fazed by the idea. “I can dig.”
Finn locked eyes with him. “We’re talking holes that go down deep, maybe three feet, because they gotta be below the frost line. Then we fill them with concrete to support the new posts. I don’t know if your job allows you any time to do this, which is why I’m saying I can find more help if I need to.” He knew some of the guys at work would lend a hand.
Joel’s confident smile gave Finn his answer before he’d uttered a word. “I’m a financial adviser. My office is in Augusta, and I spend one or two days a week there at the most. The rest of the time, I work from home, or I drive to meet with clients. So yes, I can help. Not sure how good I’ll be at digging…”
“I’ll measure up for you, and show you where the posts should go. Once the concrete is in, I’ll do the rest.” Bramble appeared at the back screen door, and Finn smiled. “He could keep me company while I work,” he joked.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. He can be a distraction.”
Not as much of a distraction as you’d be. Finn was torn between hoping Joel wouldn’t be around while he worked, and wanting to see more of him.
“About the disassembling part…” Finn grinned. “Do you want the easy way or the hard way?”
“Tell me both.”
Finn cocked his head to one side. “Ever wielded a chainsaw?”
“No.” Joel widened his eyes.
“I ask because that’s one way to go really fast—chop, chop, chop, and it’s gone. But some folks get nervous around a chainsaw. The second way is to use a Sawzall—that’s a reciprocating saw to you laymen—or a Skil saw. You cut the deck into sections, then cut it into manageable pieces for transporting to the transfer station. And the third way? You get yourself a screwdriver and remove it screw by screw, board by board.”
Joel gaped at him. “Hell no. Taking it down screw by screw? Forget that. I’m not happy about the chainsaw idea, but I could probably handle a Sawzall… except I don’t have one.”
“I have two,” Finn told him. “I can loan you one. Just make sure you’ve got safety goggles and gloves.” He closed the notepad. “So… you’re happy with the plans?”
Joel beamed. “Perfectly happy. Of course, I’m saying this before I know how much it’s all going to cost. I take it you’ve built decks before?”
Finn nodded. “I know what I’m doing.”
“I don’t doubt it. You strike me as very capable.” There was that up-and-down glance again, only now Finn was certain—he was being checked out.
There was that voice again. But he’s straight, remember? A wife, kids?
An ex-wife. Don’t forget that part.
Such thoughts were getting him nowhere.
Finn cleared his throat. “Okay. If you were to build it yourself, the average cost would be around twenty-five dollars per square foot, but that’s just the materials. The final price would depend on the materials used, the size, the installation…”
“How big were you thinking?”
Finn rubbed his chin. “Maybe a twelve-by-twelve deck? You don’t want it much bigger than that, and in this space, it wouldn’t overpower the yard. Or, it could go along the entire back of the house, and not come out as far. So you could also have furniture out here—a sofa, chairs, an ottoman…” He grinned. “What they call a Patio Conversation Set nowadays.” When Joel’s eyes widened, Finn knew he’d hit the mark.
“What are the choices for materials?”
“You can have pressure-treated wood, hardwood, composite…”
Joel stared at the house, and Finn could almost hear the cogs clicking. “So if you had to put a price on it? I’m asking what your idea would be of the maximum I’d have to spend. Just so I know how much to budget for it.”
Finn did some swift mental calculation. “Seven thousand, tops.” He knew some companies out there would charge ten to fifteen grand for such an installation, but he wasn’t greedy. He also knew he’d do a stellar job that Joel would be happy with.
Joel didn’t even wince. “Deal.”
Finn beamed. “When would you want me to start?”
Joel grinned. “Seeing as you won’t be starting anything until I’ve done the groundwork, should it be more of a question of when I can start?”
Finn laughed. “Good point.” Yeah, he really liked this guy. Decisive, funny, clearly intelligent… and the perfect age. Damn.
“When I’ve signed all the papers, we can talk again. But I like the idea of having