Page 8 of Solid Foundation
“Not since my last walk-through. How about you?”
He shook his head. “Not yet. I’ve driven by a couple of times this week but I wanted to wait for you to check things out officially. I figured you’d make sure everything was safe for me. Wouldn’t want to accidentally step through the floor or something, right?”
I grunted in agreement. “You want to see the outside first?”
He shrugged and smiled a Hollywood smile at me, probably fake and appeasing, but it still did things to make my gut twist.Stop it, I thought. It had been a long time—a very long time—since I’d let myself find someone attractive, but something about Mister Hollywood was doing it for me. “Whatever you think is best.” We walked around the house slowly, and I pointed out things I’d noticed before we made our way back around to the porch. “And you’re sure it’s safe to go inside?”
I restrained myself from rolling my eyes. “I wouldn’t put your life at risk.”
“Aw, Jake, that means a lot.” He laughed playfully, such a genuine sound, and lightly punched my arm. My cheeks heatedfrom the unexpected contact and I moved away, clearing my throat.
“You’re welcome,” I muttered, not sure how to respond to his joking around. We headed in, the rickety porch bowing a little under our weight, but nothing extreme. “Besides, I’ve been in there a half-dozen times already. Trust me, I’d know if it wasn’t safe.”
His gaze met mine and my body heated all over, including my face. I glanced away.
As the wooden door swung open, Max let out a low whistle. “This is something else.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, instantly defensive on behalf of the house I’d already started to fall in love with.
He looked at me with narrowed eyes. “Nothing bad. It just needs a lot more work than I expected.”
“I can handle it. Don’t worry about that part. Each of my leads has a crew, and we work fast.”Is he second-guessing my ability to get the job done?I hated the idea that he might be questioning my abilities.
“Sounds like you know what you’re doing, then.”
“I do. Levi wouldn’t have put me on the project if I didn’t.” My tone was gruff and defensive, even though I didn’t particularly mean it to be.
“Well, lead the way.” Max nodded at the dark interior of the house, the only light for us streaming in through the ancient windows.
I showed him through the house, living room, dining room, parlor, ancient bathroom, and he investigated, attentive to every detail, making notes on his phone. The plaster was falling off the walls in places, exposing the lath underneath, and the wallpaper was peeling, faded, and stained. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, and there were water stains in places where the roof had leaked.
We explored the whole first level, avoiding sagging, broken floorboards and skirting around debris and furniture that had been left behind by past owners. The house smelled of neglect and dust, a particular scent that I’d gotten used to in old houses. At one point, Max stopped and looked around before stepping close to me. Once again, I heated, my body thrumming with possibilities at the near contact. I stepped away and cleared my throat.
“What are you thinking?”
When we’d toured the whole downstairs, Max furrowed his brow. “Bedrooms?”
I swallowed hard, thinking of Max and bedrooms. “They’re upstairs.”
“Let’s check those out, then.”
We made our way up the curved staircase, which spilled out into a long hall at the top that led to three bedrooms and two more bathrooms. Max checked every room, peering under the abandoned furniture, peeking in closets, and looking behind tattered curtains.
When we’d made it to the biggest bedroom, Max stepped into the large closet to inspect it like he had everything else. There was probably nothing important, if the past hour had been any indication. He pushed past old, forgotten clothes and disappeared into the darkness. I couldn’t help but wonder how deep the closet was, if he was able to duck away like that. After a moment, he let out a noise of surprise.
“Oh!”
I frowned. “What’s wrong? Mouse?” I started toward him, the instinct to protect warring with my annoyance at him. I would’ve figured he’d be a little braver than to panic at an unexpected mouse, considering the way he’d pushed into that closet without hesitation.
He stepped out of the closet holding a smallish wooden box approximately the size of several laptops stacked on top of each other. It was made of a beautiful dark wood, but like everything else, it was covered in dust and grime. The hinges, latch, and a very old lock were rusted together and I doubted it would even open without force. Nevertheless, his eyes were sparkling with curiosity and excitement, and I couldn’t help but feel a little interest in the box myself.
“What do you think’s in there?” I narrowed my eyes skeptically. It was unlikely to be worth anything. The last family in the house would’ve taken the box if it had held any value.
Max shook his head, grinning. “I don’t know, but it’s interesting, right?”
“I guess. It’s probably full of mice. Or spiders. A wasp’s nest maybe.”
“Afraid?”
