Fix Me, Fix You

The next day, Jesse arrived at the shop early, to prove to Coop that he was serious about the job. He was renting out a room at the Magnolia Inn a few miles away and had to call a cab to bring him to work, but he was willing to do whatever it took to prove his worth. Coop had shown him around the day before, teaching him how to use all the tools and equipment, showing him where everything was at, and teaching him all the technical terms for everything. Now it was time for the real work to begin.

"Start sanding those boards down there, will ya?" Coop requested as he pointed to a pile of wooden planks on the ground.

"Yes sir," Jesse replied, proud of his politeness - something he had already picked up from the southern hospitality he received from the locals.

"Let me get this damn garage door open before we sweat to death," Coop stated as he walked over to the wall and pressed a white button.

Jesse watched as a garage door on the side of the shop rose up, revealing a view of the houses next to it. He hadn't noticed the huge door before, but he was thankful for it as soon as the breeze hit his face. Being from Albuquerque, he was used to heat and humidity (though Louisiana had much more humidity) but he certainly didn't enjoy sweating all day.

The feeling of smooth wood felt like lace against the pad of Jesse's fingers as he got to work. He was so thankful for the opportunity to feel that again.

"This must be Jesse," a woman's voice appeared in the opening where the garage door used to be.

Jesse turned around to see an older woman, around Coop's age, walking into the shop carrying a tray that was holding a pitcher full of dark brown liquid with two slices of lemon floating on top and two glasses full of ice. She was wearing a frilly white apron, decorated with appropriate food stains.

"Jesse, this is my wife Linda," Coop introduced.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Quinn," Jesse smiled at her.

"Oh, you are such a doll," she cooed as she set the tray down on one of the desks. "But please, call me Linda."

"You bringing us drinks already?" Coop asked her.

"Well, I know it's early, but I don't want you boys getting too overheated out here so I brought you some sweet tea," she explained.

She filled each glass with the dark liquid then handed one to Jesse and one to Coop.

Jesse took a sip. His taste buds jumped as the sweet beverage hit his mouth. It was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted. It had just the right amount of sugar and a hint of lemon.

"Wow," Jesse said as he swallowed the sip. "That's good."

"I make it myself." Linda smiled proudly at him.

"Ah, jeez, she's showing off for you, Jesse," Coop teased as he took a sip of his own drink.

"Well, it's the best drink I've ever had," Jesse complimented her.

"Thank you," she responded. "I'll let you boys get back to it. It was nice to meet you, Jesse."

"You too," he replied. "Thank you for the tea."

"Yeah, thanks, Lin," Coop said as he took the pitcher off the tray and poured himself another glass.

"Anytime," she replied as she took the tray and walked back toward the house.

"Linda and I live in that house up there. Lived there for thirty years," Coop told him as he pointed to the first house, the one closest to the shop.

"Who lives in the second house?" Jesse wondered.

"Jolie and my two granddaughters," Coop explained.

Jesse was intrigued to find out that Jolie had daughters. It gave him even more of a reason to avoid getting involved with her. He didn't want anything to happen to her, but especially not her daughters.

"I'm gonna finish up this project over here," Coop said as he walked over to his workbench. "When you're finished sanding those, take the 5/4ths in the corner over there and mill each of them down to an inch thickness, would ya?"

"Sure," Jesse replied obediently.

The shop grew quiet as they continued working. Jesse tuned everything out as he focused on his work. He wasn't worried about his new life. He wasn't even worried about his old life. His work was the only thing in the world he could think about. He was thankful for that temporary escape. It brought back only happy memories, and nothing about it reminded him of the last two years. Not yet, at least.

Around three o'clock that afternoon, the sound of wheels against gravel drew Jesse's attention away from the cabinet he was polishing. He watched as a white 4-Runner wobbled up the gravel road. It parked in front of the second house.

Jolie emerged from the driver's side and walked around to the other side of the car. The back door opened and a young girl, around five or six years old, jumped out. She had longish blonde hair, which was braided down her head, and she wore a pink backpack on her back; both her hair and backpack bounced wildly as she ran up the steps of the house.

"Watch your step!" Jolie called as she emerged from the other side of the car carrying a younger girl, around two or three years old, with short blonde hair in tiny pigtails.

Jolie's blonde hair floated in the breeze as she walked up the steps behind the older girl. His eyes traveled down her body, admiring every curve and womanly feature she had. Something about being a mother made her even more attractive to Jesse. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, yet again.

Coop noticed him watching the girls, but he knew deep down that his new employee was mostly eyeing his daughter.

"My granddaughters," Coop spoke up. "Beautiful little things, huh?"

Jesse's eyes quickly moved at the sound of Coop's voice. He glanced over at him and nodded softly, feeling a little flushed at the thought of being caught staring at his daughter.

"Going through a tough time though, poor things," Coop added, feeling his heart ache at the thought. "We all are."

"Really? Something happen?" Jesse wondered. Curiosity struck him, as the family seemed so happy; it certainly didn't seem like anyone was going through a tough time. Well, except for Jolie's aquarium crisis.

"A few months ago," Coop answered with a nod. "My son and his wife died in a car accident. Left behind those two beautiful little girls out there."

"Oh, God." Jesse was stunned. The family was so cheery and kind; he would've never guessed they were mourning the loss of loved ones.

"My wife and I are too old to take care of them on our own," Coop explained. "So Jolie moved in next door to help. She's been a godsend. She always has been, but she really came through for the girls after the accident."

Jesse's heart raced. He knew she was a pure soul. He could tell the first time he met her. They weren't her daughters like he had suspected, but she was the one raising them now. He admired that.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he offered.

"I appreciate your condolences, kid," Coop responded.

"Was your son supposed to take over your shop?"

"Nah," Coop replied. "He wanted to be a lawyer. I just wanted him to do what made him happy, you know? But a part of me always hoped he'd change his mind and want to take over for me."

Jesse nodded, feeling extreme sympathy for the Quinn family. They had shown him nothing but kindness, even though he was a total stranger. They didn't know him, they didn't owe him anything, but they had already treated him so well. He hated that they were suffering.

"Ah, jeez, I've got a wheelbarrow full of logs down by the lake out there," Coop stated. "Bring it in for me, will ya?"

"Yes sir," he nodded and stood from his bench. He wondered why his boss suddenly needed the logs, but he realized that Coop probably needed a minute alone after talking about his son.

Fresh air filled Jesse's lungs as he inhaled deeply while he walked down to the lake. A small boat was floating in the water, docked to a dilapidated wooden pier that stretched out a few yards into the lake. Nothing but trees could be seen around the other sides of the moderately sized body of water.

The view was gorgeous, but the seclusion and silence was what made it relaxing.

Jesse could feel the oxygen being pumped into his blood and into his brain. It was exactly the type of scenery he needed. He could already tell that he would do nothing but thrive in Louisiana.