Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 153946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
I shifted onto my side, facing him in the dark. “Comfortable enough, I guess. It was years ago, but my last job before my first book sold was office manager for a chiropractor. I did his books. And Gene set me up with new software a few years ago to keep track of my own finances.” Which was how I knew exactly how precarious my savings situation had become. “Why?”
“I thought I remembered something about that. It occurred to me that we might be able to help each other out again. You have a list of home improvements to check off so the house can be ready to put on the market, if that’s what you decide to do. Your insurance is going to be starting you off by replacing the roof. I can help you with the rest.”
Before I could argue, he continued. “What’s giving me a headache is all the things Phoebe usually takes care of for the garage, icehouse and studio. I’m no good with the software, and honestly, I just don’t have the time with everything on my plate. I need someone else to handle the time-sensitive stuff until she can come back to the office. You’d be doing her a favor too. I wouldn’t want her returning to the mess I’m already making.”
It sounded simple enough when he explained it. Payroll, which was done electronically. Accounts payable, which was mostly done electronically, with checks going out to a few stone-age vendors. Invoicing, which was minimal because most customers paid in full at the time service was rendered. I’d done all that and more at my old job, though like I said, it had been a while.
The hardest part would be going into the icehouse, where Phoebe kept her office. Hermitting season would officially be over. I would have to interact with people. Wear shoes. Remember how to be human.
The rest of it was doable. It bent the Retta rules but didn’t break them, because he’d be helping me with something that felt overwhelming whenever I thought about it, and I’d be helping him and my godchild to get through a short but stressful time period.
I might be suspicious about his motivations, coming on the heels of the night’s big reveal—that he actually was into me. But I could do this. More than that, I wanted to do it. It had the distinct feeling of being useful, something I hadn’t felt in a very long time.
“Say yes, Gus. No one will bother you. Phoebe’s office is in the back and the place doesn’t usually get busy until well after lunchtime.”
“I could give it a try,” I finally said, “but I’m not taking any money. We’d trade in services, hour for hour, straight across.”
“I feel like I’m getting the better end of this, but it’s a deal.” After a moment, he added with feeling, “You have no idea how much I appreciate this.”
“Me too, Wade,” I whispered back. And I really meant it.
An easy peace settled over us. Shockingly easy. Even my revved-up Mrs. Roper hormones, after being thwarted, had decided to take a break to enjoy the sense of safety and warmth and rightness I felt as I turned over and pressed my back to his side. Closing my eyes, I listened to his deep, even breathing and smiled ruefully. Thus ended my only-one-bed scenario. Utterly sexless but strangely productive.
And as I drifted off, I realized the winds had stilled and rain was no longer slashing against the windows. The storm was finally passing.
On the third morning after Tree-mageddon, I woke up bright and early, brewed a strong cup of coffee and sat on the back porch with Merlin while giving my fully charged phone the attention it deserved. In celebration of the internet being on again, I spent an entire hour brainlessly thumbing through my favorite content creators on social media.
Sufficiently fortified with caffeine and silly animal videos, I went inside to shower to get ready for my adventures in bookkeeping. I’d actually taken an hour-long, blissfully hot shower the night before, when the power finally clicked back on in all its buzzing glory, but this would be my first foray into the wilds of humanity after my long hibernation, and I needed the confidence boost that came with looking my best.
The morning after the storm, both Wade and Lucy had disappeared with the rising sun and receding water. An hour later, Rick had stopped by with another generator for the main house. Even better, he’d brought friends who lifted the tree off my house with a skid steer and a mini excavator and then covered my roof with a more professional tarp, free of charge.
He’d also taken Tilly and Angus to Bernie’s, saying, “They’ve got power, and you’ve got enough to deal with.”
I might have cried and told him he was my new best friend. He’d pretended to be uncomfortable with my full-contact hugging style, holding his arms stiffly at his sides, but I could tell he was pleased. Way down deep, beneath his ten percent body fat, where he kept those emotions I imagined he had.