Page 21 of Tinsel & Tools
Pete lifted his travel mug and took a long sip. “You owe me for this. I pulled a twenty-four at the firehouse, came home to cartoons and spilled cereal as the sun came up, and now you’ve got me tearing down porches.”
“You’ll live,” I told him.
When we got to the inn, Ryan parked behind us and climbed out, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Gavin and Allie stepped out the front door. Gavin had on a pair of gloves that looked fresh from the package, and Allie tugged her beanie lower against the cold.
I tipped my chin toward the guys. “Gavin, Allie, this is my cousin Pete and my buddy Ryan. They’re helping out today.”
“Good to meet you,” Gavin answered.
“You too.” Pete gave him a nod and turned back to unloading tools.
Ryan’s eyes went to Allie, and hers went straight to him. She smiled and Ryan’s grin spread slowly.
“Hi.” Allie all but batted her eyelashes at my friend.
“Hey,” he replied. “You two helping out with demo?”
“Yeah. We thought we’d help where we can,” Gavin said. “The dumpster being delivered woke us.”
“Sorry about that.” I’d ordered the dumpster so we could do the demo. “You sure you want in on this?”
“Yeah, I’ll pull nails, carry boards. Whatever helps,” he offered.
“That works. Pete, Ryan, grab some pry bars. We’ll start with the rails.”
The porch groaned under every step. Pete jammed his bar under the first railing, Ryan knocked nails loose with a hammer, and I called out where to brace. Gavin bent to pry nails once we loosened the pieces, his shoulders tense as he tried to keep pace.
“You’re pulling too close to your leg,” I told him. “Angle the bar out so if it slips, you don’t hit yourself.”
He adjusted. “Like this?”
“Better.”
Pete leaned against the post, watching Gavin wrestle with a stubborn nail. “At least you’re trying. Half the people I know would’ve run the other way by now.”
“I’ve seen it on some HGTV shows where the homeowner helps with demo. Thought it would be fun.” Gavin chuckled.
“Is it?” I asked.
“No.” He snorted. “Not even close.”
We all laughed then got back to work.
Two hours in, sweat ran into my eyes even with the cold air. I dragged my shirt over my face to wipe it off and let it fall back down. When I looked up, Gavin’s eyes were on me. He blinked fast, grabbed for a pry bar he didn’t need, and focused hard on the board in front of him. His comment about Patrick Swayze came to mind. It wasn’t something most guys around here would admit to liking. Maybe he meant it as a joke, maybe not. Either way, I pushed the thought aside and kept working.
By early afternoon, the porch was gone, the debris stacked in a pile ready for the dumpster. Gavin leaned against the side of the house, breathing heavier than the work should have left him, and Allie paced the dirt where the porch had been.
I wiped my hands on my jeans. “Porch is done. Let’s head inside and open up the entry after we cover everything in plastic.”
Gavin’s brow creased. “Today?”
“Come on, City Boy. Work’s not done until four,” Ryan ribbed him.
“Actually, we were talking last night,” Allie spoke. “We’ve decided to donate all of the furniture and start with everything new.”
“Oh.” I nodded. “Okay. Well, let’s get to work inside then.”
Once we were ready to continue the demo, Pete swung the first hammer through the plaster by the check-in desk, Ryan carried sections of lath straight out to the dumpster, and Gavin tried to keep pace pulling trim. Dust filled the air quickly, coating everything in a thin layer of gray.
