wear tennis shoes. Ever.
He’d wear boots and dress shoes. Occasionally, he’d wear a loafer, but he never wore anything as casual as a gym shoe.
He thought that he could blame it on Brandy; she loved to dress up, too, but he’d been like that since they’d been kids.
Even on gym day, he’d only wear them for the class, and that was it.
And he’d go barefoot in the summer months rather than wear old tennis shoes that were from school that year.
He thought that it had to do with the parents only getting them one pair of shoes a year, and they were never new.
Tennis shoes in the winter would freeze your feet off and get your socks soaked.
The second-hand place always had ratty-looking tennis shoes, and the kids would make fun of them for wearing them.
When Devlin had money, the first thing he bought himself was a nice pair of tennis shoes that he could wear whenever he wanted. He kept them clean, too.
He thought about all the things he’d not had as a kid.
Hand-me-downs were forever what he’d be able to wear.
By the time the second-hand stuff would get to him, it would be so worn out that it looked like it had been through a dozen kids.
And they probably had by the time they got to him.
He supposed that was why he was so careful with his clothing.
He might take them to the second-hand place when he was finished with them, but no one would mind getting them because he’d taken such good care of the stuff.
He was like that with all his clothing. And having his own underwear, something that no one had ever worn before him, was something that he enjoyed more than anything.
By the time they got into the house, they were both exhausted. Lisa took a shower, she said that she had auction dirt all over her, and he joined her in the shower. They were both feeling better now, and they made flirty love in the shower stall with each other.