Chapter Four
Wyatt
“I’m definitely not an engineer, but can tell you whatever you want to know about what we do at Wild Timber.”
“That would be great,” Ben took an awkward sip of his coffee. I made a mental note to call him Ben, not Benji, since that was what he preferred.
I remembered being his age. It had always been just my mom and me, and well before I was ready for the responsibility, I’d taken on any job I could get, trying to help with the bills that never stopped coming.
I’d started off as a laborer, working my way up before taking some courses in CAD and basic design.
That was how I eventually landed my job at Wild Timber Homes.
It would have helped if I’d had someone already in the industry back then, someone I trusted to give me advice.
I might not have my own kids, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t offer a little wisdom to someone else’s.
If I could save the kid from at least one dumb mistake, he’d be ahead of where I was at eighteen.
“I do most of the computer work for the designs. I’m the only one with the patience for the software.”
Ben perked up. “What kind of software do you use?”
I babbled on for a while about the programs we used and my workflow.
As I told him about the Beast project we were working on, Vera appeared and set plates of food in front of both of us.
I’d been so distracted I hadn’t even ordered, but someone must have told her what I liked.
The plate of pancakes, eggs, and sausage was exactly what I would have chosen.
“So, when are you off to college?”
Ben swallowed a mouthful of French toast. “September, but hoping to move to Springwood in June. I work a bit for Two Rivers Tree Falling, and they have more work in Springwood than here.”
I nodded. “I’ve worked with the owner, Brody, on a few projects. He knows his stuff.”
Ben nodded. “That’s part of why I want to get more hours in with him. But I also need the money. School will be expensive.”
“How expensive?”
He shrugged. “Crazy expensive. But I’ve had summer jobs since I was fifteen, so I’ve got some money saved up. I’ve applied for scholarships, and I plan to work while I’m in school. My mom keeps saying she’s going to come up with a way to make extra money, but I don’t want her to worry.”
I absorbed that. As the kid of a single mom, I understood the dynamic between Ben and Vera better than most. If her nightstand idea was a way to help Ben, I was even more invested in making it work.
That little toy box project felt a lot less like a weird side job and a lot more like something important.
“What about your dad?” I asked, spearing some scrambled eggs, and taking a bite.
Ben wiped his mouth with a napkin. “He’s great; he and Mom get along fine, luckily.
But he’s a long-haul trucker, so he’s away a lot, and that isn’t exactly a high-paying job either.
Mom and Dad both work really hard. I don’t want either of them to think they have to help me with college. But I know both of them do.”
He seemed to have more on his mind, so I waited him out.
“They had me when they were like twenty, so when I’m halfway through my degree, they’d have been buying diapers. I know they feel responsible for me, but if they could raise a kid at my age, surely I can figure out how to cover my own expenses, you know?”
I did know.
I saw a lot of myself in the kid. Even though his dad was in his life and mine hadn’t been, I understood what it was like to feel responsible for your parents in some way.
“Tell you what,” I said, setting my fork down. Somehow my plate was empty, and I didn’t remember finishing it. “I’m no expert, but if you ever have questions or want to stop by Wild Timber Homes to see what we do, feel free. Helps to see how the industry works from the inside.”
Ben’s eyes lit up, then flicked over my shoulder. Before she even said a word, I knew Vera was standing behind me.
“Benji doesn’t need more things to do. He needs to focus on his studies.”
“Mom, my grades are fine,” he said. “And if I can learn more now, it’ll be easier to do well in my classes once I get to college.”
There was a hint of defiance in his voice, but not an ounce of disrespect. I remember that age, feeling like a man, but being treated like a boy. Like you were one good decision away from opening the door to adulthood, but everyone kept hiding the keys.
Vera turned her gaze on me. “You really don’t have to.”
I nodded quickly. “I know, but I want to.”
Vera looked from me to Ben, then over to the table where my boss and coworkers were still eating, and finally nodded.
“Okay. Thank you, this is something I just can’t help him with.”
A wide smile broke over Ben’s face, and I could see how Vera still saw him as a kid; he looked like he’d just been invited to Disneyland. “Let me give you my number. Anything you need, just call or text. It doesn’t hurt to have a friend in the industry that you’re trying to get into.”
As I typed my number into Ben’s phone, I glanced up and saw Vera watching us with a smile on her face.
For as much as she worried about her son, it was clear she would do what was best for him, even if it meant letting someone else in.
Which, for reasons I didn’t want to examine too closely, made me feel about ten feet tall.