Dynamite. That's what was needed here. Johanna could see the potential in this house if she had about ten sticks of dynamite strategically placed in certain areas that is. As she walked around the home taking it all in she could not seem to shake her shadow. Rick, whom she just met five minutes ago was somehow hinged on her every word as if it were gospel. He followed her around waiting for her next report of the room she just left.
"Rick, I'm a big girl. I am able to walk through this house on my own and come to my own opinion about this space alright?"
It's not that she minded him following her around, it's just that he expected her to make a comment on every room she entered and left. And she would give him her honest opinion but not until she had walked the entire house. She turned around quickly and gave him a look that was probably worse and her daughters own scowl. It had the desired effect because he backed off retreating back into the kitchen. That left her free to roam the house in peace.
"Kate I have to hand it to you, your mother's opinion is one that I will value, but I would hate to be on her bad side."
"Rick she has knowledge that we need. She and my dad have lived here all their lives and she knows as I'm sure my dad knows there are things to look for when buying a house in this part of Texas."
"Kate, it's not that I don't doubt your parents are looking out for us, but this was our decision. You told me on the phone that we would be doing this ourselves. And I don't wanna start rocking the boat so early being that we just got the house, and I do appreciate their help, but don't you think telling me they were coming now would have probably been better than just showing up with them?" Rick asked her.
"Rick they offered. And I know this is a stressful time but it'll all be over pretty soon. Now let me take you into the backyard because I want to talk to you about some of what we might want to do together."
Rick left Alexis with Eli while he and Kate walked out into the backyard. They were going to go up to the respective bedrooms that they had been given earlier to see what they might be able to put away.
"Come on Rick what I think we should do is a fence in the backyard. This way the dog will have the room to run around without getting lost." Kate suggested.
For some strange reason, Rick missed everything she just said and just started nodding his head in agreement until it dawned on him the words she spoke as he put together in his head.
"Wait a dog? Kate, we don't own a dog."
"I know but I've always wanted one and since we have a house now maybe we could get one?"
He barely knew her. Her likes or dislikes but he knows now that she likes dogs.
"Kate a dog is a very big responsibility. What kind of breed were you thinking about here?"
"I'm not sure Rick. I was thinking that could be a decision that we might make together."
Rick looked down at her, seeing all the love in her eyes for something she was so passionate about. He couldn't deny her having a dog. They are both brought out of their thoughts when Johanna askes them to come back inside to talk. They both follow each other and headed for the house.
When they both are in the kitchen Johanna starts talking.
"What this home needs is a woman's loving touch. There's enough space in this first floor to do some expanding. What I suggest is that you knock down this wall, that wall, and make this a more open space. Then the kitchen can be a better-utilized space, Rick am I to understand that you like to cook?" Johanna asked.
"I do. But I thought the kitchen was fine just the way…"
"Rick I think that you're a man who expresses himself by the way he creates. Am I right?"
Rick just looked at Kate wondering what the hell he had gotten himself into.
"Yes, that would be a fair assumption."
"Then if I were you I'd take out that oven and replace it with an island cooktop freeing up the space that the stove once occupied. This will give you more counter space to create."
Rick looked at the space Johanna was talking about and he could see what she meant. So now on top of just buying this house going to have to remodel the kitchen. He just hopes that Kate will like what he has in mind. He is once again interrupted by what Kate's mother has a mind for his house.
"Rick, I love the tile on the floors. It will make it easier to clean up in the long run but for the most part, the kitchen seems to be pretty much user-friendly. It is where the family meets for morning meals and where most families meet up at the end of their day. If I were you, I would center this as your main room. Bedrooms upstairs are a good size. Eli's room is probably a little bit bigger than Alexis's Room. Just between me you and Katie, I would switch them around put Alexis in Eli's room and vice versa. Girls need a little more room than boys do. Now as for you and my daughter's room, I'll leave that up to the two of you." Johanna said looking directly at them both. "Other than that, I would clean out the crawl space below and use it for storage. Quite honestly, I think you got an excellent buy here Rick.
Rick watched Jim's head bob up and down in agreement with his wife.
"Well it looks like you have a lot of work to do and if you need us to help you move some stuff over we will be available anytime." Jim posed his statement like a question so that had Rick asking if he was available right now.
"Jim, I would appreciate it if you could give me a hand with the larger appliances like the washer the dryer and I have a spare refrigerator that I want to put into the garage for now."
"I will be glad to help you, Rick. Would you want to back up the rental truck to the garage door so we can just slide the refrigerator all first? And then will work on the washer and dryer. If I'm not mistaken I think I noticed a connection on the other side the garage."
"You're right Jim there is a connection on the other side the garage so whenever you're ready."
The two men and Eli walk out into the garage from the kitchen.
"Katie honey let me help you with the kitchen items that you already brought in and then from there will give this house what it needs the most… a woman's touch."
"Okay, mom." Kate could hardly believe that her mother was so lax in her attitude about her living here with a man that she had barely met.
By the time 1:00 p.m. came they all decided to have a short break for lunch. It was this time that Rick found out more about Joanna. She would be born and raised in Texas. She had Kate when she was just twenty-six. Her father retired from teaching law two years ago. Joanna was still working as a school nurse in the Dallas school district.
Over pizza and soda, they talked about certain things that needed to be done before it felt more like a home to all of them. Rick and Jim with a little help from Eli got the second refrigerator positioned in the garage where it's out of the way of the cars, the washer and dryer were hooked up and working. The garage was swept down and ready for any other items that either of them had in storage.
After lunch, Kate and Joanna and Alexis were going back to Kate's mom's house to pick up more personal items to bring in to the new house. At the same time Rick, Jim, and Eli were going back to the storage unit outside of Dallas to pick up the rest of the furniture that Rick had in storage. They still had the big truck and one more trip should be able to get everything over in one shot. They said their goodbyes and both groups when in their own directions. It wasn't until 3:30 in the afternoon when they all met up back at the house. The girls my arrived home before the guys did in the second they walked into the house they could smell something so delicious that had their mouths watering. Joanna had taken her mother's recipe for beef stew with her when they left her house. She said it had been passed down from family to family and it's one of Jim's favorites. Their time was occupied bringing in all the furniture and trying to set it up in an arrangement that would appeal to everyone who entered their home while she prepared dinner.
Xx
"This is amazing!" Rick commented around a full mouth of stew.
"Mrs. Beckett I have to agree with my dad, this is excellent stew!" Alexis said after swallowing her mouthful.
"Alexis sweetie, I think that we are beyond proper names don't you think? Please call me Jo or Johanna."
Alexis just looked to her dad wondering if it was disrespectful to do so. He just nodded his agreement.
"Thank you, Johanna," Alexis said.
"You are quite welcome."
"Johanna I was wondering if you might want to part with your recipe?" Rick asked.
"Rick as much as I'd like to give this to you, I'm afraid that this is a family secret. Why may I ask would you want this anyway?"
"Joanna I'm a chef and I like bringing new things to people who appreciate good food. This, right here, what I'm eating now is some of the best food I have eaten in my life."
"Come on Rick I think you just pulling my leg," Johanna said.
"No Joanna he's not. Once my dad hounded a woman for her grandmother's recipe for rice pudding. He'd never ever done that before. It was like a disaster. He sent this woman flowers, he cooked for her specifically at the restaurant in San Francisco where he used to work in order to entice her to give her the recipe. He even paid her bill for dinner." Alexis said.
"So Alexis what happened did she ever give it to him?" Joanna inquired.
"You could say that. What she did was give him the base recipe for her grandmother's rice pudding. But she didn't give him the secret ingredients."
"So then how did he make the pudding then?"
"He added a bit of his own creativity to the pudding. Instead of raisins which is commonly used in rice pudding, he used pineapples cut up into small pieces. I think that it was better than the rice pudding that this woman raved about. Maybe someday he'll make it for you."
"What do you say Rick do you feel like making me some your world-famous rice pudding for a beef stew recipe?" Johanna said with a laugh.
"Joanna I would be thrilled to have you over for dinner one night and show you what I can do. And yes, I will make my world- famous rice pudding just for you."
All Jim did was smile. Not only was he going to get another good meal but he was going to get one of his favorite desserts as well.
By the time the dinner dishes were washed and put away and the table cleaned off Johanna and Jim bid their farewells. Closing the front door Kate and Rick needed to head upstairs to make sure both children had clean sheets and comforters on their beds. Getting them settled in and kissing them both good night Rick and Kate moved to leave their rooms. They were both stopped at the door when Alexis said to her dad,
"Dad, I'm really glad that we decided to share our house with Kate and Eli. I especially like Johanna."
At the same exact time, Eli stopped his mom at the door too.
"Mom, I'm glad that Rick and Alexis let us move in with them. I kinda like Rick."
Both parents responded in their own way at almost the same time.
"Pumpkin, I'm glad that you are happy," Rick said.
"Tiger, I'm happy that you're happy here," Kate said.
They both opened their children's doors and walked out softly closing the doors behind them. Turning to face each other they looked at each other and noticed that they were both were wearing very wide smiles….