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I shiver, thinking about the long winter months ahead. “You’re scaring me, Will. Are we gonna freeze to death?”
“Worst case scenario, I’ll have one of my crews tack up some heavy plastic that will help keep out the cold. Did you discuss this with your landlord? I can’t believe he’d rent this cottage to a woman and a child without pointing out its deficiencies.”
I rack my brain trying to remember if Fry mentioned anything about the lack of insulation. “I don’t think he did. But I will definitely be having that conversation with him.”
“Lucky for you, we live in the South where our winters are usually pretty mild.”
“Yeah, lucky me.” I hand him Caroline’s backpack and head back outside to the porch. “Caroline! Your daddy’s here.”
“Hi, Dad!” Caroline rushes over to the porch with Conrad on her heels. “Can Buddy and Miss Julia come for dinner again on Friday?”
Before Will can respond, I interject, “I’m sorry she put you on the spot. Please, don’t feel obligated.”
“I don’t feel obligated. I would love for y’all to come. Ashton will be in Charleston, helping her boyfriend move, and we have no other plans.”
“Can we go out in the boat again?” Conrad asks.
“Conrad! Don’t be rude,” I scold.
“It’s fine.” Will tousles my son’s hair. “We will totally go out in the boat. Weather permitting, of course.”
“Do you ever take the boat out in the ocean,” I ask? “I’d love to see the cottage from the water.”
“All the time. Will do it on Friday, as long as the ocean is calm.”
“Yay,” the kids cheer and run ahead of us around the side of the cottage.
As we follow them to the driveway, I say, “Please don’t go to any trouble. I’m happy to bring some food.”
“Why not make it a group effort? We’ll decide on the menu together. Can you come around five? That’ll give us plenty of time for a boat ride.”
“Sounds perfect. I’m already looking forward to it.”
When we reach his pickup truck, Will lifts his daughter into the back seat and goes around to the driver’s side. He starts his engine, and Caroline rolls down her window. “Bye, Miss Julia. Thanks for having me over.”
I wave to her. “Thanks for coming, sweetheart. See you Friday.”
Will has no sooner left when Fry barrels down the driveway in his rusty truck. He gets out, slamming his creaky door, and lumbers over to us. “I see you got yourself a boyfriend. You sure didn’t waste any time.”
I glare at him. “He’s not my boyfriend. Not that it’s any of your business, but Will is Conrad’s friend’s father. He was picking her up from a playdate.” I nudge Conrad towards the cottage. “Run along inside. I need to talk to Fry about something.”
I wait until Conrad is out of sight before facing my landlord. “Coincidentally, Will is a builder. He noticed the lack of insulation in the cottage’s exterior walls and is concerned about us staying warm this winter. You should’ve pointed that out to me.”
“I set your rent low for a reason. The affordable rate doesn’t include insulation,” Fry says, his flippant tone sending a jolt of anger through me.
“I’m not joking, Fry. This is serious.”
“Aw, come on, Julia. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill. Besides, the Farmers’ Almanac is predicting a mild winter.”
“If you believe the Farmers’ Almanac. What have your previous tenants done to keep warm?”
A flush creeps up Fry’s neck. “I’ve never rented it for the entire winter. Although I had one couple stay through Christmas. They never complained about being cold. Then again, they were newlyweds. I’m sure they found plenty of ways to stay warm,” he says with a chuckle.
I glance up at the roof. “Does the chimney even work?”
Fry kicks at some gravel in the driveway. “I can’t remember the last time anyone built a fire in the fireplace. But I feel certain it does.”
I plant my hands on my hips. “As my landlord, you need to make certain. I expect you to hire a chimney sweeper and buy a couple of space heaters. The good kind they sell at Coastal Hardware.”
