Page 18 of Once Upon a Fall

“I bet I could get one of the Walker brothers to take care of it,” I tell him.

He raises his eyebrows in surprise. “Really? Is that what they do? Wildlife removal?”

“Oh no.” I shake my head. “They’re just brothers who’ve never turned down a project that could end in a trip to urgent care.”

Dean stares at me for a beat. I’m going to assume that he doesn’t have a lot of experience with small towns.

“Right. I need someone with insurance,” Dean says. “So far, one company is a couple of weeks out. I’ve got a few calls out to companies in Burlington.”

“Well, if you get desperate, let me know,” I say.

I hold out my hand again for the shelf. “I really can take care of that,” I tell him.

He holds onto it tighter. “Do you mind? I’ve got some time on my hands. It’ll give me something to do.”

“Are you handsy?” I ask, and then immediately cover my mouth with my hand, my eyes widening. “Handy. I meant handy.”

Another upward tick of his lips. That’s two for the day.

He shrugs. “I know a few things. I used to help my grandpa around the farm.”

“Well, if you’re looking for things to keep you busy, I’ve got plenty of stuff to do around here.” I hold out my hands toward the Cinderella room in all its under-construction glory.

I mean it as a joke. I’m definitely not asking my one-and-only guest to help me with my renovations. I’m desperate, but not that desperate.

Actually, I am that desperate. I wonder if he . . . no. There’s no way.

“Sorry. Another dumb joke.” I put my hands in the back pockets of my overalls, rocking back on my heels. “Stick around, I’ve got lots more.”

I should probably shut up. And get back to work.

“How about I start with this,” he says, holding up the shelf. “Do you have a drill, a level, and a stud finder to start?”

“Yes,” I tell him. “I can grab them for you.”

“Or you can just show me where you keep your tools, and I’ll grab them.”

“Right,” I say, drawing out the word. “So, they are sort of all over the place.”

He squints his eyes. “How do you know where to find anything?”

“I just figure it out.” I give him a little shrug. “I had plans to set up my garage with everything, but then I ran out of time before you got here, and then Hal was using it for his truck.”

“Who’s Hal? Does he work here?”

“No. This is a one-woman show. Hal bartends down at the Maple Bar.” I point in the direction of the bar, which is just down the street from here.

“Why is he storing his car in your garage?” Dean asks.

“He needed a place to put it,” I say simply. “It’s only for a week.”

“Got it,” he says, but I get the idea that he has more questions and has decided that it’s none of his business. “So, then where can I find the tools?”

“Follow me,” I say, taking him across the hallway to the Cinderella room.

Opening the door, I see the room with fresh eyes as I allow my guest inside my current work in progress.

The flooring is in, but it’s hardly noticeable since there are several pieces of trim laid out on the floor and some leaning against the wall, and white MDF dust on nearly every surface.