“I can cook,” Tina drawled, “if that’s what you’re asking.”
Jake looked pointedly at Wyatt, who seemed to require a moment to tamp down his irritation before saying, “We’ll buy the groceries if you’ll cook the meals.”
“Done.”
He waved a hand. “I suggest we figure out who gets what bedroom and settle in.”
Jake pushed away from the wall. “Frankie and I can share.”
“Actually,” Ryder said, “we may all have to share. Some of the rooms are empty of furniture. Two are uninhabitable. The window is missing in one of the rooms, and either the roof leaks or something’s chewed through the ceiling in another.”
Dismayed, Tina gasped. All eyes turned her way.
“What do you mean the window is missing?”
“I mean that it’s gone.” Ryder spread his hands, palms up. “Including the casing.”
“And something chewed through the ceiling?”
“Well, there are tiny teeth marks around the opening.”
Wyatt let loose a long, gusty sigh. “Okay. Get up to the attic and see what you can find. But watch yourself. The last thing we need is for anyone to get hurt. Jake, you and Ms. Kemp look at the other rooms and decide who goes where. I’ll start unloading our gear.”
“Call me Tina,” she corrected. If they were going to be living in the same house, it seemed only right to be on a first-name basis.
Wyatt inclined his head, laying a hand to his chest. “You can call me Wyatt.”
Jake lifted his hand. “It’s Jacoby, but everyone calls me Jake.”
Tina knew this, but she simply nodded.
“And I’m Ryder,” the younger brother said, smiling.
“Dodd told me all about the three of you,” Tina said, smiling in return.
“That’s more than we can say for you,” Wyatt muttered, moving toward the door.
Ignoring him, Tina pushed back her chair and stood. With so much to do and so much at stake, she couldn’t afford to worry about anything else. Time to get to work.
She and Jake spoke to the boys, warning them to stay in the house out of harm’s way while the adults arranged their living quarters. Frankie nodded compliantly, but as usual Tyler argued.
“Why can’t we go outside?”
“Because we haven’t had a chance to look around yet,” Tina told him. “It’s too dangerous until we know the outbuildings are all clear of vermin and the porch is roped off.”
“Aw, I ain’t scared of no vermin,” Tyler sneered.
“You should be,” Jake said. “Rats, squirrels, raccoons and skunks often carry rabies.”
“What’s rabies?”
“A very serious illness,” Jake explained.
“I don’t care,” Tyler grumbled mulishly.
“I hope you don’t mind shots then, because rabies will keep you in the hospital for lots of shots,” Jake informed him.
Tyler frowned, considering this. Finally, he said, “I better make sure Frankie ’n’ me don’t get rabies.”
“I’d appreciate that,” Jake replied gravely, but Tina saw by the twinkle in his dark eyes that he was amused.
“Call out if you need us,” Tina instructed. “We’ll just be upstairs.”
Tyler nodded and went back to rolling the toy car, accompanied by the sound effects of a revving engine and screeching tires. Tina followed Jake from the room, aware that he silently chuckled, his shoulders shaking with mirth.
“Boys,” he commented softly when she fell into step beside him. “I think they’re all born with a certain amount of stubborn pride.”
Tina sighed. “I think Tyler got more than his fair share.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about him. He’s played well and been very patient with Frankie today.”
She smiled her thanks for that and wondered why it was so much easier to like Jake than his older brother. The same seemed to be true of Ryder. A pity that Wyatt was the better looking one.
Most attractive, least likeable. Thankfully.
The last thing she needed was any sort of romantic entanglement. She had long since vowed that she would not follow her much-married mother’s path. The only thing on her mind now would be creating a safe, stable home for her son. She’d do whatever she had to do to make that happen. Then Layne and his lawyer could take a hike.
Resolved, she accompanied Jake upstairs to see what Herculean tasks awaited her.
* * *
“The last thing we need is possums in the house,” Wyatt muttered, staring at Ryder, who was covered in dust from his head to his shoes. He had cobwebs in his black hair, which he attempted to brush out with his fingers.
They’d all crowded into the upstairs hallway to hear what Ryder had found in the attic. This day just kept getting worse and worse, in Wyatt’s estimation. First they found the house in sorry condition. Then they’d learned that Tina Kemp actually owned the thing. Now they were obligated to help her fix it up, critters included.
“Could be worse,” Ryder reported. “I found evidence of bats.”
Tina surprised Wyatt by letting out a frightened eep. She hugged herself and asked, “Will they come back?”
“Hope not. I’ve blocked every entry point to the attic that I could find, including the hole in the ceiling. I’ll cover up the empty window, and tomorrow I’ll fix the ceiling, but the roof will need to be addressed before long because I also saw evidence of leaks up there.”
Tina muttered something under her breath, but Wyatt chose to ignore it.
“Good work,” he said to Ryder. “You and I can take the room with twin beds. Jake and Frankie can share one of the full beds.” He turned to Tina. “That just leaves you and Tyler.”
“We’ll share my old room for now. There’s only a twin bed, but I can make up a pallet on the floor.”
Wyatt had brought up her many suitcases, so he now carried them to the room with the pink gingham wallpaper, making two trips. Some of the bags had to stay out in the hall.
“I can’t vouch for the bedding,” he told her, as she began positioning suitcases around the room and opening them.
“I brought my own.”
“Thank God,” he said. “All we brought are sleeping bags, and I doubt Jake would want to share one with Frankie even for a single night. Kid’s a mini tornado in his sleep, all flailing arms and legs.” He chuckled, thinking of the nights he’d spent with Frankie when both Jake and Jolene had been deployed. If not for the overwhelming relief of having his brother return safely from the war zone, Wyatt might have been jealous of his brother for taking Frankie home with him. Then Jolene had been killed in a training exercise just weeks after returning home, and Wyatt’s envy had turned to grief.
Tina looked at Wyatt, her expression solemn. “Are you the kind of man who normally thanks God?” she asked.
Wyatt blinked and nodded. “I am.” To his surprise, her coppery gaze softened a bit before she turned away, a pair of worn jeans and a faded red tank top in her hands.
“Good to know. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to change. Then we can strip the beds and haul the mattresses outside to beat the dust out