Revenge by Lisa Jackson Read Free Book Online

career has—”
    Jenner McKee? As in Max’s brother? “I thought you said it was unoccupied.”
    â€œIt was, but Jenner needs a place to rest his boots for a few months, though he hasn’t moved in yet. This isn’t a fact, of course, but rumor has it that old Jonah cut the kid completely out of his will. They had a falling out a few years back and...oh, hell, here I am spreading town gossip and I don’t know what I’m talking about.” He offered a sheepish smile. “For all I know, Jenner could be loaded. Anyway, I thought since the basement needed fixing and he was looking for a place...is there a problem?”
    What could she say? That she didn’t trust anyone by the name of McKee? That she needed to keep the entire family at a distance? In this town? Who was she kidding? She’d only met Jenner a few times, but knew his reputation. A bad apple. The black sheep. Trouble from the get-go. But what was done was done and she’d rather deal with Jenner than his brother. “I’m sure there’ll be no problem,” she lied.
    Fletcher clapped his hands together. “That’s fine then. The McKees, they’re all good people,” Fletcher continued as they walked down a concrete stairwell to the lower unit. “Besides, I thought you might like an able-bodied man around, you know, to—” He stopped short, obviously seeing the censure in her eyes.
    â€œLook, I appreciate everything you’re doing for me, Dr. Fletcher, but since we’re going to be working together, I think you should know a few things about me. The first is I don’t need a man.”
    He shuffled his feet and had the decency to color behind his ears. “I didn’t mean to imply that you did. Hell, you’ve been through medical school. In my time, few women dared even apply, but...oh, well. Didn’t mean to offend you.”
    â€œNo offense taken,” she lied again.
    He twisted a key in the lock and held the door open for Skye. He hadn’t been kidding. The place was a mess. Most of the floor tiles were cracked or missing, exposing the dingy concrete below. The place smelled musty, the low ceiling sagged in several spots, and the old paneled walls were filthy and scratched. Some of the panels had fallen from the framework, revealing the dirty pink insulation. Ancient pieces of furniture and cabinets from the days when Fletcher’s medical practice had been housed down here were stacked in a corner, and probably the homes of several nests of mice. The windows looked as if they hadn’t seen any glass cleaner or a sponge for years. The smell was awful, a blend of mildew and dust and oil, and a bucket had been set in the middle of the floor to collect drips from an old pipe that drizzled rust and water.
    â€œI have an inspector’s report on this place,” Fletcher said, suddenly embarrassed by the mess. “I’m replacing the roof and some of the porch beams where he found dry rot. I’ll put up new gutters, as well, and install two new water heaters.” He pointed to the ceiling. “These pipes will go. New ones will be installed and the insulation replaced where it’s coming away from the walls. Other than that, it’s up to you. I’ve already moved over to Hanover Meadows, so you can move into my old apartment tomorrow if you like. If the deal falls through, well, we’ll work out something for your rent.”
    â€œIt won’t fall through,” she said with a streak of conviction that surprised her. Suddenly she wanted very much to own this old house.
    He cleared his throat. “I know there’s lots of work to be done, but I think the price is fair.”
    Walking through the dingy basement unit, Skye didn’t argue. He was willing to sell the house below market value in order that she take over his lease for the clinic. She’d hired her own inspector to check out both buildings, so she