Oregon, March 2017

Brigid came straight from closing at the lawyer’s office and used her key to open the front door of her new home, an 1890 Queen Anne that needed a little TLC. Well, maybe a lot. She had placed an advertisement for a handyman on the bulletin board located in the entryway of a local market yesterday evening.

The previous owner, who believed the house was haunted and insisted the realtors disclose his ridiculous notion to any potential buyer, made her new project easily affordable. Her lowball offer was accepted almost immediately. He had already started to convert the upstairs and kitchen for a bed and breakfast as she intended to do. The money he shelled out meant less came out of her pocket.

She unloaded her steel-colored Bottega Venata luggage from her diamond...

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