“Give me the good news.” Liddy rested her elbows on the counter.
“Well, the good news is your roof isn’t leaking.”
“That is good news.” She narrowed her eyes, expecting something even worse. “What’s the bad news?”
“The bad news is the pipes are all original, and one’s rusted out. Water’s bled down inside the wall to the second floor. I’m surprised you don’t see any damage down here.” He glanced up at the ceiling.
“That can be fixed, though, right?”
“Sure. Just about anything can be fixed. But you’re going to need some of the pipes replaced and the ceiling in that back room on the second floor repaired. Without taking out the wall, it’s hard for me to know just how extensive the damage is.”
“Damn it. Just when I thought I was getting a grip on things around here.”
“You just need to give Jim a call, and he can put in a claim for you.”
“Why would I call him?” she snapped sharply enough for him to take a step back as if he’d been slapped.
“I’m pretty sure insurance will cover the damage from the results of the leak, though the pipes might not be covered. Depends on how your policy is written, so . . .”
“Jim is my ex-husband.”
“Well, I know that, but . . .”
“I did not buy any insurance from him. Why would I give that man any of my business?”
“Oh. Okay.” He looked slightly taken aback. “So who’s your agent?”
“Joan Galvin, over in Mattapoisett.”
“Give her a call. Look, I took some pictures of the damage on my phone.” Tuck took his phone from his back pocket and proceeded to share the photos with Liddy. “I’ll just send them to you, and you can send them on to Joan, and she’ll submit the claim for you.”
“Thanks, Tuck.” Liddy shook her head, wondering what else could go wrong. Then again, she was sure if you asked out loud, the cosmos would respond by showing you what else. Not that she was superstitious, but, unwilling to tempt fate so close to her opening day, she bit her tongue.
“Anything else I can do for you today?” he asked.
Liddy caught his subtle glance at his watch.
“Nope. I’m good.” The sound of the door opening drew her attention to the front of the store. “Ah, Gracie’s here. There’s my second pair of hands. Thanks for everything, Tuck. I appreciate your help.”
“You need me, don’t be afraid to call.” He turned and smiled at the young woman making her way toward them. “Morning, Grace.”
“Hey, Tuck. Hi, Liddy.” Grace dropped her bag behind the counter. “My mom said she’ll be down this afternoon. She’s doing a Zoom call with Daisy at noon.”
Grace turned to Tuck. “My sister’s four-year-old daughter started preschool last week in Pennsylvania, and she’s dying to tell her nana all about it.”
“I get that. I have three grandkids, and I try to be in their lives as much as possible. School, sports, dance. Whatever it is, I try to be there.” Tuck smiled at Liddy, and she forced a smile she didn’t feel in return. She tried really hard not to feel bitter, but sometimes it was difficult to share the enthusiasm of her friends for their grandchildren.
“Good for you they live close,” Liddy said.
“’Bout as close as they could be,” he replied.
“I know you’re happy Linc moved back out there with you, Tuck.” Liddy brushed imaginary dust from the top of the glass counter.
“Don’t know what I’d do without the boy, that’s the truth. He’s a big help with my dad, not to mention he takes care of those kids pretty much by himself even while he’s taking over the business.”
“How is your dad doing these days?” Liddy asked.
“Not long for this world, I’m afraid. He does have good days and bad days, but he’s been using a wheelchair for the last couple of years. That accident he had took more than his mobility. It for sure accelerated the Alzheimer’s. The doctors have all said that’s to be expected—he is eighty-nine years old, and he’s been declining for years.”
“I’m sorry. I know it has to be an emotional burden for you.”
Tuck nodded. “It’s harder for Linc. He and my dad have always been best buds. Dad was the one who taught him how to fish, you know, and that’s my boy’s first love. Sometimes I think he got into construction mostly to pay for his boat so he could go out on the water whenever he pleased. He still takes my dad out from time to time when Dad’s up to it.”
“And he has the three kids as well,” Liddy murmured, thinking it a heavy load for a young man.
“I’m real proud of him for stepping up and taking care of them the way he’s doing. It’s not an easy task, raising kids on your own. You don’t have much of a life. I know that for a fact. My kids were in high school when their mom died, and I had my hands full, believe it. Linc wasn’t much of a problem, but that sister of his . . . ooh-whee.” He shook his head. “Brenda’s given me fits from the day she was born.”
“I can’t remember the last time I saw her,” Liddy remarked.
“Yeah, well, that makes a whole bunch of us.” He slapped his hand on the counter. “I’m gonna run. Don’t forget to let me know if you need anything.” He turned toward the door, then paused. “You here early every day?”
Liddy nodded. “Most days by seven. Why?”
“I’ll want to get an early start on that door if it’s going to be finished in one day. I’ll look at the schedule, and I’ll let you know which day.”
“Thanks, Tuck. I really appreciate it.” Even to herself, Liddy sounded like a broken record.
“Sure thing. And don’t forget to call in that claim. I’ll be ordering the replacement pipe and get that taken care of for you as soon as I can.”
Tuck waved to Grace as he headed out the door and closed it behind him.
“He’s around a lot,” Grace noted.
Liddy shrugged. “There’s been a lot to do around here.”
“So there’s a problem with the pipes upstairs? It’s not the roof?”
“Tuck said that’s the good news. Just replacing some pipes and some walls and a ceiling upstairs. Oh, and he reminded me to call my insurance agent. Which I’m going to do right now.” Liddy looked in her wallet for the agent’s card, put in the call, reported the damage, and forwarded Tuck’s photos. The entire process would have taken about five minutes if Liddy and Joan hadn’t gotten into a discussion about the Patriots’ prospects for the coming NFL season.
“Liddy, I’m going to run upstairs and work on the website. I have it almost ready to go. Once I’m finished, I’ll go over it with you, and you can tell me what you want added, or what you want changed.” Grace took a sip of the coffee she’d brought with her, then made a face. “Ugh. Cold.”
“Watch out for the ceiling up there,” Liddy cautioned as Grace made her way around the boxes of books on the floor.
“I think I’ll be okay. I set up my workspace on the back of the room under the window. There’s a nice view out over the harbor.”