Good Bones Read Online Free PDF

“No stranger than usual.”
     
     
    D YLAN ’ S furniture was more suited for an upscale contemporary home than a farmhouse, and it would only get in the way while he was renovating the new place, so he sold most of it on craigslist. He did keep a few things, though, like his bed and dresser and the budget drafting table he’d had since college. All it took was a single early-morning trip in a small rented U-Haul to schlep his stuff. Rick came along and helped him move in.
    “I’m getting old ,” Rick said with a groan and a stretch after they’d set the mattress in place.
    Dylan kicked a cardboard box full of clothing into the corner. “Well, I appreciate the help, old man.”
    Together they walked back through the house into the kitchen, where rooster wallpaper presided over cracked Formica and worn green vinyl flooring. “I’m gonna start in here,” Dylan announced. “Gut it, knock down the wall, start from scratch. I’m thinking hickory cabinets, granite counters, a nice big island in the middle.”
    “Are you gonna turn all Martha Stewart on us, Dyldo?”
    “Nah. Still going to eat a lot of frozen pizza. But I’ll look stylish while I do.”
    Rick looked up at the stained ceiling, then over at a pile of mouse droppings where the refrigerator used to be. “It’s not a solo job. You know guys willing to come all the way out here?”
    Dylan had thought about that quite a bit, and it sort of worried him, but he didn’t want to admit that. “I talked to a couple of contractors, but I’d rather do it myself. Those guys drag everything out, and they always go way over the estimates.”
    “Just don’t expect me to be swinging hammers for you, kid. I’ve been working a lot of overtime lately, and Kay’s still got my dick on call. Too bad the two of you can’t synchronize your cycles or something.”
    Dylan flipped him the bird and Rick smirked, but then his face grew serious. “Have you rigged up any… containment yet?”
    “Not yet. I have a few days to go, and it won’t take long. Anyway, I think things are pretty safe out here.”
    “Okay. But the guy next door?”
    “Haven’t seen him. He probably spends his nights inside watching NASCAR.”
    They laughed, and Rick hugged Dylan. That would once have been overwhelming, because Rick was a big guy and Dylan used to be pretty scrawny. But he had put on a lot of mass since he was bitten. He didn’t look like one of those overbuilt guys who spent their lives in the gym—he didn’t even have the kind of impressive build that Chris Nock sported—but he was strong. One guy said he was built like a pro swimmer, and maybe it was just a creative pick-up line, but maybe not. In any case, when it came to competitive fraternal hugging, he could now give better than he got, and it was Rick who was left slightly breathless and rubbing his biceps.
    On the return trip, Dylan took Rick home, and Kay greeted Dylan with a potted orchid and a batch of cupcakes. “Housewarming gifts!” she said and kissed his cheek. He ended up staying for lunch, then turned in the rental truck and bought a dorm-sized fridge at Costco to tide him over until the kitchen reno was complete. It was drizzling by the time he reached Scappoose, and he stopped at Fred Meyer for basic groceries, emergency candles, and a few other supplies.
    By the time he finally parked in front of his new house, the mist had intensified to a shower. He ran his groceries inside, lugged in and set up the fridge, and put the cold stuff away. He was exhausted, sore, and a little overwhelmed by the size of the project that lay ahead of him, but he also felt more at peace than he had in ages.
    He ended up eating three of Kay’s cupcakes for dinner. They were good. As miserable as the whole werewolf situation was, at least he now had a metabolism to be envied. He decided to wash the sweets down with a beer, so he snagged a bottle from the fridge and spent a good fifteen minutes swearing steadily as he tried