Chapter 39
I know how fun it is to pick up a book and read all night, while at the same time convincing yourself that yes, you will get up on time and get to work on time and not be grumpy all day....
Hang in there, I'll post as quickly as I can so you can lose some beauty sleep!
Hidden Secrets
Leona Palmer Haag
Chapter 39
If ever there was a saving moment in a man's life, it
had just landed in Kevin's lap. He'd stewed all day over how to break the news
to Jenn that her house—her kitchen in particular—had been blown apart. He'd
fabricated a few scenarios and tossed them aside. He was glad it was evening
when he finally heard her voice and he'd settled on something plausible. He
hoped.
"Funny thing, your house and your dream last
night, Claudia," he said.
"Don't tell me you doused it in gasoline and lit
a match," Jenn lightly replied.
"Almost. But something held me back and told me
there was hope. Nick never said he was renovating your kitchen. I could have
sworn…"
"What!" Jenn gasped.
"Don't tell me he was planning on it being a
surprise! Looks like I spoiled it. Sorry about that."
"What?" Jenn managed to squeak out again.
"You really didn't know about it? That's what it
sounds like."
"Tell me what you're talking about," Jenn
breathlessly demanded.
"Maybe I shouldn't," Kevin hesitantly said,
playing his cards right so she cooperated.
"Tell me now or I'll be on the next flight home."
"Okay, okay, settle down," Kevin commanded.
"Your kitchen is torn apart. In shambles. Like the work crew started but
didn't finish. The job isn't even half done. It's still in the torn-up, rip-out
stage. Doesn't Nick know it takes more than one man more than one week to
remodel a kitchen? Especially if he’s towing around a kid while he works?"
Kevin could hear Jenn hyperventilating.
"Honest, you didn't plan the new kitchen
together?"
"No," Jenn weakly replied.
"Okay," Kevin said, drawing the word out to
mean--judgemental, "Then it looks like he's in trouble, poor sap."
"What's he doing?" Jenn asked.
Kevin smiled. She was in the palm of his hand. It was
amazing how smooth he could be. He'd get exactly what he wanted. "Ripping
out cabinets, the floor, the ugly countertop, no offence there, Jenn, I mean
Claudia, but they were ugly. Who chose that color anyway? Your worst enemy?
Anyway, it's destroyed. Unsalvageable. Even if you liked it, I guess Nick
didn't?"
"We both hate it."
"Well, then you're lucky. It's not going to be around
when you get back."
"I return the day Nick does, so if it's there,
I'll see it," Jenn said.
Kevin rubbed his chin. Jenn was one step ahead of him
now. How did that happen? He back-peddled, revising his plan. "Uh, I
talked to a few guys at the office and told them about the mess Nick left
behind…" That really wasn't a lie, was it? Nick had left the place looking
like a tornado had gone through it. "And, uh… we're sorry he left without
telling us what happened…" That was definitely not fabricated. "So,
uh, we're all going to pitch in and do what we can to help out. Clean it up and
put it back together, we hope."
"What needs to be done?" Jenn asked.
"A lot." Kevin had been sitting at his
computer browsing. Now he got up and began pacing. Quickly. To match the pace
of his lies. "Um… I found the new cabinets in boxes in the garage, so
we'll install them. The sink is in the garage too. It's a nice one. But I think
he hashed the flooring. I didn't see any tile or hardwood or anything like that
lying around. Do you know what he was planning to put down?"
"I can't believe Nick would do this without
consulting me!"
"Yeah. Maybe he was trying to be macho. Does he
like showing off?" Kevin smiled. He liked leading Jenn on. Seeing if she'd
jump at the bait.
"We don't have that kind of money. How are we
going to pay for it?"
Kevin shrugged. He had no clue how he was going to pay
for it now, either. How do you march into your bosses office and say,
"Guess what, I volunteered everyone to go over to the Washington's house
to fix it up, and you're the lucky one who gets to pay for it." Mitchell
would come unglued.
"He's probably been putting something
aside," Kevin suggested, hoping it was the kind of thing Nick naturally
did so Jenn would believe him.
"Very unlikely since I handle the money,"
Jenn replied, dashing his hopes.
"Then who knows? I guess if my buddies are going
to help get Nick out of the bind he left you in, we need to know what you want
on the floor. Can you go to the Home Depot tomorrow and find something you
like? Call me with the information."
"No, I can't. If Nick ordered something, it's
paid for and will probably be shipped. Maybe that's why it's not finished. He
must be waiting for something."
Kevin squirmed. "Yeah, you
could be right there. Um… Jenn, I've got an idea. Since he didn't clue you in
and he might have ordered something you don't like, why don't you go to the Home
Depot and find something you love.
I'll order it and have it installed. Nick can return what he ordered and I'll
chip in a few bucks to pay the restocking fee."
The line was silent. Hopefully Jenn would agree.
"Maybe it can wait until after we get home. If Nick
has…"
Kevin held in a groan as he interrupted. "Yeah,
it could wait. But I'll tell you what. I'll try to get a hold of Nick tomorrow
to see what he's done. I'll call you after I talk to him. At this point he
might be ready to turn the whole project over to you. I didn't find the
countertops in the garage, so I don't know if he ordered them. I'll go over on
my way to work tomorrow and take a better inventory of what's there."
"Okay," Jenn replied.
"Hey, cheer up. We can do some of the work while
you're gone, or wait until you get back. Either way, it looks like you're going
to get a new kitchen."
"I wish I'd known about it sooner. I hate dark
cupboards. They would make the space look even smaller and more cramped. I've
never mentioned it to Nick, so I hope that isn't what he ordered."
"The boxes are still closed, so I don't know what
they look like. I'll check for you tomorrow. If you had your choice, what would
it be?" Kevin smiled. Maybe he'd get one straight answer out of Jenn.
"I like a soft look. Homey. Maybe white-washed or
a honey pine. Light oak too. I even like maple. Dark, light, whatever. I know
white and grey are getting popular. I hate dark, dark cherry—that's all. I
don't know why, but I do. The cabinets here are pretty. Staggered. Glazed.
Really nice. I like them, but I could never afford anything like them. They'd
look out of place in our little house anyway."
Kevin laughed stiffly. "It sounds like you're
easy to please. I'm sure Nick picked something you like."
Jenn didn't sound as sure as she muttered, "I
hope so. Do you have any idea how much a kitchen remodel costs? A preschool
kid's mom said they spent eighteen-thousand dollars on their kitchen and dining
room renovation. We don't have that kind of money. I hope she was either exaggerating
or they have a huge house."
Kevin gulped. "Yeah, that's a lot," he
weakly replied.
"And if Nick bought stuff I hate, we might as
well keep the stupid avocado we hate that's free."
"Yeah, but it's pretty much destroyed. You've got
to get new stuff no matter what at this point."
Jenn sighed in frustration.
"I'll tell you what, Jenn, uh, Claudia, go to the
Home Depot and look at everything and choose your dream kitchen. I'll check
with Nick to see how close he came. If he's a little off, I'll switch something
out and you'll get what you want and he'll never know."
"That's dishonest. I don't do that kind of stuff
to my husband."
Kevin wanted to reach through the phone line and grab
Jenn by the shoulders and say, "Hey, girl, wake up! Your kitchen was
trashed by bad guys, and whether you like it or not, you're getting a new one.
Your husband's blood was splattered everywhere, along with three other guy's!
But I refuse to freak you out by telling you that, so just choose the stupid
cabinets, countertops and floor, okay—or I will! And I can and will choose ugly
avocado and dingy yellow and dark cherry wood if you bug me enough!"
Kevin took a deep breath and nicely said. "Yeah,
I didn't think of that. I'd hate having a great kitchen planned out only to
have my wife—if I had one—change it all. Listen, I'll see what I can find out
from Nick and we'll help him get it done. For all I know, he might have hired
it out and they haven't stopped by to finish the job because no one is there to
answer the door. If I can reach him, I'll get as many details as I can."
"Okay," Jenn reluctantly agreed.
Kevin was exhausted when he hung up. He was glad he
was divorced. It made life easy. No wife—no conflict. No one telling him what
to do, when to do it, and how to do it. Funny thing, it was almost like he was
married to Jenn. He was her one and only contact. He was stuck with her and the
lousy kitchen! He felt sorry for himself. And for Matt Jensen, her fill-in
husband at the moment. For Nick too—the permanent guy. If he was alive.
Jenn Washington has three husband's, Kevin thought
with a perverse laugh. One who wants to be there and isn't. One assigned who
doesn't mind 'cause he's a friend, and me—the one who hates the job. Mrs. Nicholas
Washington was a pain to work with. He pitied Nick. Who could put up with such
a…
Kevin's phone rang. It was Jenn. He finished a groan
before he answered, "Yeah?"
"Did you pick up my mail?"
"Of course. There's a nice stack of catalogs.
Nothing important. I'll get you a PO box tomorrow and send everything there
from now on. I'll check it every few days and make sure your bills are
paid."
"Can you forward it here, instead?"
"No. I'll go through it and send what I think
will be okay and handle the rest here."
"That sounds illegal to me."
Kevin sighed painfully, knowing she heard him.
"It's not. I know because I've had to do it before."
"What about my SIM card? I'd like some of my
phone numbers."
"I told you no contact with
anyone!" Kevin bellowed.
"Repeat why?" Jenn timidly asked.
Kevin calmed down. "Because I like my job and you
like your life. I'll personally kill you if you're discovered because you leaked
vital information that gives your hiding spot away. We’d lose a nice safe house
in the process, and that would cost me my job. Got that?"
"Yes, but your threat is hollow. You like
freedom, and you'd go to prison if you killed me."
"That's right, so I'd take you
out anonymously."
"Whatever," Jenn said in exasperation.
"Don't whatever me!"
Jenn laughed. "Kevin Curtis, be nice to me or
I'll torture you."
"Impossible!" he shouted, after a few
flaring red words.
"And clean up your mouth while you're at it
because Katie is listening. Besides, don't for a second doubt I won't complain
about your language to Mitchell."
Kevin closed his eyes and counted to ten. Then twenty.
Jenn was going to be the death of him. When he was calm he said, "Okay.
I'll see what I can do about letting you talk to a few people. Call Debbie at
the office tomorrow with a list. Put your first priority at the top, and
include who they are, what relationship they are to you, and why you want to
talk to them."
"You're the Gestapo."
"No, I'm your bodyguard."
Jenn was deathly silent.
Kevin softly added, "And that's a little
something you need to remember. Doing it long distance isn't easy, but I think
we'd both prefer it that way. Now, if you want me to join you and attend your
little swimming parties and kiddy reading sessions and shopping
excursions—without a credit card—I'll see if Mitchell is willing to transfer me
to your happy little home in the desert. I can pack my bags and be there before
tea tomorrow."
Jenn gasped, probably at his sarcasm. It made him
smile. "You play dirty," she said, making him feel slightly guilty
for only half a second.
Kevin almost backed down. Almost. "Yeah, and you
deserved it. Remember, I'm not the one who made a 4:00 am phone call. You
started it. I'm a little tired on this end."
"I apologized, remember? And I'm still
sorry."
Kevin felt guilty. Again! Yes she had. "Then I'm
sorry too. Get me the phone list, tell me what your kitchen would look like if
you got to make the choices, and don't wake me up if you have a nightmare
tonight. Is there anything else you need while you've got my undivided
attention?"
"Yes." Jenn hesitated. Her voice quivered as
she said, "When you talk to Nick, tell him I love him and miss him like
crazy. Katie too."
Kevin unclenched his jaw. "Will
do. Good-night, Mrs. Morgan."
"Nighty-night, Uncle Kevin."
Kevin hung up exhausted. Jenn had given him whiplash.
End Chapter 39
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