Chapter 27
Tim
You bloody idiot.
I was so tired, my words hadn’t come out right.
I sprang forward and touched her hand to get her to stay.
“I’m so sorry, Tabs. I’ve made it sound like I was criticizing you.
My sister always tells me to listen instead of trying to fix things.
I’m a builder, and that’s what I do, fix things.
But that’s no excuse. What I wanted to say was, I worry about you, because you’re a good person and you don’t deserve this.
I hope I can say that because we’re friends now.
I mean, more than friends, obviously. But friends at the core? ”
“We are, yes.” She smiled and seemed to soften, and my chest lifted with hope. “Thanks, Tim.”
Thank Christ. Because I’d messed up with my advice—that her parents were dictating her life.
Wasn’t my life the same? Should I take some of my own advice?
But my circumstances were different. My mother had a neurological condition she couldn’t control.
She didn’t have the capacity to help herself, and Amy needed the chance to pursue her acting career.
Eventually, I checked the time, turned to Tabs, and gave her a wolfish smile.
“We have a few more minutes before the crew arrives.” No more talk about family.
Just us now. I was loving this early morning version of her, oddly hot with her hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun thing, and the floral tent that should have been a blocker but only sent my imagination into overdrive.
I put down my coffee and leaned in for that kiss I’d been thinking about since she’d exited my truck last night.
A loud clank sounded from outside the front door—the bad kind of clank. Shit. I’d just concreted the path. I dove to the window that looked out toward the front lawn. I pushed open the window and poked my head outside.
“What the hell?” I fumed. “One of the pigs is walking along the path I concreted earlier this morning.” I stood up, ready to race outside.
Tabitha wailed. “My parents promised they’d keep them in the backyard.”
Another clank scraped from above. “The fuck—that’s coming from the roof.” I rushed back to the window and tipped my head up. Anxious voices sounded from above. Two familiar, anxious voices.
“Your parents,” I stormed. “Bloody hell.”
“Oh no,” Tabitha cried out. “What are they doing on the roof?”
I raced out the door to the front yard, Tabitha close behind me.
A ladder was propped up against the house, the feet stuck in the wet concrete.
Anger burst through my chest, raging through the rest of my body.
Then that emotion was replaced by confusion.
There were two kinds of animal prints in the concrete.
The pig was right there, but where was this other animal?
The prints stopped at the edge of the house.
Voices intruded, and I glanced up. Tabitha’s parents were on the roof, Monty in his old-fashioned nightwear, and Penny in flowy white Victorian nightwear…trying to get Goatee down.
Wait. “Goatee climbed all the way up that ladder?” I yelled up.
“You know Goatee can climb ladders,” Monty called down indignantly.
“Mum, Dad! I told you.” Frustration wrenching her voice, Tabitha clutched at my shirtsleeve. “Get down here.”
“Now!” I bellowed up at them. I turned to Tabs, forcing myself to lower my voice because none of this was her fault. “Tabs, could you please take the pig to the backyard and get her cleaned off?”
Tabitha nodded and turned to the pig. “C’mon, Pinky, not your fault, but a pedicure might be in order.” She guided her around the back.
“You two!” I shouted up toward the roof. Monty and Penelope snapped to attention.
“Climb. Down. Now!” I barked out.
Goatee was turning in circles on the roof.
“But what about him?” Penny asked timidly.
I had no idea how I was going to get Goatee down. I might have to fireman-carry him down the ladder myself, but my first mission was to get Monty and Penny well away.
“I’ll get him.” They were still dithering, flapping their arms around. I realized they needed specific instructions. “Penelope, you go down the ladder first.”
While I held the ladder tight, Penny scrambled down, Monty precariously following.
One by one, they jumped down in front of me, glancing guiltily to the side. Good, because I could barely look at them.
“We’ll stay and help hose him down. All hands on deck,” Monty said.
“None of your hands on any bloody decks,” I spluttered, incoherent with anger.
Tab had returned. “Mum, Dad, get inside and wait for us in the library.” Her parents made as if to climb through the library windows. “Through the proper entrance.”
Without arguing, they slunk off.
I threw my head back. Argh.
“That’s it,” Tabs said, steaming with anger. “They’ve ignored my warnings about the animals, and all your hard work on the path is ruined.”
Her parents were either totally oblivious or very selfish, which was a terrible sign for how the next two weeks would go. Being polite and firm with them over the past three months hadn’t worked, so I’d use my harshest rugby captain voice, and they were going to shape up.
“Why don’t you hold the ladder while I climb up and get Goatee?” she asked.
“No, you hold the ladder. I might have to fireman-carry him down.”
She grasped it tightly while I climbed to the top. Somehow finding my footing on the roof, I grabbed the goat, shuffled back to the edge, transferred him under one arm, and climbed down very carefully, one hand sliding down the ladder, the other arm wrapped tightly around his very wriggly body.
“Oh, thank God you made it down, Tim.” Tabs wiped her trembling hand over her forehead. “I would never have forgiven myself if you’d fallen.”
Her visible concern touched me, and I didn’t want to add more to her stress. “I had it under control, don’t worry.”
“C’mon, let’s hose him down,” she said.
At the back, I held Goatee as she hosed the wet concrete from his hooves, reassuring him with whispers in his ear. I listened to her soothing murmurs, watched the soft slide of her hand over his fur. Lucky bastard.
I’d never thought I’d feel envious of a bloody goat, but here we were.
I washed my hands, dried them on my pants, and cupped her shoulders. “You ready?”
“Yep.”
We led a cleaned-up Goatee into the paddock and then headed to the back door.
We both took off our boots and left them at the door. Tabs marched into the library, me behind her.
Huddled on the sofa, her parents had their heads bowed, like naughty schoolkids. I crossed my arms and stood over them as their eyes twitched to the side, snatching glances at each other.
“I cannot believe you’ve been so disrespectful,” I said. “You completely ignored Tabitha’s instructions to keep the animals fenced off in the yard. Not only have you created chaos, but Tabs might have had two injured parents to deal with. Isn’t it bad enough you’ve let her pay for this renovation?”
Their faces went slack. Yeah, I’d gone there.
Shoulders back, Tabs stepped toward them.
“You used Tim’s ladder without his permission, then did something that is not only very dangerous, but could get him in a lot of trouble with Health and Safety.
If there was an accident on his building site while he’s here, his reputation in this county, which he’s spent sixteen years building, is destroyed.
And you’re putting the animals in danger. ”
That last bit made them sit up with horrified faces, and pride surged in my chest. I’d never seen Tabitha being so assertive.
“We put the darlings in danger? Surely not.” Penny didn’t want to believe it, but it was the most reflection I’d ever seen on her face.
“Oh hell,” Monty said. “Oh golly.”
Tabs went on. “You’re messing all of us around and not taking this job seriously.
Tim is a professional. I am a professional.
We are working our guts out—for you—so you can make a living.
This does not happen again. You do not touch Tim’s tools unless he gives you permission.
You keep the animals penned in the back.
You work on the list we give you the night before. Understood?”
Monty’s face crumpled in contrition. “Yes, we are terribly sorry, Tim and Tabitha. We’ve been beastly to you.”
“Sorry, Tim and Tabitha,” Penny said.
They both bowed their heads, chastened, and seemed sincere…for now. Because they did whatever was expected at the time, and I wouldn’t fool myself that we wouldn’t have to do this again.
Tabs’s features relaxed slightly, and I could tell she wanted to believe they’d changed. She really was a softy when it came to them and that was probably part of the problem, but I never wanted her to harden her tender heart.
We’d have to stay on them to make sure this didn’t happen again.
“Okay, you can go,” Tabs said.
“Thank you, both of you,” Penny said.
They scuttled out, and I heard the back door bang shut.
No doubt they were going to comfort the animals from what was essentially a situation they’d created.
I was relieved to have them out of my sight for a while.
Relieved, too, to be alone with Tabitha.
I stepped toward her, wanting to high-five her assertiveness, maybe even sneak in a kiss or two.
“I feel a little wobbly from the adrenaline rush,” she said, pressing one of her temples. “I can’t believe how strong I was with my parents.”
“Well done, you,” I said.
Then she shook her head. “There is so much I want to say.”
Oh no, where was this going?
The front door opened with a loud bang, accompanied by the voices of the crew. It was clear we weren’t going to be able to talk this mess through.
“Mostly, what I just want to say is, we treat them like naughty preschoolers and it works? What the actual fuck?”
Tabitha spluttered out a laugh. Relieved—exhausted—and happy we’d done this together, I joined in.
We were still laughing as we greeted the crew in the kitchen. Two cameras lifted immediately, and I searched around us for their sudden interest. Tabs was still in her nightie. Which was now wet and dirty.
“Oh shit,” she said.
MAKEOVER YOUR MONEYMAKER, sneak peek.
Four design teams compete to turn a home into a business.
Team: Tim and Tabitha
1,000 Comments:
CotswoldsOwn: Was she really in her nightie at the beginning of the workday? Lounging around is not going to get the job done, missy.
GirlBossesDoItBetter: Stop slagging her off, you gormless muppet. Didn’t you see that she was helping her parents and animals?
IWantTimToNailMe2: Fix me up, Tim!
RugbyThighs69: Climb that man like a tree!
DramaFarmer: The two-legged dog. A leader for our times.
ShakeYourMoneymaker: Tim ultimate Labrador/Cinnamon roll.