Gathering Fallen Rocks Ch. 11

"I know, Gail, but it's what the traffic will bear. I have one other property, but I don't know if you'd be interested. It won't be ready for at least a week, but the rent is much better because it's only available for four months, or maybe a little longer. The owners will be back in town by then and will want their townhouse back."

"A townhouse, oh that would be fantastic. No grass to mow. Don't frighten me, how much?"

"Six-fifty, it's furnished, dishes and linens included, and you pay all the bills."

"I'll take it. I don't care if the roof leaks. When can I see it and when can I have a key?"

"I'll meet you there in fifteen minutes. Just knock on the front door. The owners want to meet whoever will live in their house while they are up north."

"Okay. Give me names and directions. I'm new in town and don't know my way around very well yet."

"It's easy, left turn out of your parking lot, about a mile straight down the main street where your office is, left turn on Paulson Drive, go two blocks and a second left turn on Phyllis. You would never guess the name of the subdivision's developer or his wife's name, now would you?"

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"Howard, I don't care. I'm moving into the townhouse and if I must, I'll take you with me. I'm sorry, I hate to say this, but I cannot continue to eat Melanie's fried food every night and I'm tired of canned vegetables. I want a kitchen, a decent bathroom, and no more stairs to climb."

"Okay, okay, I'll go with you to meet 'our' new landlord. I agree with you about the food and the bathroom, and since I'm not going to let you leave me, I have to go with you. Come by and pick me up, I'll tell Pepper I'm leaving for an hour and then you can bring me back here."

When Gail stopped to get Howard, he was standing outside the hardware store talking to a customer just getting out of his vehicle. Howard climbed into the passenger seat and as he closed the door, he hooked is arm around Gail and pulled her head toward him for a solid and thorough kiss.

"Alright, Baby, we can go now. That will hold me for a little while."

"You are incorrigible, Howard," Gail complained, and could not resist laughing when he agreed.

"No, I'm determined to wait one more week and that's the only thing that keeps me from tossing you on a bed and having my way with you."

Gail laughed and asked, "And I have nothing to say about this?"

"Not much, and if you wear that dress again, with those high heel shoes, I might not wait all week. So consider yourself warned."

After knocking on the front door of the townhouse, they were greeted by a woman who was probably about Atwood's age.

"Mrs. Fletcher, I'm Gail and this is Howard Pleas. Did Julia Ramos call you?"

"Oh yes, yes, come in, come in, I'll call my husband." The older woman could be heard calling, "David, David, that couple is here to look at the house."

Gail and Howard stood just inside the front door and looked around. The open style of the townhouse was large enough for comfort and was plainly furnished. They could see a small living area on one side. There was a similarly sized dining area on the opposite side with a bar, which separated it from the long narrow kitchen. Straight ahead was an abbreviated hall with a bathroom door and bedroom doors on both sides. It was exactly what Gail would like to have. Everything looked easy to keep neat and there were plenty of kitchen cabinets.

David and Betsy Fletcher emerged from one bedroom and invited Gale and Howard to look over the small townhouse, pointing out two covered parking spaces across from their front door. In just a few minutes, both couples agreed it was just what each of them needed. The Fletchers knew their vacation home would be well cared for while they were gone. They had delayed leaving because David's heart was giving him some problems. They were doing so now, with the possibility that he may face bypass surgery when they returned to their permanent home. They had also considered selling, but wanted to wait until the surgery was over before making that decision.

A few minutes later Julia Ramos rang the doorbell and before Gail could mention taking Howard back to his job, they had signed a six-month lease, with a provision they would vacate the house if the Fletchers needed the property sooner and could remain in the property if the Fletchers wished to skip the winter in their vacation home.

Gail looked at Julia Ramos, and then asked the Fletchers if they would object to including a provision that she has first right of refusal if they decided to sell. She thought they might object, but could see both of them with wide smiles on their faces.

"Oh, that would be wonderful," Betsy said excitedly. "We just didn't know how to do something like that and didn't want to think about trying to sell it ourselves or have people coming all the time, to look at the place while we're trying to leave."

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