The others greeted him as he joined them, Master indicating where he wanted him working. Czar moved over to him as he was pounding nails into a long board, finishing up the porch before the railing could be added.
“This was a good thing you did, Savage. Not only good for Doris, but for our club.”
Savage glanced up. “It was Seychelle. She was trying to fix the stairs, but both porches were rotted. I was worried Doris was going to fall through. Seychelle visits quite a few of the elderly in town.” He sighed. “Most likely she’ll have us fixing all their porches. And I’ll be fixing whatever’s broken in their homes. I’ll pay for materials.”
“The club will pay for the materials. This is the break we’ve been looking for. We needed an in with the community, and your woman inadvertently gave us one. This could be big for us. After word got out that we guarded Zyah’s grandmother and her friend Lizz from the thieves, this is going to go a long way to cement goodwill in the community, and that’s what we’ve needed. Lumber and nails and a little hard work isn’t going to hurt us if in the end we achieve what we’ve wanted. We’ll have a safe place where the citizens are willing to look out for us the same way we look out for them.”
Savage glanced to the left. A couple sat on their porch watching. The house on the right held another couple. Both looked to be in their late sixties and were drinking coffee, watching the show. They smiled and waved. Czar lifted a hand in return. Savage used a nail gun to drive several nails into a board.
The front porch had to be finished because the other Torpedo Ink members were in the back working to get the steps finished. The railing was already done and ready to be attached.
“Glad you think this will help.” He stood up and signaled to Master that the last of the porch was in place and the railing could be put on. “Need to check on Seychelle.” He was uncomfortable having Czar, or anyone else, praise him when he felt Seychelle had been the one to notice that Doris needed help. He never would have stopped by the woman’s home had it not been for Seychelle.
Savage hurried around to the front, where Ice and Storm were playing with Czar’s children while Reaper kept a close eye on them. Doris was talking with Blythe, Inez and Marie Darden, but Seychelle was nowhere in sight.
“It’s impossible to know what to get Jackson for his birthday,” Inez complained as Savage walked up on them. “He’s always telling me not to get him anything, but he’s the most generous man. I don’t like it when I can’t think of anything he’d really love. Do you have any ideas?” She looked around at the other women.
“Funny you should say that, Inez,” Savage said, keeping his features perfectly expressionless, the way he always did. “Jackson and I were just having a conversation about Clyde Darden and his greenhouse, where he grows his prizewinning hybrids. At least I think that’s what you call them. Clyde showed them to Zoe once. In any case, Clyde sometimes names them after people. Jackson was very enthusiastic about his greenhouse. Well, as enthusiastic as Jackson gets,” he amended. “Said something about a fiery red flower Clyde was working on that Jackson wished was named Jackson’s Fire or some such thing. I don’t know.”
“Oh dear,” Marie said. “I did forget about that, Inez. Jackson helps Clyde all the time with the greenhouse. If it wasn’t for him, Clyde wouldn’t be able to keep the greenhouse going half the time. He’s fixed the watering system. Last year, he removed all the beds and completely replanted for Clyde when he was unable to do it.”
“Does Clyde have a really special hybrid he’s growing this year?” Doris asked. “If he does, Inez, maybe if we all went in together and helped pay for the entry fees, Clyde could take it around to the various shows and get a win.”
“Does he have a red hybrid he’s working on?” Blythe asked. “That sounds so perfect.”
“Do you think he’d name it after Jackson?” Inez asked. “If we all pitched in to help him pay for the fees and travel?”
“I think that would be an excellent birthday gift,” Marie said. “Clyde would love to pay Jackson back for all the things he’s done for us. What a wonderful idea, Inez.”
“Blythe, where did my woman go?” Savage asked, feeling pleased with himself. The cop was never going to live down having a prizewinning flower named after him. Inez’s group of women would bring it up at every opportunity, especially if the flower won anything.
Blythe, immersed in the conversation, had to refocus, frowning a little. She glanced toward the house across the street. “She said she saw someone coming from the house across the street. We were all laughing and she just kind of went quiet on us. When I asked her about it, that’s when she said she saw someone leave the neighbor’s house and she just had this feeling.”