Page 8 of Mr. Fixer Upper
Trevor’s eyes lit up, and his mother muttered an “Oh dear God” under her breath.
“Does that sound good?” Paige asked.
Trevor nodded emphatically.
“Great! So why don’t you give me your belt now, and as soon as we reset for the tour I’m going to have you put it on, okay?”
His little fingers worked the belt free, and he all but threw it at her. “Woo hoo! I get to help! Hey, Molly!” He ran off in search of his sister.
His mom sighed after him. “Thank you for that. Really, if it’s a problem at all—”
“A face like that showing Gannon King his tool belt?” Paige shook her head. “What a way to kick off the season.”
She moved on down the line to Phil and Delia who perched on the faded yellow and brown sofa where their oldest son was comforting them. Delia held a fistful of tissues. “How are you two doing? We’re just about ready to get started,” Paige promised.
Delia blew her nose mightily. “It’s hard to believe this is the last time we’ll all be in this house as a family.”
Smiling sympathetically, Paige sank down on the couch next to Delia. She’d dealt with this exact reaction from nearly every family the show had helped. It always amazed her, the connection that people could feel to a house. She’d never experienced that in her mother’s sprawling Long Island Tudor. Sure, she’d grown up there, but it had never felt like home. She put her hand on Delia’s.
“I promise you that Gannon and Cat and all the people on Clawson’s crew are going to make sure this stays home. We’re just going to make it more functional and safer for your family. This is just the beginning of the memories you’ll have in this house.”
Delia squeezed her hand. “Thank you, Paige.”
“Get your ass out here, St. James,” Andy ordered good-naturedly in her ear. “We’re ready to roll.”
CHAPTER FIVE
There was nothing like the first “action” of the season. They all felt it, the crew, the contractors, the family. The excitement of a new beginning for all. At its heart, what they were doing was storytelling, Paige thought as she watched Gannon and Cat roll up into the driveway in the tricked out Chevy, a stipulation of the very generous advertiser.
That storytelling, the validation of each family and their contributions was the reason Paige had stuck it out on the show. While the network and advertisers chipped away at the basic joy of the job, the families and volunteers and contractors they worked with made it bearable.
Gannon gave his trademark honk with the horn, and the Russes poured out of the front door with the enthusiasm of an elementary school recess. Andy was grinning, and that was a good sign.
They shot five more takes getting different angles before Andy was satisfied and they reset for the interior tour.
Brandon broke away from where he was sequestered off camera with the rest of the Clawson team and joined her under the awning. “You ready to get started?” Paige asked him.
He grinned down at her and patted the hammer on his belt. “I was born ready.”
Trevor ducked out of his mother’s grip and rushed up. “Paige! Is it time?”
“Perfect timing, Trevor.” Paige pulled his tool belt off her shoulder and helped him secure it around his little waist.
“Hey! Mine’s just like yours,” Trevor announced to Brandon.
Someone from the construction crew called Brandon’s name. “Sorry, kiddo, gotta go,” he said, ruffling Trevor’s thick hair, and the little boy’s face fell.
Paige spotted Gannon frowning over blueprints at a folding table under a pop-up tent. “Hey, how about we go tell Gannon you’re going to help with the tour,” she suggested.
“Yes!” Trevor grabbed Paige’s hand and together they scampered over to the man. Gannon King could be an ass with most people, but hand him a kid and he was charming, sweet, and funny. It was one of his very limited redeeming qualities.
“Hey there,” Gannon said, when Trevor stopped just short of running full speed into him. “Are you with Clawson Construction? Because I have a question about these blueprints.”
Trevor, eyes bigger than a Japanese anime character, shook his head.
Amused, Gannon raised an eyebrow at Paige.Too bad labor laws didn’t allow them to cart children around on set with them all the time, she mused.
“This is my friend Trevor,” Paige said, introducing the momentarily shy kid. “He’s going to help give you a tour of the inside of his grandparents’ house.”
