Stefanie
Stefanie scraped the trowel across the railing, removing chipped paint. She’d been working on the deck for almost four hours.
The paint remains littered the deck behind her. She hadn’t made it very far, about four feet down and eight feet across. She shifted to her butt, dragging her knees up to her chest.
Leaning her head forward, she sighed. “It’s no use.” Glancing down the rest of the deck, she noticed all of the flaws stood out more than usual. Every flaw warred with the evident need for a wheelchair ramp.
If she was going to keep that place, Emma would need a safer place to roll her wheelchair.
Emma. Moving into a wheelchair. Who would’ve thought that her vivacious sister-in-law would need a wheelchair? Who would’ve thought that Emma would give up the fight?
Emma’s parents hadn’t stayed long. She’d asked them to leave after a few lengthy fights about giving up and trying anything. Emma’s mother had left crying and her father had made promises to visit for holidays. But the light in his eyes had faded. He knew he wouldn’t be seeing them again under happy circumstances.
As if appearing from nowhere, Drake leaned forward, making sure to cover Stefanie’s view. “Did that deck do something to anger you?” Shiny black leather boots poked from under matte black slacks, out of place amongst the curls and flakes on the porch.
Stefanie leaned back. Glad to see him and grateful to be pulled from her despondent thoughts, she glanced up at him from where she sat. “No, I just have so much to fix. If I want to buy this place and keep it, I want to be able to get it appraised for the price I need it to. Nobody understands why, but I can’t keep the house like this. Emma will stick her wheelchair on the boards poking up everywhere, even if all she does is roll out here.”
She leaned the trowel against the railing and shook out her hair, pulling it tighter up off her neck. “I guess it doesn’t matter right now. But if Emma wants to come out here in her wheelchair...”
Holding out a hand to help her up, Drake nodded towards the driveway. “Don’t worry. I have a crew of men coming to fix the deck, and put in a wheelchair ramp along the side.”
Stefanie set her jaw, unwilling to take more from him than absolutely necessary. A wheelchair ramp wasn’t something they had to have. “Drake. You don’t to keep spending money on us.” She shoved herself to her feet, ignoring his hand and ready to be angry with him but not sure why.
The heat of Drake’s hand on her arm soothed her. For some reason he had the ability to anchor her and calm her at the same time.
His soothing voice further calmed her. “Stef, it’s not a big deal. It’s my job to help the economy and as a financial advisor that’s what I do. This gives the local guys something to do, and gives me a little bit of time to work. Do you mind if I borrow a quiet place where I can?”
Stefanie glanced out at the empty driveway. If the men did come, she wouldn’t want to be in the way. And maybe she could sit with Drake. Ask him some questions. “What kind of a place are you looking for? What kind of work do you need to do?”
“I have some emails and phone calls I need to make. Plus, some paperwork and contracts I’m behind on. Your dad’s office would be perfect, but I don’t want to intrude. I really just need some place I can set up temporary shop.” His devastatingly wide smile charmed her more than she wanted it to. Admitting that he charmed her was maybe the hardest thing she could’ve done that day. “Maybe you could sit with me?” The openness in his eyes promised something more than just casual companionship.
Sitting with Drake and asking him questions might help keep her mind off of the call she was waiting for from Mr. Burns. She didn’t it to bother her too much, but she never had so much riding on something she needed so badly.
Did she want Drake in her dad’s office? Could she see him at the desk? For some reason the idea that someone worked in the office other than herself was strangely exciting. The office would get used again.
Plus, Stefanie wouldn’t balk at the chance to spend a little more time with Drake.