on the deck. Once it was finished, the three gathered in Jake’s bedroom and contemplated the best way to knock down the wall.
“Do you think it’s a load bearing wall?”
Andy was knocking on the wall. “Not sure.”
Danny was the first to make the obvious joke. “You know, if you’re looking for a stud, I’m right here.”
Jake rolled his eyes and laughed despite himself. “Sure if you think a stud downs four muffins in ten minutes and is relegated to light beer.”
“Beer. That’s what this party needs.”
Danny disappeared into the kitchen and came back with two lagers and a light beer.
“Now this will help me think. I’m so freakin’ tired, Jake. You owe me one, you know?”
“I know. I owe you about a dozen by now.”
“That you do, Brother. Cheers!”
Andy thought for a minute. “I think we should just cut through. There’s a header that runs the length of the wall. The ceiling is high so we won’t need to cut into it to fit the door. You sure you want this, Jake?”
“Yeah, Dad. Let’s do it. Demo is the fun part.”
“All right. Let’s outline the space to fit the new doors and get to work. We can have another drink when it’s finished.” He took out a tape measure. “
Within a few hours, they’d cut out the opening and fastened the doors in the space. After a few adjustments, they were opening smoothly.
“Gonna have to paint your room now, you know.”
“I know, Dad. Thanks for all your help.”
“I don’t know about you two, but I am beat,” Danny said. “Do you need me for anything else? Meg just texted me asking if I’d make it home for dinner.”
“Nah, man. Go home. Tell Meg I said hi. And Danny?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks, man. Thanks for everything.”
The two hugged for the first time in recent memory, and Danny felt a weird emotion churn up inside him.
“Yeah, yeah. Wussy. What else ya got? Remember, you owe me!”
When he left, Jake and his father were left to admire the massive amount of work they’d completed that day.
As he drained the last of his beer, Andy said, “You done good kid.”
“Thanks, Dad. We done good.”
“Yeah, we did. I’m gonna clean up outside. You go shower and get ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“That Lily is coming over, right? Isn’t that why you wanted to finish this?”
“Well, yeah. Kinda. How did you know?”
With a twinkle in his eye, Andy replied cryptically, “A father always knows. Now go. I’ll clean up the mess. Shouldn’t take me long. We done a good job cleaning up as we went. At least you guys learned somethin’ from your old man.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
With that, Andy went outside and cleaned up the tools, sawdust, and random pieces of wood they’d left lying around while Jake stayed inside to shower. Andy looked around at what he and his boys had accomplished and thought, At least it’s a start.
CHAPTER 13
Lily finished her shift an hour late. After dividing her tips, she ran home to shower and change. By the time she reached Jake’s driveway, it was almost seven.
Jake heard the gravel crunch under Lily’s tires and walked around to meet her. She looked amazing in simple denim shorts and faded blue T-shirt.
“Hey, you.”
“Hey, yourself. Well, I came dressed to work.”
“We’ll get to that. You hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Good.” Jake grabbed Lily’s hand and walked her to the back yard.
“Oh my God, Jake! You finished it!”
“Well, mostly. I still have to stain it and clean up around the new door we installed but, yeah, it’s finished.”
The look on her face was definitely what he needed to ward off the exhaustion that was setting in. He watched as she walked around the deck and admired his handiwork.
“It’s beautiful. And the door! French doors were definitely the way to go. It’s like you have your own little piece of paradise. I am sure the view from your room is great. Just like a picture. I can’t believe you did all this today.”
“I had help.
“Do you think it’s a load bearing wall?”
Andy was knocking on the wall. “Not sure.”
Danny was the first to make the obvious joke. “You know, if you’re looking for a stud, I’m right here.”
Jake rolled his eyes and laughed despite himself. “Sure if you think a stud downs four muffins in ten minutes and is relegated to light beer.”
“Beer. That’s what this party needs.”
Danny disappeared into the kitchen and came back with two lagers and a light beer.
“Now this will help me think. I’m so freakin’ tired, Jake. You owe me one, you know?”
“I know. I owe you about a dozen by now.”
“That you do, Brother. Cheers!”
Andy thought for a minute. “I think we should just cut through. There’s a header that runs the length of the wall. The ceiling is high so we won’t need to cut into it to fit the door. You sure you want this, Jake?”
“Yeah, Dad. Let’s do it. Demo is the fun part.”
“All right. Let’s outline the space to fit the new doors and get to work. We can have another drink when it’s finished.” He took out a tape measure. “
Within a few hours, they’d cut out the opening and fastened the doors in the space. After a few adjustments, they were opening smoothly.
“Gonna have to paint your room now, you know.”
“I know, Dad. Thanks for all your help.”
“I don’t know about you two, but I am beat,” Danny said. “Do you need me for anything else? Meg just texted me asking if I’d make it home for dinner.”
“Nah, man. Go home. Tell Meg I said hi. And Danny?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks, man. Thanks for everything.”
The two hugged for the first time in recent memory, and Danny felt a weird emotion churn up inside him.
“Yeah, yeah. Wussy. What else ya got? Remember, you owe me!”
When he left, Jake and his father were left to admire the massive amount of work they’d completed that day.
As he drained the last of his beer, Andy said, “You done good kid.”
“Thanks, Dad. We done good.”
“Yeah, we did. I’m gonna clean up outside. You go shower and get ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“That Lily is coming over, right? Isn’t that why you wanted to finish this?”
“Well, yeah. Kinda. How did you know?”
With a twinkle in his eye, Andy replied cryptically, “A father always knows. Now go. I’ll clean up the mess. Shouldn’t take me long. We done a good job cleaning up as we went. At least you guys learned somethin’ from your old man.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
With that, Andy went outside and cleaned up the tools, sawdust, and random pieces of wood they’d left lying around while Jake stayed inside to shower. Andy looked around at what he and his boys had accomplished and thought, At least it’s a start.
CHAPTER 13
Lily finished her shift an hour late. After dividing her tips, she ran home to shower and change. By the time she reached Jake’s driveway, it was almost seven.
Jake heard the gravel crunch under Lily’s tires and walked around to meet her. She looked amazing in simple denim shorts and faded blue T-shirt.
“Hey, you.”
“Hey, yourself. Well, I came dressed to work.”
“We’ll get to that. You hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Good.” Jake grabbed Lily’s hand and walked her to the back yard.
“Oh my God, Jake! You finished it!”
“Well, mostly. I still have to stain it and clean up around the new door we installed but, yeah, it’s finished.”
The look on her face was definitely what he needed to ward off the exhaustion that was setting in. He watched as she walked around the deck and admired his handiwork.
“It’s beautiful. And the door! French doors were definitely the way to go. It’s like you have your own little piece of paradise. I am sure the view from your room is great. Just like a picture. I can’t believe you did all this today.”
“I had help.
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