A Home by the Sea (With FreeMustang)

[CinnamonShards]

"Well...it'll probably look good in the spring."


Jack put his arm around his lover's shoulder and gave her a squeeze. He hope it wasn't obvious that he was having a hard time trying to find something flattering to say about their new home. He pointed to a squat, scraggly tree. Under the overcast, drizzling sky, it looked like a gargoyle.


"That's a crab apple tree. We'll get pretty blossoms in the spring, and we can make jam in the fall.

 

[FreeMustang]

"Yeah... It'll look better in the Spring... After we do a lot of remodeling... And landscaping... I'll make the honey do list" she smirked, kissing Jack's cheek "Crab apples... Yep, they'll make some lovely apple jelly and apple butter... I can't wait" she said smiling. Sure the crumbling property needed a hell of a lot of work but they could do it over a few months and it was their first house together! She was happy any place she was with him, even if it was raining.

 

[CinnamonShards]

Jack smiled, resting his cheek on top of her head. Maybe it wasn't the castle she deserved, but with some new shingles, a fresh coat of paint, a real driveway, a new fence, a replacement for the cracked picture window, a complete re-wireing to get the place up to fire code...well, it would probably be best if he didn't spend too much time dwelling on the amount of work he had in front of him.


Oh, and mice. He'd need to buy some mousetraps when he went into town. The place hadn't had an owner for years, but that didn't mean nothing was living in there.


"How about we go check it out?" He asked, pulling his keys out of his pocket. "We can make a list of all the things the bank was trying to hide from us during the open house."

 

[FreeMustang]

Anna smirked "You don't think there was too much that we didn't catch, do you?" she asked, more concerned than she looked as she walked into the house, jumping when she saw a group of mice standing on their back feet and staring them them in surprise "Give me a shovel.... I'll play whack a mouse!" she said, wanting to throw up a bit at the site of all the pests.

 

[CinnamonShards]

Jack made a sound of indignation, and tried to scowl at his bride. He couldn't quite manage to wipe the smile off his face.


"That they got past me? You think I got my architectural engineering degree by mailing away box tops?"


He gave her a reassuring smile, and followed her inside. The house was old, but it was built before particle board and plywood were industry standard. Everything from the foundation to the rafters had been build to last. It was beautiful in it's own way, with high ceilings, a store fireplace, and a wrap-around deck that overlooked the ocean. It was a shame that it had been neglected for so long.


He saw Anna jump, and bit back a chuckle. She was just too cute when she got like this. Not wanting to risk a slap for teasing her, he put on his dutiful husband face and moved between her and the tiny rodents.


"It's alright, sweetheart. Dont hurt the poor little things. See if there's a broom in the closet. We can shoo them out the back door."

 

[FreeMustang]

"What? Are you saying you didn't pay for it with box tops?" Anna teased Jack, kissing his cheek "No, I'm being serious, do you think you missed anything?" she asked as she looked back at the mice that were now scattering around the room "because we want all of the pests to live and multiply so that they can take over the world...." she said, her eye twitching a little bit. Mice were the one vermin she couldn't stand! Ants sure, cockroaches no problem, bees were pushing it but mice were where she drew the line and went a little crazy! "Poor little things?" she asked, finding a broom in the corner and chasing one of the mice before she tried to bludgeon it to death.

 

[CinnamonShards]

Jack winced as Anna took off after the mice, swinging the broom like a Valkyrie. He secretly hoped they were quick enough to get out of her way. Unlike his wife, out of all household vermin, it was mice that he had a soft spot for.


"I'll go into town as soon as we unpack and pick up some live traps," he promised, following her into the dusty sitting room. "please, sweetie? Do you really want to christen our new house with a murder? Think of the floorboards."


He came up behind her, sliding an arm around her waist and putting his chin in her shoulder. "At least give them a head start," he hummed into her ear, " and let me carry your over the threshold properly."

 

[FreeMustang]

Anna was unable to catch any of the mice before they darted into the walls "Live traps?" she frowned, not liking the idea of letting these invading pests live but her heart was completely melting over Jack's smooth words "Well... If you promise to release them a few miles away from here, I guess I'm ok with that" she finally agreed, turning around and hugging her husband "So are you going to carry me out side and then back in?" she giggled, kissing him lovingly.

 

[CinnamonShards]

Jack smiled into his bride's kiss, detecting the hint of a challenge.


"Unless you want me to give you a piggy back ride," he teased, resting his forehead against hers. Without waiting for a reply, he scooped her up in his arms and stomped back back across the living room, through the front door, and out onto the deck. He paused for effect, then cleared his throat.


"Welcome to your new home, darling," he beamed down at her, overgrown black hair falling into his clear blue eyes. He knew he was in need of a shower and a shave, so even though he wanted to crush her against him and kiss her until their lips bruised, he settled for a gentle brush of his lips on her forehead.


Jack then stepped back over the threshold and set her down, brushing a lock of hair out of her face.


"There. How was that?"

 

[FreeMustang]

"Perfect" Anna said smiling from ear to ear as she stood on her tip toes to kiss him on his lips, she really didn't mind his prickly beard as much as he thought she did "Now, for that list" Anna grinned, pulling the small note pad from Jack's back pocket, looking at him flirtatiously as she did so "Number 1.... Get rat traps.... Number 2.... Test bed for springiness..." she smirked, hoping Jack would get the hint "3 fresh paint, umm...?"

 

[CinnamonShards]

Jack gave her a sly wink, her meaning clearly not lost on him.


"Five, pick up plenty more cleaning supplies" he added, pulling out his palm piolet and starting his own list, "I don't think that we brought enough floor cleaner or windex tomgetbeven half this placepc lean. Five, get at least a half dozen extension cords, since it looks as though onlout couple of these outlets are up to code. Damn, times sure have changed...and six, get stop by the store for some bacon and eggs. Hard working men need something more substantial than granola bars and vitamin water."


He smiled as he stepped out of the living room and started down the hall, making notes for himself as he went. He certainly had his work cut out for him. The hallway ended at the back door, which opened onto a sturdy deck overlooking an unkempt garden, and a path that wound down to the sea. What surprised him though, we're two small pairs of shoes sitting next to the door. They were dirty and worn, but through use, not exposure to the elements, and tucked neatly to one side.


"Sweetie, come see this" he called back into the house, clueless how they could have got there. Maybe their neighbors had children? It was possible they'd come to explore the spooky old house that hadn't been lived in for a decade, but not likely they'd leave their shoes behind.

 

[FreeMustang]

"I think we're going to need something stronger than Windex.... Bleach or ammonia... Not both though, don't want to kill our selves" Anna laughed a little bit "But with all those mice we need to completely sterilize this place" she sighed "Between the scrubbing and the electrical problem I don't know which is more important. Why don't you start with the wiring and I'll start cleaning the floors and such?" she suggested as a first step to their renovation process before looking at her husband in a bit of shock "Bacon? You'd eat a poor defenseless piglet but you won't kill a scummy, disease ridden rat?!" she asked, deciding she wasn't going to let him live this down now "How about some mushrooms and onions and we'll keep the vitamin water?" she suggested, kissing her wonderful husband before stepping into the kitchen to look at things "We'll have to update everything in the kitchen, the stove looks as though it'll burn the place down if turned on" she laughed as she came out to see what was concerning him so much "Huh... What would anyone leave these behind for?" she asked "You don't think there's someone in the house do you? Some kid poking around? Maybe hiding because they heard us?" she suggested.


(Sorry, not sure how I forgot to hit post reply! >.< )

 

[CinnamonShards]

Jack was quite familiar with the concept of picking your battles. He knew better than to debate the ethics of pork products or the scumminess of rodents with Anna.


"Can I at least swap the vitamin water for a beer?" he sighed, hoping to negotiate a compromise. He stepped out onto the deck, peering out across the unkept shrubberies and flower beds. A sliver of grey ocean winked from atop the garden wall. He smiled. The price of the house had been worth it for the view alone.


"I don't see how they could have gotten inside," he puzzled in response to her question. "More likely they've been playing the the garden. Maybe there's a raspberry patch or something."


A strong wind was blowing in off the ocean, and he squinted his eyes against the spitting rain. By the look of the clouds, a proper storm would be on them soon enough.


"Let's grab our bags out of the car," he suggested, stepping back inside. "Good thing the moving crew's already been and gone. We can start unpacking until the rain passes."

 

[FreeMustang]

"No, not while you're working with electrical stuff and could like kill yourself being impaired" Anna insisted "I'll have a cold one for you when you're done though" she promised and hugged her husband "What about a soda or something like that? Ohh... I could make you a kale and carrot smoothy with organic Greek yogurt and wheat germ!" she offered "I could add that beet juice, red cabbage, and lemon grass to it too since you were so crazy about them last time, sound good?"


Anna admired the view with Jack "Why would they take their shoes off to play in the garden though? I mean they couldn't get them any dirtier if it was muddy and I wouldn't walk barefoot in there with the risk of thorns or something since it looks like weeds are practically choking everything else out" she shrugged "It's very odd"


Anna nodded and went back through the house with Jack and out the front to the car, grabbing their bags and hauling them up to the porch once again. She grabbed the door knob and frowned "Did you lock it?" she asked, trying to open the door again, inside she could swear she heard a soft laugh of a child and the hushed chiding of another saying that was mean "Did you hear that?!" she asked her husband, her eyes getting wide.