Free Black Water Creek by Robert Brumm Page A

getting there. Hopefully after the cleaning marathon she’d be able to move in with a few simple pieces of furniture. Maybe they would camp out on the living room floor and try out the fireplace.
    Keegan appeared at the bathroom door with a sour look on his face. “I’m bored.”
    “Did you get done cleaning the windows like I asked?”
    He nodded his head. “I wanna watch TV.”
    Kelly got up from the bathroom floor and held onto her sore lower back. “Let’s take a look at those windows first, mister.” He’d gotten bored running around the house so she’d given him a broom and let him push it around for a while. When that grew dull she filled an empty spray bottle with water and gave him a rag, asking him to “clean” the windows. She smirked at the dripping wet and streaked panes of the glass in the living room.
    “Not too bad. Just give mom a few minutes and we’ll go up to the big house for lunch, okay? You need a nap pretty soon anyway.”
    “Nooooo!” Keegan collapsed on the floor and writhed in pain at the thought of enduring a boring nap instead of staring at cartoons for hours.
    Kelly heard a knock at the door over Keegan’s wailing. She pushed the curtain aside and saw the woman from Ed’s shop from the night her car broke down. She smiled and gave Kelly a little wave as Kelly opened the door.
    “Hey there, remember me? Cheryl from the shop.”
    “Of course I do. Come on in.”
    “Hope I’m not coming at a bad time.” Cheryl stepped into the kitchen holding two large paper cups. “Thought maybe you could use a little coffee break.” She set one of the cups down on the kitche n counter and waved at her face. “Hoo-wee, it’s like an oven in here.”
    “Really?” Kelly crossed her arms and glanced at the heater. “I’m still freezing. Just can’t seem to shake these chills.” She took the coffee from Cheryl and wrapped her cold fingers around the warm cup.
    “Maybe you’re coming down with something .” Cheryl took a sip off her own cup and took her jacket off. “I had to work this morning and Ed was telling me all about your little place here. Thought I’d stop in quick and see how you’re getting on.”
    Kelly sighed and looked around the room. “Well, you wouldn’t think it, but it’s way better than it was the first time I saw it. I’ve been cleaning all morning and I feel like I haven’t scratched the surface. Thanks for the coffee.”
    “Don’t mention it.”
    Keegan sat up and looked suspiciously at Cheryl.
    “Hey, little guy!” She reached into her purse and pulled out a large toy car. “I’ve got something here for you, too.”
    Keegan’s eyes lit up and he scrambled to his feet.
    “Some other little boy left that at the shop a while ago. I held onto it until I could find a new owner. I’d say you’re the perfect candidate.”
    “Thank you.” He took it from her hand and crouched between the two women, pushing the car across the floor and making a motor noise.
    Cheryl walked over to the picture window in the living room. “What an awesome view. Our condo faces the old tire plant. Not quite as nice as the river, here.”
    “Isn’t it great?”
    “So , I heard you’re working for Paul Horton at his shop?”
    “Yep . I’ve been there for almost a week now. I feel like a fish out of water most of the time but it’s not too bad.”
    “He’s…okay? Treats you well?”
    “We got off to a rough start, but yeah, he’s a fine boss if that’s what you mean. Why do you ask?”
    Cheryl glanced at Keegan. “Well, I never met him personally but he sort of has a reputation around town.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “He had a rough stretch when he moved back here. Got arrested after beating up a few rednecks down at Clancy’s Bar. I heard he was pretty liquored up that night, who knows what started it all, but he took on all three in the parking lot. One of the guys ended up in ICU with a collapsed lung and another had a broken jaw.”
    “Oh my