Chapter 7 #2
“Oh, we’re doing just fine,” she told him. “It’s almost ready, but you can help yourself to coffee.”
“Great,” he said. “And my mom sent over some blueberries. She got more than she knows what to do with.”
“Wasn’t that sweet of her?” Mrs. Johnson said with a big smile. “Girls, shall we make a blueberry pie?”
That got a huge reaction, even from Mari, the quiet one. He could already see that they were both good kids and nice with each other. Jillian was doing a great job.
And it was sweet to see the Johnsons with family all around them again. Coach looked ten years younger, and Mrs. Johnson’s smile was radiant. This was a good thing Jillian was doing, coming home.
He put the blueberries in the fridge, which was practically bursting at the seams with Jillian stocking it now too. They should probably start coordinating on what to buy.
Tripp poured coffee for everyone who wanted it, and after a little more hustle and bustle, they were all seated around the table.
Coach said a blessing, and then the table burst into happy chatter. The plate of bacon and the bowl of eggs were passed around, and the girls were proud to offer everyone toast with jam and butter.
“Delicious,” Tripp declared, taking another big bite of toast.
When he looked up, the girls were grinning at him. Jillian looked pleased too.
His heart thundered in his chest at her half-smile. She was glad he was here, and she clearly didn’t mind him being around her girls.
“So, Mari and Posey,” Mrs. Johnson said. “You two will make a pie with me after breakfast?”
“Yes,” Mari said happily.
“Tripp, do you want to water Great-Gram’s ferns with me first?” Posey asked hopefully, mischief dancing in her eyes.
“I’d better not,” he said, chuckling. “I’m planning on staying dry today.”
“I won’t get you too wet,” she teased, cracking up.
“Not this time, huh?” he teased right back. “You’re all finished washing me off?”
She was giggling too hard to answer.
“This is that guy?” Mari asked her sister, her eyes lighting up.
“Yes,” Posey said. “I got him with the hose, and he was pretending to take a shower.”
Coach chuckled and Mrs. Johnson shook her head, as if to say Tripp will be Tripp.
And suddenly, Tripp felt like he was the man from that myth, the one at the bottom of the mountain, pushing up a rock over and over again and never getting anywhere. No one in this town would ever see him as anything but a giant man-child.
He focused on his meal, cleaning his plate and letting the conversation at the table flow around him.
Before long, everyone was finished and they all carried their plates to the sink.
“Go on, son,” Coach said quietly. “Let Jillian show you around. Maude and I are going to bake with the girls.”
“Is this really okay with you?” Tripp asked, suddenly feeling how much he didn’t want to hurt or disrespect the man who had been like a second father to him.
“Sure it is,” Coach said, clapping him on the back. “It’ll make Jillian happy, and all I want is to see her smiling again.”
Coach headed back to the sink to help his wife with the plates, and Tripp was left to wonder about the odd note in Coach’s voice when he said he wanted to see Jillian smiling again.
He did just mean he wanted her happy in her new home, right? Not for some other reason?
But Jillian was headed Tripp’s way, and there was nothing for him to do but let her show him the place like coach wanted.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Definitely,” he told her.
They both grabbed their jackets from the hooks by the back door.
Jillian looked a little nervous as she led him through the dining room and the living room and out to the center hall.
“I guess we should start with the front steps,” she said, indicating the door.
“Yes,” he agreed. “Those steps are treacherous.”
She smiled at that, and he opened the door for her.
Jillian moved past him, trailing the light scent of peppermint in her wake. He wondered if it was her shampoo, and then tried to think about something else.
“So, I guess new boards for the steps and a fresh coat of paint everywhere?” Jillian suggested.
“Definitely,” Tripp agreed. “Just give me a sec.”
He moved around the porch, testing the floor with a light hop here and there.
“So, I think some of the floorboards need to go as well,” he told her. “And I’ll hit the siding and trim with a screwdriver when I get to work. We can’t let any wood rot go. It will get worse quickly.”
“Okay,” she said, nodding. “That’s great.”
He pulled his notebook out of his pocket and jotted down the beginnings of his first list for the hardware store.
“You’re taking notes?” she said, sounding surprised.
“Sure,” he told her. “It’s a big house. We don’t want to forget anything.”
When he looked up from his notebook, he couldn’t help noticing the expression on her face. There was a kind of respect there, like maybe she was seeing him differently.
I may be lighthearted, but I’m responsible, he wanted to tell her.
But it wouldn’t matter.
“Back inside?” he offered.
“Sure,” she said.
They headed in, and she led him to the living room.
“The ceiling stains are from the hall bath,” she told him. “So, we need to address that first, and then the ceiling. And I guess the window is leaking.”
He looked at the bubbling paper under the big window.
“Maybe,” he allowed. “But it’s more likely that someone’s been forgetting to close it when it rains. The summers are hotter these days.”
“Oh,” Jillian said.
He could see the worry in her mind.
“Do you think I should put in air conditioning?” she asked.
“You could put in central air,” he said, nodding. “But it would be pretty expensive. If you wanted you could just do window units where you need them. Or mini-splits.”
“Okay,” she said, looking a little overwhelmed.
“Let’s look at the rest of the house and then we can talk about it,” he offered.
“Thanks,” she said. “There was one more thing in this room, and I know you’re already doing a lot.”
“Talk to me,” he said, giving her a gentle smile so she knew he wanted to hear her thoughts.
“They spend a lot of time in here in the evenings,” she said. “Grampy loves to read, and Gram is always knitting. I was hoping you could maybe put in a little more lighting over the sofa and the big chair, to make it easier for them to see. On a dimmer, if you think that’s a good idea?”
Her words hit him unexpectedly and he sucked in a breath before trying to answer.
Jillian may have been gone for a long time, but she still knew her grandparents well.
She was prioritizing their needs in front of her own.
And she was asking for his input on the matter, which made him feel like she really valued his opinion.
“That’s a good idea,” he managed.
“They’re getting older,” she said, a sad, fond smile on her face. “But I want them to be able to do all the things they love for as long as possible.”
“It’s good to have you home,” Tripp heard himself say.
“We’re really lucky to be here,” Jillian replied, tilting her head up slightly to look him right in the eyes.
As her green eyes gazed into his soul, he felt his heart squeeze, like she was holding it in the palm of her hand.
He just hoped she would be gentle with it this time.