Page 32 of Cowboy's Last Stand
Her constant mantra.She was glad to hear someone else say it.They followed Jason to the landing, where she used her key to open the door.Again, Jason preceded them.He did another safety inspection by stomping around the one-bedroom apartment.She didn’t think the floor needed repairs, but she hadn’t been up here for a long time.When he gave the clear, she stepped forward with Marcus.He’d been begging to explore this space, so he went nuts.There were dusty boxes everywhere and pieces of old furniture.It smelled stale.She opened the window to let in fresh air.
“You have some water damage,” Jason commented.
“Is that what stinks?”
“That, and mice.”
She cringed, though it wasn’t unexpected.Marcus found a box of keepsakes that had belonged to her grandfather.It included a set of tin soldiers, a collection of marbles, and a machete.She took away the machete before he could unsheathe the blade.He climbed into the bathtub to play with the tin soldiers.
Jason had tucked a mini flashlight into his back pocket.He pointed the beam into dark corners and under the sink.He lifted the edge of a stained piece of carpet.When he’d completed his perusal, he returned to her side.“I’ll start with the good news.”
“Shoot.”
“There’s hardwood flooring underneath this old carpet.It might be damaged, but I think it’s salvageable.”
“What’s the bad news?”
“I’m not done with the good news yet.Most of the problems appear to be cosmetic rather than structural.This place needs a lot of work, and it needs to be cleaned, but you might not have to spend that much.”
“I can’t afford to spend anything.”
“Think of it as an investment.The income you could get from renting this apartment is probably more than you make at the bar every month, and you wouldn’t have to deal with drunk idiots.”
She opened her mouth to object and then closed it.He sounded as if he disapproved of her second job, which irritated her.He didn’t understand what it was like to be a single parent.The Night Owl gig paid well, and who was he to judge?He wasn’t her boyfriend.On the other hand, she was tired of losing sleep every weekend, and Marcus needed better supervision than London provided.
“The bad news is about the plumbing, which is never cheap.I can do the repairs, but new pipes and replacement parts cost money.”
She glanced out the dusty window to the garage.That was another space full of junk.Her grandfather had a vintage truck parked there under a tarp.She’d been meaning to have it hauled away.She turned back to Jason and contemplated the stacks of boxes.“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to clean up the place.”
His eyes glinted with excitement.“If we remove the furniture and rip up the carpet—”
She held up a hand to stop him.“Slow down, cowboy.”
He went quiet, but his body language communicated impatience.She could tell that he wanted tofix thingsimmediately.
“Let’s take it one day at a time.”
After a pause, he said, “The railing is a safety issue.It can be done in a few hours.”
She nodded her approval.“What will that cost me?”
“Nothing if I use the lumber from the garage.”
“Perfect,” she said.
Marcus poked his head out of the bathroom.“Can I help?”
Jason shrugged, so Natalie didn’t object.She watched them for a few minutes.Jason allowed Marcus to drag pieces of the old wood railing away after he’d removed them.Then they measured and marked the new lumber.She went inside and covered her hair with a scarf before returning to the upper apartment.She studied it from a fresh perspective.Jason had a point about the rental income.This was a university town, so she wouldn’t have trouble finding a tenant.She might even be able to get a home improvement loan.Since her grandmother’s stroke, she had power of attorney.She didn’t need anyone’s permission to fix up the space or even sell the property outright.
When she heard the buzz of an electric saw, she looked out the window.Her son was standing at a safe distance while Jason cut the lumber.They were both wearing safety glasses.It still made her nervous, the way helping Marcus learn to ride a bike made her nervous.
She took a deep breath and started going through the boxes.She made a stack to give away, a stack to throw away, and a stack to keep.The throwaway stack grew and grew.Her grandparents had kept old magazines that smelled of mice and mildew.She lifted a box to find a trio of baby rodents.Startled, she let out a shrill scream and stumbled backward.She went sprawling into a dusty pile of newspapers.
Jason bounded up the steps in about three seconds.Marcus was hot on his heels.She was able to get to her feet before they reached her.
“What happened?”
“I saw a spider,” she lied, moving away from the mouse nest.Marcus would want to keep the little creatures in a terrarium in his room.She couldn’t handle that.
