Chapter 4 Jude
JUDE
“John Harwood! Didn’t expect to see you here,” I call out as I approach the two men, cutting a path through the tall grass.
John is standing on the cobblestone pathway next to an older man I presume is Charles Faulkner.
John and his wife, Susan, live next door.
I’ve been taking care of their property for years now; they were some of my first clients when I started my landscaping business, and I have them to thank for referring Charles to me for this job.
“It’s the man himself,” John replies with a grin. “We were just talking about you.”
“Good things, I hope!” I shake his hand and clap him on the shoulder, then turn my attention to the other man, who holds out his hand.
“Charles Faulkner,” he says, gripping my hand in a firm shake. “Nice to meet you, Jude.”
“Likewise,” I say. “Quite the view you’ve got here.
” I tilt my chin at the nearby cliff that looks out over Black Bear River, then take a moment to look around at the large property.
It looks fairly neglected. Overgrown garden beds edge the perimeter of the old Tudor house.
A central yard is flanked by various leggy, half-dead plants, as well as several well-established but overgrown trees, including an enormous horse chestnut and several arbutuses.
“Thank you,” Charles replies, following my gaze. “It’s all new to us but it’s quite something, isn’t it?”
Before I can respond, John interrupts. “Listen.” He claps his hands together decisively. “I’ll get out of your hair. Let you two talk about the project.”
I nod in his direction, smiling.
“Alright, John, take care,” Charles says. “Don’t be a stranger.”
John nods and gives us a small wave before turning toward the driveway, ambling home.
“Jude, I’m glad you could pop over. I don’t have a ton of time to chat,” he says, looking at his watch, “but I figured it would be good for you to lay eyes on what we’ve got here.”
“Oh, no problem. I was actually just finishing up next door.”
“Well, that is convenient!” He raises his eyebrows. “I trust you didn’t encounter any trouble on the commute,” he adds with a chuckle.
I smile. There’s an easy kindness to him that reminds me of Dad. A familiar heaviness settles over me at the thought, but I manage to shake it off. While the pain has never fully gone away, those once-sharp claws of grief have dulled over the years.
“So, you’re looking for a big overhaul?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.
He nods enthusiastically. “Yes, and it’s quite overdue, as you can see.” Charles gestures around us, then motions for me to follow him across the grass. We cross the yard to a spot where the land dips down near the cliff-side.
“Can I ask… What’s the story with this place? You said earlier it was all new to you.”
“Yes, my wife and I inherited the property from my late brother. He—”
“Charles,” a woman’s voice sings out from an upstairs window of the big house, stopping us. “The roofers just called; they’ll be here any minute!”
I shield my eyes from the light of the white, overcast sky and squint back at her.
She offers me a quick wave and I raise my hand in return.
“Be right there!” Charles calls back, then turns to me again. “Well, that was the shortest tour imaginable. Sorry about that,” he says with an apologetic smile. “Are you free to come back Thursday morning, by any chance?”
“Yeah, Thursday works for me.”
Over Charles’ shoulder, I notice a roofing van pull into the driveway and park beside my truck.
He follows my gaze and sighs, looking back at me with a resigned smile. “That woman is running me ragged.”
I smile uncertainly.
Seeing my reaction, he explains. “Carol’s got all manner of contractors and suppliers coming by right now,” he says, looking tired.
“This place needs so much work and she’s in full-on project mode.
Meanwhile, I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to juggle it all. ” He smooths down his thin gray hair.
I nod. “I can imagine.” Well, sort of. Fixing up my rural cabin has been a lot of work, but the scale of the project here is something else.
He watches me for a moment. “You married?”
“Married? No,” I reply quickly, chuckling. God, far from it, I think to myself. It’s been years since Alexis left me. So, no. Not married. Life is just simpler on my own. Besides, I’m only thirty.
“Ah, well.” Charles leans in, eyebrows raised. “Happy wife, happy life, or so they say!”
I can’t help but smile. “So, Thursday morning?” I try to steer us back to the topic at hand.
“Yes, that should be good.” He rubs his hands together. “I’ve got a landscape designer coming by then too,” he adds, his eyebrows raised. “It’ll be great to get you both here at the same time.”
“Sure,” I say, nodding. We walk back toward the house.
“Hey, and I should ask… would you be comfortable with my dog hanging around on-site while my crew is here? He’s old and quiet and doesn’t do much other than sleep.
” I pause, realizing I may be jumping the gun.
“Assuming this is all goes ahead, of course.”
“Oh, absolutely!” Charles brightens. “My grandfather used to breed Irish Setters! Carol and I both love dogs.”
“Thanks,” I say, reassured. Bringing Murphy to work with me is a comfort for us both. He’s been with me since… Well, he’s the only one who hasn’t left, anyway.
“I’d better talk to these folks.” Charles gestures at the roofing van. “Great to meet you.” He reaches out his hand.
“You too,” I say, shaking it again.
“See you Thursday!” He smiles and starts to walk away, then turns back to face me. “And honestly, Jude…” he adds, “as for things going ahead? Based on what I hear from John and Susan, the job is yours.”