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In a hurry to down some caffeine, I slipped two ice cubes into the mug when the coffeemaker finished, and stirred. A quick check of the fridge yielded only a wedge of Manchego and an apple for breakfast. I bit into the tangy, hard cheese while peeling the organic label off the apple. Giving in to the blinking light, I sipped from my mug and pressed play on the phone. The first four messages warranted quick hits of the erase button. The fifth didn’t.
“Nicole.” My Uncle Ernst’s voice boomed out of the machine. “Uncle Ernst here. You didn’t pick up on your cell, so I’m calling the house to tell you that instead of starting off at the Santa Monica store, you should come into the office Monday morning. There are things we need to go over. Hope you had a relaxing week. Bye.”
Things to discuss. Maybe I’d find out how the bank meeting had gone. If it’d been great, he wouldn’t have been so evasive. We probably got a rate increase on our credit line that he wanted to break to me in person. Damned bankers—to them everything was numbers. Our personal banker was a waste of time. Uncle Ernst thought he was a friend, but to me he seemed like a used car salesman in a better suit.
I erased the message and bit into my apple.
Company business would have to wait. Family business came first, and that meant a visit to Three-B Bail Bonds. They’d given me a break the first time I’d had to get Lara out, and I’d dealt with them each time since. I made another cup of coffee for the road while I finished my apple and cheese.
A knock sounded from the front door.
With Patterson Construction embroidered on his cap, the bearded guy on the porch shifted nervously from foot to foot with his hands in his pockets. “Hi. Josh sent me.”
Josh had been true to his word, and it settled my nerves.
“Hi.” I opened the door wider and extended my hand. “I’m Nicole. Thanks for coming over.”
“Phil Patterson.” He shook with me. “Hey, what are friends for?”
I gave him a questioning look.
“Josh tells me to jump; I ask how high.” He laughed. “Okay if I take a look?” He pointed toward the door.
I backed out of his way, wondering if all of Josh’s friends were this odd. “Sure.”
He examined the doorjamb.
“How much will this cost, you think?”
He turned to check the edge of the door. “You? Nothing. Josh, plenty.”
“I insist on paying.”
He moved the deadbolt in and out a few times. “Nope… Good solid door.”
“But I want to pay.”
He opened the door wide and inspected the hinges before turning to me. “How long you known Josh?”
The truth was too embarrassing to admit. “A little while.”
“That should be long enough to understand.” The corners of his mouth turned up. “He made up his mind, so discussion over.”
I held my tongue.Discussion overmy ass.
“I’ll need to rebuild the jamb.” He pulled out a knife and sliced off a chip of the wood. “We’ll match the color for you.”
“I have to go out. How long will this take?”
He caught sight of the rug with the ugly message, and his brow creased. “Somebody’s mad.”
I shrugged, not wanting to discuss it. “I guess.”
Phil motioned to the guy standing by the big pickup out front. “I’ll leave Tim here to watch your house and demo this while I get materials. You can go out. Your things will be safe with us. Glass man is on the way, and we’ll be done and out of your hair today.”
“Thank you.”
“You have a beautiful house here. Love the workmanship.”
