Page 33 of The Grump Who Stole Christmas
“That high?”
“Free labor,” I said pointing to me. “I make the products and I have two interns from the University of Colorado, studying agriculture, who are spending their winter break here.”
Her eyes widened and I felt a small thrill at knowing I’d impressed her.
“Anyway, the kids gobble up anything we put out there, and the moms and dads love a little treat after they’ve cut down their own tree. I thought it would be more fun than profitable, but it’s been both.”
She was looking at me funny. Like something I’d said didn’t make sense.
“What? Do I have pine needles in my beard?” I asked, scratching at my face. “It’s an occupational hazard.”
“I’m just trying to fit all the pieces I know about you into one picture and I have to tell you, it looks like a Picasso.”
“Because I look like a million dollars?”
She snorted. “No, because you’re crooked and a little disjointed.”
“Fair enough.”
“Can you break away to show me around? I would actually like to see what you’re doing with the cabin.”
“Ah, you want me out of the house sooner rather than later.” I had my suspicions.
“Absolutely not. Who doesn’t want to wake up to a creepy guy sitting on my bed and staring at me while I sleep? It’s every girl’s dream.”
“A creepy guy with good coffee,” I reminded her.
“Fair enough. The cabin?”
I nodded. “Let’s go.”
* * *
“What in the heck…”She was staring up at the structure, her mouth open and gaping.
“A little over the top?” I asked.
It was one of my biggest concerns. The goal was to keep things simple. To blend into the environment and the surrounding land. But I wanted to make it comfortable too.
For a family.
Me, a wife, children if we were lucky. I wanted a place that would be sustainable, but I didn’t want to skimp on beauty either. If you were going to live in the most beautiful place in America, the house should reflect that.
Essentially, I’d leveled what had been there previously, and built what amounted to a two-story modified A-frame structure where the roof didn’t slant all the way to the ground. What I had saved, to some extent, was the placement of the cabin. So the view from the front and back porches would be the same. Everything else, however, had been done from scratch.
“It’s massive!”
“It’s…big,” I admitted.
She looked at me again. “Are those solar panels?”
I nodded. “Yes, on either side of the roof with a special enhanced battery backup. Should be completely self-sustaining and off the grid. Let me show you inside.”
The structure of the house had been completed. The wraparound porch, the walls and the roof. As well as the plumbing and electric wiring. Only the kitchen and cabinets were being worked on now. The crew had taken a break for the holiday, but would be back after New Year’s to finish the job. With any luck I’d be moved in by the end of January.
Technically, it was livable. I could bring out a blow-up mattress and some pillows and blankets and be comfortable enough. There just hadn’t been a need given the room at Pops’ place. Not to mention being there for him when he needed an extra pair of hands.
I pushed aside the plastic where the front door would eventually be placed and backed off to let her check it out. Having impressed her with my business acumen, I felt this little tug to keep on going. To show her my vision and see if she liked it.
