Spitfire (Puffin Cove) (20 page)

He drew away from her
, a hand still resting on her hip, and leaned into the car to say softly, "Good night, Jilly. Give our girl a kiss fer me."

"
I will. See ya soon."

They drove back to t
he cottage, got a sleepy Shannon bundled into bed, and sat at the kitchen table. Over tea, Jill asked, "So, how are things with you guys now?"

"
Good. They're good."

"
Well, what the hell does that mean? That's all I got out of Kane, too. Lauraaaaa! There are so many sparks flying between the two of you I thought I was gonna catch fire!"

"
I
know
," she whispered on a goofy smile. "God, I'm crazy about him, Jill. My eyes are crossed so often with lust I think I'm going to need glasses. I just wanna crawl under his skin constantly."

Jill
giggled, then sobered. "It's just the sex, then?" Laura could see disappointed and a little anger in Jill's eyes. "Laura, I gotta lay it out here. You know I love you, and I love Kane. But if you hurt him, I will be forced to pull your fingernails out with my rusty old pliers."

Laura
smiled. "No, honey. It's not just the sex. Although that part is pretty friggin' spectacular. I love him. I can't imagine one more minute of my life without him. But, Jill...I...he should have a woman who can give him children. He's so wonderful with Shannon. And I know now how much he adored Claire. He needs that in his life, and I can't give it to him." Tears burned in her eyes, and she batted them back.

"
Did he tell you that?"

"
No, of course not. We haven't spoken about anything…future like. I just know what I see, and what I feel."

"
Well, if you ask me, and I know you haven't, but I'll tell you anyway, I think you should just enjoy each other and not analyze things too much. Let things unfold as they should."

"
I know. You're probably right. But, ahh Jill! Every minute I spend with him I seem to love him more. And what if he's falling for me, too?"

"
Well, duh. What if he is? Would that be so bad?"

"
Well, yeah. I mean, let’s say we're together for a few years, then he decides he wants kids after all. I can't give them to him, and if he left me it would break my heart. Ah, hell. My heart would break if he left me tomorrow."

"
Laura, would you just stop trying to predict the future? How do you think relationships get started? Grow? Just enjoy, girl. Don't mess it up."

Laura
chuckled. "You're good for me, Jillian. I'm lucky to have you as a friend."

"
Me too, honey. Now let's get some shut eye. Morning comes early around my Shannybanany."

Chapter Fifteen

Laura
and George were already at the house when the inspector pulled in.

"
Albert Doran, meet Laura Spencer. Albert's been building houses in these parts as long as I've known him, Laura, and he did a good job for Moira and I on our retrofit. I trust him. Albert, I'm pretty sure Laura's got her heart set on this place, so make sure you don't sugar coat anything. Give it to her straight. I don't want her ending up with a money pit."

"
For the love o' Mike, George. Whadya think my job is, anyway?"

"
Crusty bugger, eh?" George chuckled to Laura.

"
Speak fer yerself, Doc." The old men grumbled at each other, then shook hands in the language of septuagenarians.

"
Well, I'll leave you two to it. Laura, just lock up when you're done and I'll get the key from you tomorrow."

"
Thanks, George. You're a peach." She bussed his cheek, and she and the inspector got to work.

They ran the check lists, his and hers
. The walk-around of the exterior showed what she expected. The wood siding was in decent shape, except that it need a scraping and a good coat or three of paint. She asked and was given his recommendation for paint grade. She had to squelch the desire to run to the hardware store for a swatch book.

The soffit and fascia were surprisingly intact, but the
eaves trough on the front of the house would need replacing. She shielded her eyes from the bright sun while Albert climbed the ladder to check the roof.

"
Shingles got another two or three years left in 'em at best," he called down. She marked it in her book and he marked it in his.

Her cell phone vibrated, signalling a tex
t from Kane.

What are you wearing
?

She laughed out loud, giddy that he
had been thinking of her.

White lace camisole and panties
.

Three seconds later she got a reply
.

Jesus
. I'll be right over!

She laughed again
. Charmed.

The porch was a write-
off, just as she had known. She jotted it in her book and put a dollar sign beside it, starting the laundry list of money that would soon be siphoned from her bank account.

Albe
rt was coming down the ladder. "Chimney's intact. I can see right past the birds' nest to the flue. It'll need a good cleaning, though. Lots of creosote."

Another mark on the red lis
t. She watched him check the two outside electrical outlets, both live. The tap on the water hose was seized and needed replacing, so she wrote down his recommendation that she have it done before it could be determined whether or not the line was intact. The ground floor windows and front and back doors all checked out too. They needed scraping and paint, but there was no rot that Albert said he could detect. The broken one needed replacing. No surprise there. She was getting off pretty easy so far, but she didn't dare say it out loud.

They moved inside and
she and Albert did a quick walk-around.

"
Need at least a thousand mousetraps. Or a cat. Lotsa mouse droppings. Not happy with this staircase, either. I recommend replacing it with a traditional one."

"
What's wrong with it?"

"
Not safe's all. Wouldn't pass code if you were buildin' it today. Body could get pretty mangled fallin' down it at night gettin' to the toilet."

Hmm
. She'd have to consider that. A run of open pine stairs facing the front door up to the landing would be possible. Might actually look pretty nice. The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. She red-listed it.

"
Good floor. No basement, though. Just a crawl space. Once I run through the plumbing I'll let you know if that'll be a problem." She waited while he tested all the electrical outlets, and told her that they were all working, but not grounded. "Should replace these receptacles with properly grounded ones. Save your electronics, and safer for fire. Insurance'll be happier about it too."

"
I'll want to remove this panelling. Do you think that'll be possible?"

"
Anything's possible. I'll try to pop off a bit and see what's underneath." He looked around the room, finding a loose piece. "Looks like lath and plaster. Be a lotta nail holes you'll have to patch before you paint."

He raised an eyebrow at her
. She just nodded, waiting for the pat on the head. When it didn't come, she silently thanked George. He must have filled Albert in on her previous experiences.

"
Ya got baseboard heat here. Pretty costly in winter." He cranked the thermostats.

While
they waited to see if they were all functioning acceptably he went into the bathroom. He ran the water in the tub and sink, flushed the toilet. "Everything draining alright. You'll want a septic guy in to pump it out and okay it though. I can recommend one out of St. John's. You got a water test yet? Looks like lotsa iron."

"
I ordered one last week. I should hear from them soon."

"
Keepin' these fixtures?"

"
I hope to. They look okay to you?"

"
Old fashioned, but seem to be workin' okay. Need a little joint grease."

Laura
silently congratulated herself. Aside from the electrical outlets, and the stairs, she had pegged everything that he had so far. They went back into the great room.

"
Hotter than the knobs o' hell in here. Seems the heaters're workin'. I'd be installin' a ceiling fan if I was you. Here and upstairs. Keep the air circulatin'."

Good idea
. Red listed.

They went upstairs
. Albert was right. The iron spiral, although very cool, was not very functional. She didn't even know how she would get furniture up here. She thanked her lucky stars that the rooms were empty.

The second floor was dissected off centre, with a master bedroom and a smaller guest room
. Albert tested the outlets, flicked the overheads on and off, and tested the baseboard heaters. He located the attic hatch and stuck his head in. His voiced echoed back to her.

"
Needs more insulation. And an exterminator. Got bats."

Bats
! Wicked! Not so great in her attic, but she loved bats. Their evening ballet always mesmerized her back home. She would have to look into having a bat box built for them out in the trees.

They left the kitchen for last
. As she expected, it was a write-off. Albert gave her the fish eye again.

"
I know, it's a disaster. I'll need all new cupboards and a counter top. I just need to know if the fridge and stove are salvageable."

"
You plannin' to keep these floors, too? Bit rough."

"
Yeah. It's too bad. The rest of the house seems okay, but the kitchen's pretty beat. Do you think they're thick enough to take a sanding?"

"
Good old pine like this? Likely. I'll pull back a chunk of baseboard and see."

He wrestled out the ancient fridge and popped off the quarter-round
. "Yep, looks like they can withstand it. But you'll have a hard time blendin' if you're just doin' the kitchen."

"
No, I'll do the whole main floor. Upstairs looks to just need a good clean and polish. I'll strip these and refinish them."

"
Fridge needs plugged in before I can tell if the Freon's okay. Want me to plug it in now?"

"
Sounds good. I'm sure the owner won't mind us testing it out. What do you think of the stove?"

"
You mean besides the fact it's ugly as sin?"

"
It is not! It's a classic!"

"
Psht. Crazy woman. Propane, ya know. Gonna cost ya to have the tank filled clear up from St. John's. Why dontcha just get a new electric one? Be a lot cheaper in the long run."

"
If this one works, I'm keeping it. I love antiques."

"
Bloody fire hazard. I'll fire 'er up, but stand back."

He pulled his little fire extinguisher out of his kit and turned the burner on the stove
. Nothing. He sniffed.

"
Don't smell no gas. Think you might have a problem here." He turned the knob back to off.

"
Rats. Oh, well. I guess it can't be all perfect."

"
Hmpf. Ain't seen nothin' perfect yet. Lemme check the fittings." He pulled the oven away from the wall. "Not even attached. Ol' Ted probably didn't do much cookin' after the wife passed." He blew on the end of the fittings, gave them a rub with a rag, and attached them. The hose hissed as he screwed male to female. "Sounds promisin'. Stand back."

She stepped back several feet and he turned the knob again
. Nothing. Then a hiss. Then the smell of propane. He stood back an arm's length, with the fire extinguisher firmly clutched in his other hand, finger poised, and flicked his lighter to the burner. The tiny blue flames ran their way around the bleed, and they had a burner!

"
Cool!" she laughed. He checked the oven, lighting the pilot and turning up the temperature control.

"
Element's intact. No broiler in these old girls though. Dirty as hell in here. You sure you want these old things?"

"
If they're safe, I want 'em!"

"
Well you just be careful. Always be vigilant. Wouldn't want you wakin' up dead. And your insurance company might have somethin' to say about it. You check with them, alright?"

"
I will. I promise. Well, think she's sound?"

"
As a pound. Got yerself a nice little saltbox, here Laura."

"
Woohoo!" She whirled around and punched a fist in the air. "Oh, man. I wish I didn't have to wait for the septic and water tests. I wanna start now!"

"
Well you do have to wait. No point livin' in a place with no water ner place to drain it. Don't do nothin' stupid. Call the septic man." He wrote the number on her legal pad.

"
Thanks so much, Albert. I had a good feeling about this place, and your seal of approval clinches it. I'm going to own a house by the sea!" She wrote him a cheque for his services and told him, "When the renovations are done I'm going to have a ceilidh. Will you come? And bring your wife."

"
Be delighted, young lady. Good luck to ya. And call if you've got any questions. I know just about everyone in the business if you need a tradesman."

"
Excellent. I'll do that."

"
Take care, me ducky."

Albert
turned his van around in the yard and drove away, and Laura turned around in the great room and hooted, "Hallooo, you rats and bats. You've got a new mistress, and she don't wanna share. So out of doors with ya!"

She dug her
cell from her jeans' pocket and punched up Kane's number.

"
Hullo." The deep, male voice answered, and turned her centre liquid.

"
Kane. It's Laura." The phone buzzed faintly with dead air for a beat.

Then
his voice moved through her ear, low and soft. "Aye, I know."

Jesus
. What had he done to her? Her sex clenched, and she had to lean against the iron stairs for support. "The house…it's…I'm buying it."

"
I'm glad, Laura." She could hear the smile in his voice. She pressed a trembling hand to her heart. "So the inspection went as ye'd thought?"

"
Yup. No surprises. Well, I've got bats in the attic, but other than that, just basic reno's. Oh, and I have to get stairs and a deck built. But I should be able to handle that."

"
Have ye ever done it before?"

"
I've built decks, but not staircases. I'll do some research and see if I should give it a try." She walked around the stairs, eyeing the space.

"
They're tricky buggers. Just be careful. Jaysus, Laura. Are ye sure ye know what ye're about?"

"
Mostly. I'll probably hire a professional for the stairs. But the rest I think I can manage. Except for the bats. I'll have to get an exterminator for them. I hate to have them killed though. They're beautiful to watch, and they're useful."

"
Ye're jokin'! Beautiful! Ye've got a thing fer rodents, don't ye, Spitfire?"

A laugh busted out of her chest
. Lord, but she loved how he could make her laugh.

"
Have you ever seen them just at dusk when the mosquitos come out? They swoop and soar just like a ballet in the air."