“Vi, I’m so sorry about this. I can’t believe this happened.”
“Well, she went out of town, and she didn’t turn off the water to the house,” Charlie said as he came down the hallway and back into the flooded kitchen and family room. Harper moved to stand between me and Violet as she beamed up at us.
“Who turns their water off when they go out of town?” Violet screeched at him.
“I do.” He shrugged. “Anyway, insurance will cover the cost, but it’s going to be a gut job. You’ve got to rip up all the floors and replace the whole kitchen, and the bathrooms are probably unsalvageable.”
She groaned. “Aren’t you supposed to make me feel better, Charles? This is a nightmare. How long do you think it will take to get this place put back together?”
“Assuming we can get the materials quickly, I would say you’re looking at around three months.”
“Where am I supposed to live until then?”
“You can stay with us,” I said, wrapping an arm around her.
“I love you, Monny, but you two are all over each other. I don’t want to be hiding in a guest room when you’re climbing your man like a tree.” She glanced down at Harper and winced, but the little girl was busy looking around at the mess.
“You’re being ridiculous. It would be great. Just like our old college days, minus the ball and chain.” I chuckled as I glanced at my fiancé, who didn’t look pleased with the idea.
“Hey, didn’t your cousin just move out of your guesthouse?” Myles asked Charlie.
“Yes. And she smelled like broccoli and toothpaste,” Harper said, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Yes, Jordan just moved to be closer to her boyfriend. The place is small, but it’s in good shape.”
“How much is it a month?” Violet crossed her arms over her chest.
“Well, I didn’t charge her rent. She just agreed to help me with Harper. You know, getting her to school if I have to be on a jobsite early, or picking her up and getting her started on her homework until I get home. So that’s more what I was looking for.”
“Yay. Violet can take me to school. She smells like birthday cake and flowers.” Harper looked up at Violet, who gaped at her as if she had no idea what she was talking about.
“I mean, if I’m going to smell like cake, I suppose birthday cake would be the best option.”
Harper covered her mouth and chuckled. “It’s the best kind of cake ever. I’m hungry, Daddy,” she said as Charlie scooped her up and held her on his hip.
“I’ve got to get this one some food. We ran out of the house when you called, Myles.” Charlie moved toward the door. “I’ll get the estimates to you by the end of the day, and we’ll have to sit down and go over the pricing and some options for replacing everything. Why don’t we meet Monday morning at my office?”
“Monday morning? It’s Saturday morning and I have a flooded house, Charles.”
He rolled his eyes. “We can’t order anything before Monday, Violet. And you’ll need to call your insurance company today. If you want to stay in the guesthouse until the renovation is done, it’s yours. Just stay out of my hair, and I’ll stay out of yours.”
“I thought you wanted help with Harper?” Violet narrowed her gaze as she looked at him.
“Not sure how I feel about that.”
“Not sure how you feel about that? Are you kidding me? I have four siblings, you jackass—er, jackass-uming man,” she corrected for Harper’s sake. “You should be so lucky to have me help out.”
“Fine, Violet.” He pinched the bridge of his nose as his daughter clapped her hands together. “Meet me at my house in an hour. I’m taking Harps to the Brown Bear Diner for some pancakes.”
“Yay for pancakes!” Harper cheered, and I couldn’t help but smile at how adorable she was. Her long hair hung down her back, and she had these pink little cherub cheeks.
“I’ll be there, unless I find a free place to live in the next half hour that isn’t with a couple who can’t keep their hands to themselves,” Violet said. “Feel free to bring leftover pancakes home, roomie.”
“Yeah, room service doesn’t come with the house,” Charlie grumped before walking out the door.
“That man can be a real jackass,” Violet huffed, moving toward her bedroom. “I can’t believe I have to pack up and move out.”
I flashed Myles my best apologetic smile and told him I was going to go help Violet get her clothes packed up. We agreed to come back tomorrow and grab some dishes and a few other things from her kitchen.
