Love one Another

“That’s probably gray you see in my hair, thanks to Justin,” Zac countered. “So far, I’ve spent more time cleaning up after that kid than I have slinging paint at these four walls.”

“So that’s your problem,” Tina gibed. “Well, no wonder. You’re supposed to roll it on, not sling it.”

“I’m glad somebody is amused.”

“I certainly am.” Laughing lightly, she waited for his expression to soften. It finally did. “That’s better. Now, tell me. Would you rather I took Justin home with me to get him out of your rapidly graying hair, or pitched in and helped you paint this place?”

“I don’t suppose there’s any way you can do both, is there?”

“I’m good, but I’m not that good. Tell you what. I’ll go change into some old clothes and bring Zorro back with me when I come. That way you’ll have a painting partner and Justin will have something to occupy him while we finish up in here. How’s that sound?”

“Like heaven,” Zac said with a sigh. “I’m not real good at painting houses.”

“Noooo,” she mocked. “Do tell.”

One corner of his mouth twitched in a wry smile, and he hefted the paint roller by its handle, as if testing it for weight and balance. “You’re lucky you already volunteered to help me, Miss Tina. If you hadn’t, I might be tempted to do something rash.”

She quickly ducked around the doorjamb and peeked out from behind it, eyes sparkling with mischief. “You do, and I’ll turn you purple the way you threatened to do to poor, innocent little Tommy.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Zac shot back.

Tina laughed and shook her head. “Oh, no, you wouldn’t. Trust me. You’d lose.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. But right now, I think we’d better concentrate on getting your house painted. Are you planning on doing the other bedrooms, too?”

“That’s what the landlord said he wants, and he bought the paint, so I guess the answer is yes. Since I was stupid enough to offer in the first place, I’m stuck doing things his way.”

“Okay. Go tape the plastic down in the other rooms and get them ready. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

Zac snorted derisively. “Do you always jump in with both feet and start giving orders?”

“Only when it’s obvious I’m dealing with somebody whose expertise is sorely lacking in an area where I shine. You have a choice. You can either listen to my good advice or struggle through this project the hard way. Alone.”

“Is that a threat or a promise?” he asked.

“Both.” Wheeling, she flounced off down the hall.

Zac watched his charming neighbor go, then stood motionless for a few moments more after she was out of sight. He didn’t realize how much her presence had distracted him until he looked down at the roller in his hand. Paint had pooled in the lowest point of the cylinder and was falling in a thin stream, making squiggle lines all over the tops of his running shoes.

Tina wasted no time returning, as promised. She found Zac crawling around on his hands and knees, securing the protective plastic sheet in the smaller bedroom.

“You don’t need to mask those baseboards,” she told him, pausing in the doorway. “I have a very steady hand.”

“I’m glad one of us does.” He looked up. “Did you check on Justin when you went outside?”

Tina nodded. “He’s fine. He and Zorro are playing cat-and-mouse. Justin’s the mouse.”

“That’s typecasting, for sure. The kid loves cheese.”

“And Zorro’s already a cat, so he’s a natural, too,” Tina added, playing along. “Did you finish the master bedroom, or do I need to go back and touch it up for you?”

“It’s done. At least, I think it is. I had to stop to scrub footprints off the carpeting in the hall, and by the time I got back the fresh paint was so dry it was hard to tell where I’d left off. You might want to see if I missed any spots.”

“Okay. Back in a flash.”

Zac straightened and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. That woman was a wonder. Nothing seemed to faze her. Didn’t she ever get grumpy? One thing was for sure, she always managed to look good, no matter how she was dressed. When she’d first come over she’d been wearing a turquoise shirt and shorts that had set off the greenish tint of her eyes. This time, although she’d donned tattered denim shorts and tied the tails of an old blouse at her waist, she still looked appealing.

Face it, Frazier, he told himself. Like it or not, you have a pretty neighbor.

Which makes no difference to me at all, he added quickly, defensively. The only thing I care about is raising my son the way Kim would have wanted.

Guilt instantly filled his heart. If he intended to instill the right values and set the right kind of example, he’d better start taking Justin to Sunday School again. That kind of thing had mattered to Kim. It mattered to him, too. Once, he and his late wife had led a youth ministry that had been a miraculous success, due in part to his contacts with teens through his counseling job. He could do that again. He should do it again.

Tina appeared in the doorway with the roller, pan and one of the partially used gallons of paint, bringing an end to his solitary contemplation.

“I found a couple of streaks in the other room and painted over them,” she said. “Otherwise, you did a fine job.”

“Thanks.” Zac got to his feet. “Okay. You’re the boss. Tell me what to do now. I’m all yours.” The rosy blush rising to her cheeks made him add, “Figuratively speaking, of course.”

“Of course.” Embarrassed, she averted her gaze and busied herself with the painting supplies as she spoke. “I noticed that all the paint was the same color. That’s good. It means we won’t have to wash the brushes and roller between rooms. And I brought some plastic wrap from my kitchen, in case you don’t have any, so we can cover the tray whenever we take a break. That way, the extra paint won’t dry in the pan or on the roller and be wasted.”

“Sounds like you have it all figured out.”

She chanced a peek up at him. “All but the ladder part. As you may have noticed, I’m a little short on one end. And I get dizzy on ladders, so I’d prefer you take charge of the ceilings and the tops of the walls.”