Looking at the cost of the new cabinets for the kitchen, he decided the ones she already had would be fine, they just needed refinishing. After buying a hand sander, wood stain, and topcoat, plus new knobs and handles, he considered the cabinets in the bathrooms. Deciding on paint, he stood at the color strips. His gaze landed on the strips that covered the range from deep blue to purple and Violet’s eyes came to mind. He’d never seen eyes that shade. Her husband was a lucky bastard to be able to peer into those eyes every morning.
Blowing out a deep breath, he made his way down the line, settling on a soft grey paint for the powder room downstairs. Making more selections for the upstairs bathrooms, he finally headed to the plumbing section. Ordering new bathroom sinks, counters, and faucets, he was pleased when the total was less than the cost of what new kitchen cabinets would have been.
Parking on the side road for easier unloading through the door leading into the laundry room, he glanced toward the backyards, Violet’s house coming into view. The paint was chipping on the wood frame around her back door and kitchen window. There was no deck and the concrete steps coming from the door to the ground sagged slightly on one side. With no patio, the grass was worn away at the bottom of the steps, probably creating a mud puddle when it rained. Wonder why her husband hasn’t fixed the place up since moving in?
Shrugging, he once again shoved thoughts of the raven-haired beauty from his mind and focused on unloading his SUV. He’d arranged for a load of deck lumber to be delivered that afternoon and hoped the good weather held out so he could work on a rebuild. He wanted a larger deck that would lead down to a brick patio. The idea that he could enjoy the yard crossed with the reminder that his grandmother planned on selling her house.
Sighing, he couldn’t help but grin as his grandmother walked over and patted his shoulder, appearing to have forgiven his abruptness of the morning. He kissed her cheek and spied a sandwich made from thick slices of bread and piled high with deli meat, cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce sitting on the kitchen counter. “Is that for me?”
“You need to keep up your strength if you’re going to do so much work around here.”
Snagging the plate with his meal along with one containing a much smaller sandwich to the table, he made sure she was seated comfortably before diving in.
“Did you get everything you went after?”
Wiping his mouth while he nodded, he then said, “Yes. I decided we don’t need to put in new kitchen or bathroom cabinets. The ones that grandpa put in are in perfect condition. I thought I’d sand and refinish the ones in here, and then put a fresh coat of paint on the ones in the bathrooms. I bought new hardware, and that’ll give them an updated look. I’ve ordered new sinks and countertops for the bathrooms, and those will get delivered next week. I went ahead and bought new faucets that I can put in at the same time.”
“I can’t imagine how much work this will be for you. Are you sure you want to do this?” She held his gaze and tilted her head. “I know you must’ve had other plans you wanted to accomplish when you left the military.”
He shook his head slightly, swallowing the last bite. “Honestly, I left with little idea of what I wanted to do. During the entire drive from California, I thought about it. It’s not always easy to take a military career and turn it into a civilian job. Especially not when I was a SEAL. I know some people go into law enforcement or security work, but I never considered doing that.”
“Because of me?”
“No, no,” he rushed, leaning forward to place his hand on hers as it rested on the top of the table.
“You don’t owe me any debt, real or imagined, Benjamin.”
“Oh, I know that. And yet I do. I owe you everything. But not in a way that I feel trapped. Just… well, just peaceful, I guess.”
Their eyes stayed locked for a moment before a smile curved her lips, deepening the creases in her cheeks. She rose from the table and walked to the refrigerator to retrieve slices of apple pie. He watched her carefully, but she was steady on her feet and he knew she not only craved her independence but the physical therapist had insisted that movement was good for her. As she neared the table again, he took the plates from her and waited till she settled before diving into the sweet goodness, the cinnamon sugar exploding on his taste buds.
“So, what did you decide on the long drive across the country?”
He swallowed his bite, licking his lips. “It wasn’t until I was actually standing in this house again that it hit me. Grandpa took such pride in the work he did on this house. I know he helped other people with their renovations. I realized it was something that I could do and enjoy as well.”
Her face eased as he spoke, so he kept going.
“There are lots of fix-it shows on TV and tons of people are flipping homes now, but for real craftsmen who want to maintain the integrity of these old homes, I’m not sure many of them can do it.”
Anna nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, yes. I saw the work someone did at a friend’s house. After bragging about how they could improve it, they did an unsightly job and it had to be redone! Oh, the cost… it was terrible!”
“I’m looking into what I’d need to do to become licensed in this state. I might have to work for a contractor for a couple of years, but that’d be okay. I’d learn the tricks of the trade. And right now, I don’t need the money.” He caught her wide-eyed look of surprise. Chuckling, he amended, “Not that I’m independently wealthy.”
She laughed and patted his hand again. “Well, I certainly know you didn’t inherit a fortune from us.”
He loved watching her laugh. His grandmother had a way to brighten any room, chasing away the gloom that might hang over him. It had been that way since she and his grandpa first took him in. “I inherited a fortune from you, you know. Maybe not what goes into the bank, but a fortune, nonetheless.”
Her gasp resounded as tears filled her eyes. “Oh, sweet boy…”
He cleared his throat, hoping to speak past the lump that had appeared. “Are you sure you want to move?”
Her face fell as her gaze drifted to her hands resting on the top of the table. Sighing, she finally replied. “Most of my friends have left the area. I still see some at church, but none in the neighborhood. Well, I have Violet, who I care for, but none of my old friends. Many have moved in with their children or into retirement villas.” She chuckled, her eyes now settled once again on him. “Isn’t ‘villa’ a funny word… such an old-world term for the modern little houses that are built for older people? I suppose the phrase ‘independent living facility’ isn’t any better. I’m not sure what is so independent about them.”
He remained quiet, wanting to hear more about her desires and secretly wishing she didn’t want to sell the house that held so many memories for both of them.
“But I know those places have activities to participate in. Things to keep my brain engaged and transportation to my doctors’ appointments. Although, Bingo was never my favorite game,” she added with a smile.
“Well, if you’re not in a hurry, I’ll be here until we get this place ready.”
“Oh, my, Benjamin, you have no idea how glad that makes me!”