Chapter 4
Adam pulled into Melinda’s driveway at two o’clock on the dot. After he parked the truck he wandered over to where she was working in the flower bed. “Hey, Mel.”
She looked up and had to squint as the sun was directly behind Adam. “Hi. Sorry, I didn’t realize I was running late.”
He held out a cup. “Lemonade?”
Melinda scrambled to her feet and clapped her hands together. Even her nails had dirt under them, and she chuckled. “I just love digging in the dirt.” She accepted the cup and pulled the paper off the straw. “You didn’t need to bring me something to drink.”
“It’s a hot day and I stopped to get something for myself, so I thought I would get two.”
Taking a sip, her face screwed up and her eyes popped. “Oh, it’s got a bit of a pucker factor.” She laughed. “Just the way I like it.” She took another sip and noticed the logo. “Jules has the best lemonade in the county.” She stepped in front of him and said, “Come on into the office.”
Adam followed her up the walkway and opened the door ahead of her. Holding it, he said, “Ladies first.”
“Thank you.” She stepped into the room, which seemed dark compared to the bright sun. She set her cup on the desk and handed the bottom piece of the broken drawer to Adam. “There’s a groove on the sides. I think that’s where the bottom is supposed to slide in. When I tried to fix it, it just fell out again.”
Adam picked up the drawer sides and turned it over. “See here?” He pointed to the corners. “These are finger joints. I’d hazard a guess the glue is dried out and that’s why it fell apart.” He smiled. “It’s an easy fix, but I’ll need to take it to my shop.” He took the wood bottom from her. “I can have it back to you in a couple of days.”
“Will it be expensive to fix?” Melinda chewed the corner of her lip. Adam wondered if money was a concern.
“No,” he said, “the first job is on the house.” He laughed. “As long as the first job isn’t to build a house.”
She brightened. “That’s a bargain.” She sank on to the brown leather sofa across from her desk. “Have a seat. I don’t often have a handyman here, and I’d like to talk to you about another project if you have some time.”
Adam set the two pieces of the drawer near the door and took the chair opposite her. He was intrigued by what she might have to say to him. Looking around the office, everything seemed well put together and nothing in need of repair. But looks could be deceiving.
Teasing, he said, “So, tell me what do you have up your sleeve.”
A mischievous look twinkled in her eye. “Well, I’ve been thinking…” She laughed. “Once you get to know me better that usually means trouble.”
He rubbed his hands together and chuckled. “I’m all ears.”
Melinda’s gaze drifted to the window that overlooked the backyard. “I have this amazing space out there.” She rose from the sofa and went to stand by the window. “It screams for something, like a dramatic focal point.”
Adam eased out of the chair and went to stand beside her. “How about you show me what you have in mind?”
With a lopsided grin, she turned to look at him. “I thought you’d never ask. Let’s go through the house.” She opened a door for Adam to follow her through her home.
Stepping through the six-panel door, he could see the house was clean and comfortable, just like her office. The rooms were decorated in warm earth tones and there were colorful flowers everywhere he could see. He looked at the large commercial-grade stove and over-sized French door refrigerator. “You have a nice kitchen. Do you like to cook?”
Off-handed, she said, “I love to cook and do a lot of canning in the fall, so this setup works well for me.” She opened a sliding glass door and stepped to a slate stone patio where pots of herbs and flowers lined the edges. She had a small round table and umbrella set up to one side.
Adam noticed the entire backyard was devoid of trees, except on lush maple, but instead was dotted with raised beds of various plants and sunflowers reaching toward the sky. “You have about a half-acre of land?”
“I sure do. And over the last few years I’ve built raised beds and hauled in soil and mulch to have the best possible gardens.”
He didn’t miss the pride in her voice. She wandered over to one bed to pluck a fat, round, deep purple radish from the loamy soil. She pointed to a bucket close by. “If you want, give that a rinse and taste it. I guarantee you’ve never tasted a better radish.”
Adam took the vegetable and did as she suggested, breaking the leafy greens off and crunching down. He could feel his eyes begin to water. “That’s hot. But really good.”
“There’s nothing like coming out here and getting salad right from the garden. Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase from garden to table.”
Adam scanned the wide-open space. “I’m a little confused. What do you think this space needs?”
Melinda turned, her back to the beds and looked at the patio. “The back of the house gets a ton of sun in the afternoon, and it’s unbearable to sit out here and enjoy dinner.” She crossed her arms and after a thoughtful pause said, “I’m thinking about adding a pergola. I could plant some grapevines on one side for a bit of screening and keep the other three sides open.” She shaded her eyes from the intense, early afternoon sun. “It would kill two birds with one stone. I could get grapes and shade, and as a bonus I think it would make the backyard look amazing.”
Adam surveyed the back of her large Cape Cod-style home. “The patio is, what, sixteen by sixteen?”
“Good eye.”
“What kind of a design are you thinking? Cedar or a manmade material?” He pulled a small notepad and pencil from the side pocket of his pants.
“Cedar, definitely. Have you ever seen a pergola where the grape clusters hang down through the beams, and the dark green leaves block just enough of the sun, giving it a dappled effect on the stones? That’s what I’d like to have, and I’d like to use natural products that, with the proper care, will last for many years.”
Adam liked how her eyes sparkled. He appreciated that she knew exactly what she wanted. “I can pull together some ideas and give you a quote.”
“That’s awesome. How soon can you start?” Her enthusiasm was contagious as it bubbled over.
With a chuckle, he said, “You should probably review the quote, check my references and then make a decision.”
With a dismissive wave of her hand, Melinda said, “I’m sure you have glowing recommendations.”
He hoped he didn’t look cocky from her comment. “I’m going to run to my truck and get a tape measure for the estimate.”
Melinda sighed. “How long will it take for you to pull it together for me?”
“Impatient, aren’t you?” Adam teased.
“When I get something in my head, I like to get it done.”
“How about we agree on this: I’ll take measurements and drop off a drawing of what I have in mind, along with some pricing. If you agree, I can get started in, say, two weeks?”
She perked up. “That sounds great. And…”
He joked, “I know what your next question is going to be. How long will it take before it will be finished, am I right?”
She held up her palms toward the sky and shrugged. “I told you, when I make up my mind…”
With a chuckle he said, “I’m starting to see what you meant, and that’s fine. Consider me forewarned.”
Melinda watched Adam disappear around the side of the house. She did a little dance, a throwback to her childhood, with anticipation. Since the first time she saw the house four years ago, she’d known it cried out for something. Now she was going to get it.
She settled into one of the chairs on the patio stretched out her legs and closed her eyes. She could see the backyard clearly. Vines trailing up and over the beams with pots of flowers scattered around. In her mind, it was late summer and bunches of deep purple fruit were waiting to be plucked and enjoyed. She might try her hand at winemaking too.
“Mel?” Adam’s deep voice interrupted her daydream.
She popped open her eyes and smiled. “I was just picturing what it was going to look like in a couple of years once my grapes get established.” He extended the tape and Melinda got up to help him. “I was thinking I might try my hand at a little wine, but I’ll make some jelly, too.”
He jotted down a number and walked ninety degrees from her. “Is there anything you don’t make?”
She thought for a minute. “I’ve always wanted to raise chickens. The manure would be beneficial to the gardens and I absolutely love fresh eggs.”
“What’s stopping you?”
She could feel Adam watching her as he moved around the perimeter of the patio. “In all honesty, the winter months. It doesn’t seem like a long trek with a hose, but its daunting just thinking about hauling containers from the house so they have fresh water, then worrying about cold temperatures, I would hate for any chicken to freeze to death; the wind whips through the backyard like it’s a tunnel.” She glanced right and left. “I’m zoned for chickens and I don’t think the neighbors would mind, especially if I was to share the bounty. But I think it’s just too much to take on.”
“Well, if you’re serious, I could come up with a design, add some insulation and maybe some kind of heated area to alleviate those issues.”
“Probably not, but thanks anyway.” She held the tape while Adam went kitty-corner to her. As an afterthought, she said, “Well, I’ll think about it. Who knows what the future will bring.”
He tucked the pad and pencil into his pocket and clipped the tape to his belt. “Let me know if you change your mind, but there would be one stipulation.”
She looked at him, unsure if he was serious or trying to be funny. “What might that be?”
“I’d want fresh eggs from time to time.”
Melinda could see the corners of his mouth twitch and laughter filled his eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Adam retracted the tape and grinned. “I’ve got all I need for now.”
“Let me know when the design is ready.” Melinda tucked her hands into the front pockets of her shorts. She shifted from foot to foot. “I should get back to the flowers.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I should be going too. I have a couple of other things I need to wrap up before the end of the day.”
Melinda walked next to Adam, around the side of the house and stopped at his truck. “Thanks for coming over on such short notice.”
“Not a problem. It looks like it will be a fun project and, more importantly, a nice addition to your backyard.” He opened the truck door to get in and said, “I’ll give you a call later.”
“Oh, wait. You forgot the drawer.” Before he could get out of the truck, Melinda ran lightly up the front steps and through her office door. She returned moments later with the broken pieces. She handed them to Adam through the open window.
“Thank you. I’ll have the drawer ready for you in a couple of days and the quote even sooner.”
“And I should have a potential match for you by tomorrow. I’ll email you her contact information.” She felt an odd twinge of envy when she thought of the potential match, but dismissed it as quickly as it came.
“Okay, great. And all I’ll need to do is give her a call?”
“Or you can send an email and get acquainted first. It might be easier to break the ice, so to speak.”
“Good idea, coach.” With a laugh he started up the truck and dropped it into reverse. “We’ll talk soon.”
Melinda watched as he drove off down the road. She mused, “I really hope I can find him the perfect match. He’s a great guy and some girl is going to be very lucky.”