Page 68 of Stronger Than Blood
I nodded. “I do, indeed,” I admitted. “Kalinda, are you about done? I’m starving.”
“Yep, just need to spray it,” she said, picking up the huge can of hairspray and coating Granny’s hair before swiveling her wheelchair for us to see.
“Wow-wee, Mrs. Ida, you look plumb good enough to eat,” Rory said.
“You wish,” Granny joked. “I’m hungry too. Why don’t we move to the kitchen and eat?”
“Not me, I’m afraid,” Kalinda said. “I’ve decided to let Jonah take me out to eat at some place he said had delicious steak in Chattanooga.”
Granny turned in her seat and looked at Kalinda. “Why didn’t you let me be and focus on getting ready? I didn’t know you had a date, or I wouldn’t have asked you to fix my hair.”
Kalinda just smiled. “Oh, I have time. Jonah won’t be here for at least another hour, but you all go on and eat. I’m gonna get a shower and get pretty.”
Granny patted Kalinda’s hand and said, “You can’tgetpretty when you alreadyare.”
Kalinda’s eyes danced with the compliment. She bent over before kissing Granny on the cheek, then hurried into the bedroom to get dressed.
“Well, boys, looks like it’s just us tonight. Let’s eat; then I’ll play you a game of poker.”
“Ugh, she’s gonna clean us out,” I said, getting a smile out of Rory.
“Would give up every penny to spend the night with such a pretty lady and her handsome grandson.”
Somehow, the man had managed to get a blush out of Granny and me at the same time. Some people were just too smooth for their own good.
Chapter forty-seven
Rory
The weeks sped by as I helped Christian, our contractor, do the reno on the building. When he’d finished the apartment, which, incidentally, Kalinda had yet to stay in, he told us his next contract had fallen through when the couple who’d hired him split up.
After Kalinda, Ida, Mick, and I discussed it, we decided to go ahead and have him do the structural work on the building. We already knew where the plumbing was going to go. We also knew the electrics, although Eddie had updated them in the 1980s, still had to be upgraded to a higher amperage for the new distillery equipment.
There were a ton of odds and ends that needed to be done before we could open, so we’d hired him to get it done. Of course, we already knew where we wanted to put the equipment, and after having an inspector come out, recommended by Mr. Roark, we were aware of what had to be done before we could have the common area set up.
We’d also decided to turn the basement into a party space, and luckily, there was enough clearance that we could add adriveway and parking down there, then open it up to the outside. Unfortunately, though it had high ceilings, the basement was a total mess, so that’s where Christian spent most of his time.
With Mick’s help, we were able to do all the painting on the main level, and with the wall from the front removed and new glass in place to display our distillery equipment, we were almost ready to go.
I loved working with Mick. The more time we spent together, the more my heart seemed to become entangled with his.
Kalinda and I were spending our contribution on the renovation, while Ida and Mick’s investment would buy the equipment. They had needed to sell Eddie’s stash to do that.
When Jonah called, telling Mick the legal stuff was handled, I was so excited I was ready to burst. “This… well, it’s a dream come true,” I said as Mick snuggled in.
My God, I loved when he did that. I felt whole when he was cuddled up against me, and having learned our venture was a full go made it even better.
We’d saved a little of Eddie’s homebrew and had waited until the sale went through and Jonah had assured Mick the funds had been deposited before we had our party.
Mrs. Ida was improving by the day. Of course, though still not physically at her top form, she ran her house now like I’m sure she always had… with an iron fist. Kalinda was always close at hand, but the two were almost independent of each other these days.
So, although Mrs. Ida said she had no interest in drinking anything besides a little sweet wine, she joined us at her brother's newly converted building. She gasped when she walked in, and for the first time since I’d met her, she wiped an eye as a tear spilled over.
“Oh, Eddie would’ve been so proud,” she said, and I glanced over at Kalinda, who was looking at the corner of the building,smiling. I’m sure she was seeing him, and if her smile was any indication, he was, in fact, happy with how things had turned out.
“Come back here,” Mick said, pushing Mrs. Ida’s wheelchair toward the safe. “We’re gonna call this the tasting room, and if you’re a special guest, you’ll be allowed to come in and taste the fruits of our labors.”
Mrs. Ida stood up, with help from Mick, and walked into the small but quaint space we’d created in the former safe. “This is where Uncle Eddie would’ve likely conducted his business,” Mick said. “It seemed appropriate that we do so as well.”
