FG 3 - The Wedding Blitz (16 page)

I hadn’t even seen the new house yet, which Hawkins’ mom pretty much twisted his arm into buying because of the close location, but I could tell Hawkins was nervous and I overheard him mutter something about it still needing
renovations
on the drive over. 

As the cabin came into view, I remembered that it peaked in the shape of a triangle and was filled with glossy glass panel windows. After we all unloaded from the bus, we climbed a small set of steps up to a wraparound porch.

Hawkins stopped us before we could enter and explained, “What my mom failed to tell me when I signed the contract at the hospital was that it still needed some work. You’ll see what I mean,” he swung open the door for all of us to enter.

What I noticed first was the same leaves that had fallen outside were also lightly scattered across the floor inside. “These leaves can’t be from this year’s fall. The leaves haven’t even changed yet,” Lizzie mumbled.

“That’s an easy fix,” I murmured as my eyes lifted up to a wall across from the kitchen area that looked like someone had tried to knock it down but ran out of energy half way through and didn’t finish it. Yet I couldn’t help but imagine how the open space would give everyone a straight shot of the breathtaking view of the lake.  

As we ventured further into the next room I was surprised to see a large tree branch laying on the dusty wooden floor though that was not as surprising as realizing where the branch had come from as I looked up at a gaping hole in the two story high roof that I secretly thought brightened the room a bit. With one drag of my shoe across the sooty floor I was pleasantly surprised to see the floor was made of real cherry wood and not an inexpensive lookalike.  There was even a little nook where I could see myself reading to Abigail over by a glass window.

“So you’re mom forgot to mention that it’s condemned?!” Lizzie asked in astonishment.  

“That it needed
some
work done,” Hawkins reiterated.

“Wow, you are so cheap,” Lizzie added with a shake of her head as she walked around the large thick branch in the living area. “I bet that black Saab of yours isn’t even new,” she murmured as she continued to look around at the spacious room.

“If you must know,” Hawkins shrugged. “I got my car off of Craig’s list.”

“You
what
?”
Lizzie did a double take. “Did you get this house off of Craig’s list too?” 

“No unfortunately, it probably would have been in better shape if I had,” he sighed. “Joie, I know it doesn’t look like much but if you can just get past the hole in the roof...the branch…the half demolished wall and umm…the fire hydrant red color in one of the rooms,” he began to list the most evident problems which caused Lizzie to suddenly snort. “You’ll see that this could be a new and wonderful chapter in our lives,” he finished as he glared at Lizzie.

“I love it.”

“You
what
?
Both Lizzie and Hawkins said, Lizzie with disdain and Hawkins with amazement.

“No really, it’s perfect,” I finally turned to look at him. His eyes were so full of hope that I found myself quickly saying, “We have a home for the baby. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

“
Really
?”
Hawkins looked both excited and relieved (well mainly just relieved.)

“Yeah really,” I said as I looked out at the grand view of the lake through the two
story
high triangular glass windows. The lawn below looked like something out of a Monet painting with overflowing red and yellow tiger lilies and orange blossoms along either side of a long stretch of swaying tall grass that led out to a wooden dock on the lake.

“So who are we going to get to fix it?” I asked, wondering if it would be done in time for the baby.

“Well I thought since everyone’s still recovering that Harlow and I could take down the rest of the this wall—

“Wait a minute—you think
we’re
going to fix it?” Lizzie looked astounded. “You know you’re a millionaire or have you forgotten?”

“I’m not like most millionaires,” he shrugged.

“I think that’s already been established,” Lizzie widened her eyes. “Warren, please talk some sense into him.”

“I don’t know,” Warren shrugged. “I could use a distraction right now to keep me from drinking.”

“Does this place even have electricity?!” Lizzie rubbed her arms from the cool draft coming in through the ceiling. 

“We could use that chainsaw over there,” Hawkins pointed to the corner of the room. “To cut up this branch for firewood,” he jerked his thumb toward the fireplace which I think was intended to be the focal point for the room by the sheer size of it. “And then sleep on the bus like we always do, until the house’s ready.”

“What about the wedding?” Riley asked. “I still have a lot of planning to do.”

“We should be done before then,” Hawkins assured him. “It looks like a lot more work than it really is.”

“The yard
is
beautiful,” Riley murmured as he looked out of the glass wall. “It has wild flowers and a little dilapidated stone wall. With a little pruning and some raking, it’ll be perfect for the wedding.”

“You want me to get started on this wall J.T.?” Harlow offered as he grabbed up a nearby sledgehammer.

“That would be great. Thanks man,” he patted his back looking relieved that someone was finally going to be doing something other than bitch and moan.

“I can get started on cutting up this branch,” Warren offered next and with a nod from Hawkins, he turned around to get the chainsaw.

Lizzie fake coughed and muttered something under her breath about still having the NBT4 virus and we’re we all out of our freaking minds?!

“What would you like me to do?” I volunteered myself.   

“Come with me, I’ll show you the rest of the house,” Hawkins waved for me to follow after him up a set of steps which led to the next floor. I grabbed the banister as the stairs rose to a landing that allowed me to pause before continuing up to the next level. The landing provided a higher lookout at the breathtaking view of the lake. Once at the top I looked down the hallway and noticed that there was a closed room on either side. Hawkins opened the door to the right first, revealing a large empty room with a wooden floor. 

“It’s got a lot of closet space,” he nodded.

“Well that’s good because I’m going to need that,” I joked causing him to smile.

“
Now
,” he cleared his throat as he crossed over to the second door because apparently it came with instructions. “I know that the room’s going to look like blind person painted it but just imagine what it
could
look like after we get done with it,” he emphasized before opening the door.

I got a sense that he meant for this room to be for the baby as I glanced around the empty room that was painted a crimson red and black like it was Goth-inspired and wondered what rebellious kid had lived in it before.

“With a lot of love,” I slowly smiled when I realized we were actually doing this. We were going to have a house for the baby to live in that wasn’t Hawkins’ tour bus. “Maybe we can paint it a nice pear color with white accents?!” I shouted overtop of the chainsaw in the background; suddenly excited about decorating the room for the baby.

I noticed as we came back down the steps that even Lizzie had caved into doing some type of work by helping Warren toss chunks of wood into the fireplace. Harlow looked like he enjoyed knocking the crap out of the wall and I could tell that he was already making some progress. I glanced around for Riley when Lizzie nodded at the window to the lawn outside. With a glance out at the veranda, I realized Riley was already raking up leaves and pulling out weeds in the backyard.

“I hope he doesn’t push himself too hard!” I shouted over at Hawkins, who raised a hand up to his ear because he couldn’t hear me over top of the chainsaw and the pounding of the wall. “I hope Riley doesn’t—never mind.”

Lizzie was quick to pull out her cell phone, and seconds later I felt my own vibrate in my pocket. “Can you believe this? I only have a weakened immune system from a little thing called the NBT4 virus!” she texted like she was the only who had been infected.

“Warren seems to like it and honestly I’m excited to get my hands dirty for once especially when the house has so much potential,” I texted back before looking around the room again imagining all the ways we could decorate it.

“Are you looking at the same room, I’m looking at?” she texted back as her face pinched in bewilderment before shoving the phone into her pocket and returning to Warren’s side, who already looked a little winded. Lizzie quickly helped him toss another log into the burning fire.

Warren had to sit a third of the way through cutting down the beastly branch causing Harlow to drop his sledgehammer and look around for Riley. Harlow dropped his gloves to the floor and swung his sandy brown hair out of his face, looking determined to check up on his significant other. Minutes later, Harlow practically dragged Riley in by the elbow.

“But Rob, I have to get the yard ready for the wedding,” he cried.

“Not all in one night you don’t,” Harlow insisted causing all of us to snicker.

“This is so sad,” Riley sank down beside me on a couch we had overturned. “I only raked two piles of leaves before I had to stop to catch my breath. How am I going to get everything done before the wedding?”

“We’ll help you,” I patted his knee.

“But you’re the
bride
Joie, you can’t help me. Well—not with everything anyway.”

“Hey, just tell me what to do and I’ll do it,” Warren volunteered himself causing Lizzie to bug her eyes out. I think she had imagined herself soaking it up in Warren’s Jacuzzi up at his mansion in Vancouver by now. 

“Thanks Warren,” Riley seemed truly appreciative; probably because it was unexpected coming from someone who usually liked to party like Mick
Jagger
.

“No
problemo
.”

“What’s your address here, Hawkins?” Riley asked as he pulled out his cell phone.

“96 College Park Road, Seattle, Washington, why do you ask?”

“I hope you don’t mind if I have some things delivered here?”

“Nah Riley, this is your show. Whatever you need to do to make it memorable,” Hawkins nodded as Riley got up to make a phone call outside on the porch where he wouldn’t be overheard.

“We’ll probably need everyone’s help with the preparations,” I announced on Riley’s behalf once he was out of earshot. “Riley can’t do all this on his own. They still haven’t weaned him off dialysis yet.” Everyone nodded in agreement around the room.

“Now why don’t we help Harlow beat the crap out of this wall?” I smiled up at Rob, who turned and held the sledgehammer out for me. “It’s all yours.”

“This could be really therapeutic,” I mumbled under my breath as I took the sledgehammer in both of my hands while careful not to overdo it because of the baby. “That’s what you get for attacking me, you SOB military operative,” I swung the sledgehammer to the sound of laughter and watched the solid metal head sink into the wall. 

Hawkins moved in to take the sledgehammer from me. “Now if you continue down this road, we might be here for a
very
long time.”

“You make a really good point,” I nodded already feeling the effects of someone who had spent most of their time confined to a bed for the past week. 

“Watch out Joie, I have some pent up frustration too,” he warned and I backed away so Hawkins could have a go at it. “This is for my father!” The whole house practically shook when the force of the sledgehammer connected with the plaster of the wall. “This is for his dialysis treatment! And not being a match!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

“I’ve
got ten
bucks that says he’ll take down the entire wall,” Lizzie murmured beside me.

“Hopefully not before I’ve had my turn,” Warren muttered under his breath like he had some things he’d like to get out of his system too.

Even though Hawkins had taken a huge circular chunk out of the wall, it still didn’t fall miraculously enough, but Warren stood up more than ready to take his turn when Hawkins bent over to catch his breath.

“This is for my sister!” Warren swung the sledgehammer with all his might sending pieces of the wall flying everywhere. Lizzie and I ducked behind the couch for the rest of his turn but even Warren couldn’t bring the thing down.

“I think you guys need to invest in large paintings,” Warren gasped. “Because I don’t think this bitch is coming down.”

“I still haven’t had my turn,” Harlow, who I had always thought was a little on the hippie side with his corduroys and Birkenstocks, announced as he took the sledgehammer back with a renewed sense of vengeance.

“This is for Riley! And all those times I wasn’t brave enough to admit how I felt,” he whacked the sledgehammer into the wall so hard that it wobbled side to side. Hawkins and Warren, who were closest to the wall, pulled Harlow back as it suddenly toppled over with one last creaking moan in the direction of the kitchen area.