The Mechanics of Mistletoe - Liz Isaacson Page 0,31
parents’ house?” Micah prompted.
“Yeah,” she said, glancing over as Squire Ackerman joined them. “The whole roof needs to be replaced. You can see the sky through it and everything.”
“Pete’s arena is like that,” Squire said. “Are you roofing, Micah?”
“Yes,” Micah said. “I know how to do roofing.”
Skyler paused with a stack of magazines in his hand. “Liam thinks you’re trying to redesign his whole house, and he doesn’t want you to do that.”
“It could use an update.”
“According to you,” Skyler said, glancing at Sammy. “Maybe you would feel more useful helping Sammy.” He continued toward the door, the truth out.
She nodded as Micah looked at her again. “My dad’s almost eighty. He can’t do it. I can pay you.”
Bear stopped at her side too, sliding his hand into hers. “Are you hiring Micah to do the roof? That’s a great idea.”
“Everyone thinks so,” Sammy said, smiling up at Bear. She felt like a dwarf among the three men, and she glanced around at all of them. “What do you think, Micah?”
“I can pay for the roof,” Bear said.
Sammy whipped her attention to him. “I don’t need you to do that.”
“Okay,” he said, releasing her hand. “But if you do, just let me know.” He took a few steps backward, his bright blue eyes earnest, and then turned to leave the house.
“I’m not charging for stuff right now anyway,” Micah said.
“But I can pay you,” Sammy said.
“The disaster relief we’re getting from the state covers the materials,” Micah said. “It’s just labor, and I can donate that.”
“Deal,” Squire said with a chuckle.
Micah smiled too. “You’ll already get my free labor.”
“We need it too,” Squire said, moving away. “But it sounds like the Benton’s need their roof done first. I suppose I can wait.” He grinned as he went into the kitchen, and Sammy just looked back to Micah.
“Is it true the disaster relief covers supplies?”
“Yep.”
“And you’ll really come donate the labor?”
He watched Rhett and Wyatt walk by, bickering about how much Wyatt could carry and how much he couldn’t. He finally focused back on Sammy. “Of course. And I’d love to help, Sammy. Apparently, I’m not wanted at The Shining Star.”
“I never said that,” Liam said as he passed.
“You didn’t say anything,” Micah quipped. “You had Skyler do your dirty work.”
“Dirty work?” Tripp asked, pausing next to Micah. “What’s going on?”
Sammy shook her head as Micah started telling Tripp what was going on, a smile stuck to her face. Bear had texted her about this group of ranchers who’d been so willing to help one another. The life and energy they had was absolutely intoxicating, and Sammy was so glad she’d come.
It would put her a day behind at the shop, but she was forever lagging there anyway. People had to understand that everyone was just doing their best, only eight days after the tornadoes had touched down.
Sammy had started to hear rumors that school wouldn’t start up again, even if the electricity and water was restored town-wide. Her parents had been watching Lincoln during the day, but if school wasn’t going to resume, Sammy needed a different plan.
Momma and Daddy could help with Lincoln for a couple of hours, but all day was too taxing for them. She usually enrolled him in a summer camp and lot of activities so they wouldn’t have to care for him for too long.
As of right now, all of those had been canceled until the clean-up concluded. Pressure landed on Sammy’s chest, and she took a deep breath, trying to release it. It budged slightly, but not enough to make breathing easier.
Her to-do list was never-ending, and she felt like at every turn, she added several items to it without removing any.
She put her head down and worked. She let the men patch the roof and the walls with the lumber Bear had procured, and she helped hold the sheetrock in place while Pete Marshall screwed it into the studs. She waited outside while Brett and a couple of others made sure the wiring was intact and the HVAC system had been replaced or repaired so the house would be heated and cooled properly.
The same company that had replaced her parents’ windows would come do the ones here, and she textured a wall that would then be painted as others screwed on new light switches, swept out the evidence of construction, and someone set out lunch on the back deck.
People started to reload the house with what they’d taken out before, leaving the art