“Hi, I’m Ashley Gage, the homeowner,” she said, as she smiled and stretched out her arm to shake his hand.
“Hi yourself,” he answered, “I’m Travis from Jefferson Windows and Doors.”
“Let me show you around this drafty place, so you can get some measurements and see what the damage will be,” Ashley said as she led him inside. They went room by room with him taking measurements of each window.
“These old places weren’t square. Each window will mean a custom fit unless you get a carpenter in here to straighten out this mess,” he said.
“I’ll handle that,” she said. “Measure for the closest standard measurement for each, and I’ll make it happen. That way I’ll have my new windows a lot sooner and for much lower cost, I assume,” Ashley said.
“You sound like you know what you’re talking about.” Travis was impressed.
“Can I offer you a beer, soda, or bottled water? We’ll talk.”
They sat in the kitchen alcove, which was fast becoming a favorite spot because from the bow window there she could look out into the side yard which had large, overgrown gardens. She knew they wouldn’t be overgrown once she worked her magic on them. Every time she looked out, new ideas for the area popped into her head, and they made her smile.
It turned out he was Travis Jefferson, grandson of the founder of the company, and able to speak for the firm. She explained who she was and they dickered over price for just a little while before coming to agreement. He even offered to visit on Sunday and help with any windows she had not yet finished squaring off.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like to be one of the founding members of my crew New Hampshire?” she teased.
“Sorry, my dad and grandpa would kill me. Grandpa’s been retired five years now—travels the world on cruises, and Dad’s hoping to do the same one day. They’re counting on me. If I can get you to sign an exclusive contract with us for windows, I’ll make them proud and easily get them to agree to this hard-nosed price you’ve talked me into for your windows.”
“It’s not such a tough price. I’m doing half the work,” Ashley protested.
“You are doing that,” he agreed and grinned. He had a scar that cut across his lip, and she wondered about the story behind that but didn’t feel comfortable about asking.
“I’m hoping to be finished by Sunday, so you and your crew can install them starting Monday, but if I’m not finished, I’d be glad for the help. And I’ll thank you by making dinner if that’s okay. Is there a Mrs. Jefferson who might object?”
“No, not yet, but my mom keeps telling me there should be,” he joked. “She wants grandbabies.”
“I hear you. I was thrilled when my brother took over that duty. He gave her three.”
“Well, you’ve got a very substantial place here and from what I’ve read about your firm, if anyone can bring it back to its glory days, you can. I have heard rumors that the place is haunted though.” He chuckled then as if he was making a joke, but when Ashley looked closely, his hazel eyes weren’t laughing. “What? Don’t look at me like that. It’s just something we kids used to joke about. That’s all.”
“I hope so. I did hear strange noises last night,” Ashley admitted.
“It was a windy night, and those windows need replacing badly.”
“Right,” she said. “See you Sunday whenever you get here.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it,” Travis said and honked his horn as he drove his black F250 out of her driveway.
Haunted, huh? she thought. There’s no such thing as ghosts.
Chapter Eleven
That night she slept soundly with her Glock on her night table until she dreamed she heard, “Don’t bring him back. I’m the one for you. Let me prove it.” Then the scraping began, louder and more persistent than the night before, and she shot up in her bed certain someone was in her room. She reached for her firearm, turned on the bedside lamp, and stared wide eyed into the room. Her door was open as she had left it. She always slept with the door open. The blinds that she had drawn low as she dressed for bed were pulled open, so she’d have the morning sun, as she had left them. Nothing appeared out of place, and she could see no shadows. Perhaps it was just a dream. Yet the sounds seemed so real and close by.
As she had the night before, she slipped into her robe, took her Glock with her, and made a survey of every room, including the basement of her home. Everything seemed to be in order. But that night, the breeze she’d felt occasionally the night before, seemed to be persistent. She was thankful that Travis was speeding up her order for the windows. The place was really drafty. She didn’t even want to imagine what the heating bill would be that winter if the new windows weren’t in place. She heated herself a cup of milk, sipped it while reading The Ghosts Who Raised Me by Erin Lee, her favorite contemporary author, and finally felt sleepy enough to return to bed. Perhaps a book about ghosts wasn’t the best selection for her, she thought, as she snuggled back under her covers. The realtor and now Travis certainly had her, who never really believed in them, wondering if they could be real after all.
At sunrise she was up and eager to work on the windows. She moved quickly from one to another because she had the right equipment and experience to do the job. While tearing out some rotting wood, she noticed the insulation wasn’t up to current codes, which was most often the case unless a nineteenth century home had had extensive renovations recently. She made a mental note to blow in plenty of new insulation. She’d also have to get an electrician in there to update the electrical grid of the house to provide more outlets for all the computers and electrical gadgets that didn’t exist during most of the years of the house’s existence.
Her cell pinged and she saw it was Rex texting her.
Rex: Judge Ronald McLaughlin and his wife Phyllis want to meet Sat. The house is 1 block from you. I’ll be at your place at noon. You in?
Ashley: I’m in. SY Sat
They each clicked off, never ones for long conversations because they wasted time. This couple had contacted them six months before wanting them to work on their home, but they’d put them off because they didn’t want the two hour commute to work each day. With Ashley relocated, their project would be the perfect start to the New Hampshire branch of G & J. They’d see what the project entailed, sign contracts, and hire a crew. Rex had already been working on finding local workers as Ashley had worked on making local supplier contacts and gotten some names of prospective crew members. Later, she’d call him and suggest they set up interviews with candidates for later on Saturday, so he wouldn’t have to make two trips and be away from Liz and the kids twice.
As she built up a sweat with her work, she appreciated the slight breeze that followed her everywhere in the house. Enjoy it while you have it, she thought; you won’t have it once the windows are in.
It was starting to get dark when she finally stopped to pull leftovers out of the refrigerator. After nuking two slices of pizza and unscrewing a bottle of water, she brought her meal into the living room and sat down to catch up on the news. I think I’ll get that dog Brody and I talked about, she thought. It would be good company at quiet times like these. She had the huge fenced-in yard and could build a giant doghouse, so that in nice weather, she could leave the dog outside while she was at work. Or better yet, she could install a doggie door and let her come and go as she pleased. Ashley was sure she wanted a female dog, as long as it was spayed. One dog would be fine; a litter would be much too much for her to handle. With that thought in mind, she went to her computer and started looking at area rescues to find her new housemate.