Chapter 9-Eagle & Annalisa find a house.
The next two weeks were really busy with building the second level in the garage and unloading the house of what could be salvaged. Rooster had checked into having POD's brought onto the property but we would need at least a dozen of them and that was going to be outrageously expensive. He made some calls and found that he could buy empty full size containers for less money and they would be ours to keep. He ended up buying four of them for about as much as it would cost us to rent the dozen POD's for two weeks.
Two we filled up with stuff that we were able to salvage in furniture. And the third turned into a makeshift bar/kitchen and storage area for things like paper goods and non-perishable foods and the fourth was what was in the garage. We needed the space for our men to be able to sleep. We put the stoves from the kitchen, the microwaves and coffee machine in one and at least the men were not having to eat take out all the time or going to town to eat.
We even discovered that a few of the men could cook, mostly BBQ or "camping food". Nothing fancy but they kept their brothers fed while the construction was going on. The women took turns making side dishes and we just carried it down to the campsite.
The insurance company came out and approved the claim. I think it was more because of all the big men standing around with their arms crossed and staring at him while he did his inspection. The claim on the bikes was pretty cut and dried and the men who lost their bikes were anxious for the check to come in to go shopping for their new rides.
Rooster had an architect come out and help him draw up plans for the new club house and a month after the incident with the Cobra's, we were breaking ground on the new club house.
The cold weather was going to be here soon and even though Texas doesn't usually get much snow, the weather man was broadcasting that we were facing record colds possible this year.
That seemed to put the fire in the men who were sleeping either in tents or in the uninsulated garage to work hard and fast. Some of the members from other chapters of the Monster Slayers nearby, heard about what had happened and sent some of their members with construction skills to help us, for which we were going to be eternally grateful.
But what really surprised us was that townspeople came out to either help or the women were bringing covered dishes. They would show up by the van loads and feed the guys a variety of food from mac and cheese to ham and cheese sandwiches. Men showed up with their hammers and ladders, saws and drills and were prepared to jump in and help wherever they were needed.
Most everyone spent from sunup to sun down, doing as much as possible to get the new house finished and it was coming along great. Everyone seemed very pleased with the log lodge look that had been chosen for the outside and I have to admit, it did look very impressive.
Annalisa and I spent at least part of every Sunday riding around with Carmella happily gurgling in her carseat in the back of the Toyota Rav 4 that I bought for Annalisa. We had checked out the house that Mrs. Gilbreath's son had on the market but he was asking way too much for the tiny little place. The rooms would have made me claustrophobic because they were just too small.
One Sunday, we had been invited to Hunter and Marley's house for dinner and were driving back from a ride in the countryside when we drove past a house where the owner was out pounding a for sale sign in the yard.
"That's a nice place." Annalisa said as I slowed down to check it out from the road before we reached the man. I looked around and she was right, it was a nice place.
"This is not far from Hunter and Marley either. Their place is only a mile or so from here. Do you want to stop and ask how much they are asking?" I asked her.
"Sure. Might as well. This might be the one if the asking price is right." Annalisa said.
I pulled up to the man and opened my window. "Excuse me sir?"
"Yes? What can I do for you, son?" He asked.
"We're just wondering how much you are asking for the house?" I asked.
"Well, I'm asking $70,000 but I also realize that the house is going to need some work done to it so I'm open to reasonable offers. Why don't you come on up and look it over and you tell me what you think is fair." The man said.
I looked over at Annalisa and then at the clock on the dash and saw we still had a little more than half an hour before we were due to be at their house. I asked Annalisa "Do you want to go look?"
"Sure. Let's go." She said with a big smile on her face.
"Sure. We're due at someone's house for dinner in half an hour but they live just a little farther down the road so I guess we can take a quick look." I told him.
"Well, pull into the drive and park by the end of the porch." He said and turned to walk back across his yard, wondering if maybe he should just go ahead and pull down the sign.
We pulled in and parked where he said and I walked around to help Annalisa down from the car and then turned to get Carmella out of her carseat. She spotted a swing in the yard and began to let her desire to swing be known. "Not now sweetie. Maybe in a little while." Annalisa told her as I handed her off. We walked around the car to meet our host who stuck out his hand and said "I'm Jim Willard."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Willard. I'm Eagle, this is my wife, Annalisa and our daughter, Carmella. Do you mind if I ask why you are selling?" I asked as we followed him up onto the porch. I didn't notice that Annalisa now had a huge smile on her face.
"My wife passed last year and I've been banging around this house by myself ever since. It's too big for me to keep up with and none of my children are interested in moving back here so I've decided to sell it and move to Florida. I've got an old army buddy that retired down there. He's got a boat and he's promised me warm days and all the fishing I can handle. I hope he's right because I love to fish and I'm really looking forward to going deep sea fishing." Mr. Willard told us. "Are you part of the Monster Slayers MC?" He asked when he noticed my cut.
"Yes, sir." I answered honestly.
"You guys have done wonders for this town. My wife and I almost sold this place about 12 years ago when the town was overrun with Cobras and Vipers because it was unsafe to walk the streets in town during the day and you literally took your life in your hands to go out at night. Then you guys ran them out and have helped the community to not only recover but to grow and many of us feel safe now. Thank you! And to show my appreciation, I'll take $5,000 off of whatever price we decide on. I saw that you guys are rebuilding your club house?"
"Well, thank you sir but I do want to make sure you have a happy retirement too. Yes sir, we're rebuilding the club house due to a fire. When we worked out the cost to rebuild over the cost to repair, we realized it would have cost more to repair than it would to rebuild and with as much as we've grown over the past few years, we need extra space. Would you mind showing us around?" I said, being conscious of the clock.
Mr. Willard led us into a large comfortable looking living room with a nice natural stone fireplace and then into a dining room that would easily seat 8 people and could possibly hold more. They had a lot of nice furniture in here but there was so much of it that it made the room look small.
Annalisa caught her breath when we entered the kitchen and the smile on her face told me all I needed to know. "There's a big pantry in here that I installed for my wife about 5 or 6 years ago that has come in really handy. There's also a mud room where we have the washer and dryer through there that leads out to the back yard." Mr. Willard said, opening the pantry door but just pointing to the laundry room door.
"There's also a small wash room in there which is really nice for when you come in all dirty and your wife doesn't want you tracking mud through her nice clean house. I got yelled at more than once until I built that." Mr. Willard grinned at Annalisa, who smiled back at him.
"Come on, I'll show you the bedrooms. There are three smaller rooms but our master bedroom is a good size. I added a master bathroom when my wife got sick so that she didn't have as far to go. Cancer is an awful disease!" He said sadly.
He led us down the hall and showed us three decent sized bedrooms but it was the master bedroom that really impressed us. He had been right, it was a good size. Not as big as our bedroom at the club house had been but big enough to not dwarf the king sized bed and it had a lot of furniture in it as well. Two large dressers, a vanity table and a very nice free standing mirror along with a couple of comfy looking chairs with a small table between sat between the two good sized windows that overlooked a large back yard and a small pond on the back of the property.
"Is there a garage on the property?" I asked.
"Well, it's actually an old barn but it's where we've been parking our cars since we gave up the animals. I used to keep a cow and a few pigs and a couple of goats and a whole pen full of chickens back when my kids were growing up. I really helped cut down the grocery bills back then." Mr. Willard said.
Annalisa noticed a framed photo of a couple on their wedding day sitting on a dresser and she asked "Is this you and your wife?"
"Yes, that was my Beth. She gave me 40 years of love and companionship before she got sick. It took only a little over a year for the cancer to take her from me." Mr. Willard said and I could tell he was tearing up looking at the photo.
"You mentioned some work that needed to be done to the house?" I asked, hoping to change the mood.
"Yes. I know the roof needs attention if it doesn't have to be replaced all together. And the sink in the kitchen leaks but I'm too old to get down under there and do anything about it anymore. Arthritis in my knees and hands makes doing stuff like that too hard and painful. There are some boards on the front and back porch that need to be replaced and the railing needs work. Plus the whole house needs to be painted, inside and out." Mr. Willard said honestly. "That's all that I can think of right now but those are the major things that I'm aware of."
"Do you mind if we step outside and talk for a minute?" I asked.
"Not at all. I'm going to use the restroom while you chat." He said and began to walk to the back of the house.
I led Annalisa out to the front porch and we looked at each other. The look on Annalisa's face had already told me that this was the house she wanted but I wanted to be sure.
"Is this the one?" I asked and she immediately nodded.
"Yes. I love the homey feel of it. This place is plenty big enough for us and the yard is big enough that we can do most anything we want in the future. I wonder how much land is included? How much do you think the repairs are going to cost?" She asked.
"Considering I can do most of them myself, it will be mostly just the cost of materials. Maybe a couple of BBQ's for the brothers if I call for help. I'd really like to get us in here asap! I thought we would have to pay a whole lot more than what he's asking. Everything else we've looked at has not been as nice as this and was more than twice the price." I told her.
"Well the master bathroom is nice but I think I would like to remodel that other bathroom. It's old and outdated and that paint color has got to go." Annalisa said, already making plans in her mind as to what she would like to do. "Can we do some remodeling to the kitchen too?
"Sure baby. Anything you want." I smiled at her then bent down and gave her a kiss, causing Carmella to giggle and give me a big wet kiss on my cheek, so I quickly gave her a peck too.
"Babe, we're going to have to step on it. We need to be at Hunter's soon." Annalisa said as she glanced at the watch I had bought for her as she shifted Carmella to her other hip.
Mr. Willard rejoined us and I asked "How much land comes with the property?"
"It's a total of 4 acres. It goes from that fence over there to that big oak tree down there (pointing down the road where a big tree grew near the road) to about a hundred and fifty yards into the woods. Those trees provide all the firewood you will need for a long time. I already have a full two cords by the barn out back." Mr. Willard said.
"Would you accept $60,000, which would include your discount?" I asked and then held my breath.
"Sounds good to me." Mr. Willard said and stuck out his hand.
I saw the huge smile that broke across Annalisa's face and I took his hand and shook it. "So what do we do next?"
"I'll have a sale contract drawn up and then you sign it, pay me and then I will turn over the title deed. I can have the contract ready in a couple of days and I'll need a few days to get my stuff moved out. I'm going to have to hire a moving company I guess." Mr. Willard said.
"Don't you spend money to hire anyone. I'll provide men with the muscle to come help if you rent the POD's." I told him. "Just let me know when you want us to come."
"Sounds good to me." Mr. Willard smiled at us.
"Well, I hate to have to run but our friends are probably getting worried about us. Here's my number. Let me know when you have the contract and we'll be back to sign and make the payment. Is a cashier's check alright?" I asked.
"That would be great! Well, it was very nice meeting you both. Looks like I had better go pull the sign up. I can't believe I managed to sell this place so fast. I was sure I was going to have to winter here again. I'm going to call my buddy tonight and let him know I'll be there in a couple of weeks. I'll stop off and see my son and his family on the way." Mr. Willard said as he followed us over to our car.
We put Carmella back in her car seat and then I helped Annalisa into her seat and closed her door. I shook hands with Mr. Willard and told him again that it was nice to have met him and that we would see him in a couple of days.
He waved to us as we pulled out of the driveway and had huge smiles on our faces as we drove down the road to Hunter's house. It was exactly 1.2 miles past their place!
"We were beginning to get worried about you guys. Any luck?" Marley asked when she answered the front door.
"YES!" We both said with big smiles on our faces. "In fact, it's exactly 1.2 miles from here, right down the road." Annalisa began to tell her what had happened and Marley smiled all the way through it as she led us through her house. The ladies went into the living room where Simon was watching cartoons on TV and Annalisa sat Carmella down with him while she and Marley visited. I found Hunter out on the back porch where he was cooking some really good smelling steaks and hamburgers for Simon and Carmella. He was just lifting them off the grill when I slid the screen door open.
"There you are. I was beginning to think you guys had gotten lost or something." He teased me.
"No, we were busy buying a house. We found a place!" I said happily.
"Wow! Really? Where?" he asked.
"1.2 miles down the road from here. We had given up finding anything for the day when we drove past this man putting a for sale sign near the road in front of his house. We stopped to ask how much he was asking and one thing led to another and we checked it out. It's exactly what we were looking for and he gave us a great price. He's going to have the sales contract drawn up in the next day or two and then we meet him again, sign, pay and help him move out then we can move in.
It needs some work but nothing I can't handle, especially if I can get some of the guys to loan me their muscles. I'll provide the food and beer for their help but I'm hoping we can get in before the holidays." I told him excitedly.
"That's great dude. Congratulations, man." Hunter said and we bro hugged. "Here, carry these steaks into Marley while I dig out the potatoes. They should be done by now." he told me, handing me a plate of steaks and burgers. He pulled five big potatoes out of the coals and put them on a second plate, then we went inside.
"Marley. Food is ready." He called out to her.
The women carried the kids into the room and Simon sat on a chair with a booster seat. "I'm a big boy now." He bragged as Marley pulled his old high chair forward for Carmella.
"Babe, can you open the wine from the fridge, please? Would you guys like wine or beer?" Marley asked.
The table was already set and she produced some A1 steak sauce, a couple of kinds of dressing and ketchup for Simon. She put a big bowl of salad on the table.
"I'll have a beer,please." I said and Annalisa said she would have wine with Marley.
We joined around the table and said grace then everyone dug in. We talked and laughed and just thoroughly enjoyed each other's company. It was nice to be away from the club house for a change and in a more normal family setting.
When the ladies went to clean up the kids who were starting to sag in their seats, Hunter and I went back out to the back porch to make sure the fire was out and to just enjoy another beer.
"So how much did he soak you for on the house?" Hunter finally asked.
"We actually got a great deal. He started out asking 70k but admitted the house needs some work. Then he saw my cut and told us he'd give us 5k off in appreciation for what the club has done for the community. He showed us around, told us what he knew needs to be fixed, I offered him 60k and he shook my hand and said he'd get a sale contract drawn up in the next couple of days." I told him honestly.
"Cool! How much land is there?" He asked.
"4 acres. The house has 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, a big kitchen and living room. It's actually very much like your place, come to think of it."
"And how many rooms does Annalisa want to remodel already?" Hunter grinned at me.
"Hahahaha! The main bathroom and kitchen so far. But the whole place needs to be painted, inside and out. Doesn't look like either has been done in a long time." I told him.
"Where are Boxer and Cruise tonight?" I asked as it finally hit me that they were not there tonight.
"The guys took their ladies out to dinner and a movie in town. They should be home soon." Hunter said. "I hate to say it but I really can't wait until the club house is fixed. You don't realize what living with these guys is really like when the rooms are so much smaller than our rooms at the club house. Neither one of the women seem to be able to have sex without making noise and they get very enthusiastic!" He added with a chuckle.
"Maybe it's more because you and Marley got used to living alone for a while and now you've got extended house guests. Poor little Samuel has been suffering from colic lately. Carmella has had one or two nights too but she's normally a good baby and so long as Annalisa keeps her close to her, she really doesn't make much noise."
"Well, let me tell you something, as soon as everyone is gone, we are putting in sound proof insulation in this place even if I have to re-drywall every room in the house." Hunter said, rubbing his hand over his face.
Just about that time we heard Cruise and Boxer's bikes coming down the road. The ladies had finished up the dishes and came out carrying more beer as the guys pulled up in the yard.
"Babe, last beer, please. I just put the last diaper I have with me on Carmella." Annalisa said.
"I would offer you some but Simon is potty trained now and Faith's won't fit Carmella." Marley said.
"Okay babe. The guys just came back so I can't just walk out as they come in but we'll go soon, I promise. We've had a long day." I promised her.
Cruise, Boxer and their old ladies came out onto the porch, each carrying a beer and Boomer said "Hey dude. Hi Annalisa. What's up?"
"We were just about to go home. We've been out house hunting all day and we're beat." I told him.
"Any luck?" Boxer asked. He and Tiana had been looking too but had not found anything yet.
"Yeah, in fact it's right down the road from here. We should be able to move in in about a week or 10 days, we're hoping." I answered.
"Wow! That's cool dude! Congrats!" Both Cruise and Boxer came over and shook my hand while the ladies congratulated Annalisa.
"Yeah, I'm so excited. It's just what we were looking for. I can't wait to move in and get set up." Annalisa told them.
"I bet. We've been looking but I think in order to get what we want, we are going to have to build it. We want a contemporary design and everything around here has been so country." Tiana said.
"We looked at a place this morning that was more contemporary than anything else we looked at but the seller was asking over 160K. It was nice but not nice enough to pay that much for it and not really what we wanted. The place we bought is very country and it just made it feel like home to us. It's going to need some work and a bit of remodeling but so long as we can get in and settled, we can do that over time." Annalisa said.
"That's what we did. This place needed a lot of work when we first moved in but over time, we've made a lot of improvements." Marley said.
"Yeah, our next big project is insulation. I don't think there is any or if there is, it's long past its prime and needs to be replaced." Hunter said.
I made a big thing out of looking at my watch and said "Well, gang, it's been fun but I'd better get my family back to Roosters. I promised them we wouldn't be out late."
We said good night to everyone, loaded back up in the SUV and drove home. We passed the club house and saw lights on inside and wondered what was going on. I decided to stop but before I went in the gate, I called Rooster.
"Hey dude. What's going on at the club house? There are lights on inside." I asked when he answered.
"Most of the drywall was finished today so some of the boys are starting the painting tonight. Hopefully we are going to be able to get in before the end of next week. They are tired of sleeping in the garage. Too many of them snore!" Rooster said with a chuckle to his voice.
"Ok. We were worried that someone was in there fucking around. Annalisa and I should be back to your place in a few minutes." I told him and then relayed what he had said to Annalisa.
"Good. Will we still have a room here?" She asked.
"Yeah. We can even paint whatever color you want. The boys are going to have to primer everything first and I can guarantee they are going to worry about their own rooms first because they want out of the garage badly." I grinned at her.
Hulk and I had still not done our proposal dinner yet and I was really hoping to do it this weekend. With everything that had been going on there just didn't seem to be the right time. Today had actually been the first day that Annalisa, Carmella and I had gotten to spend the whole day alone and I for one had really enjoyed it.