Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“You could probably use Dad’s garage, too,” he offers, thinking it over, “but it’s just a two-car.”
“I might have to store some things in there,” I reply with a nod. “Good idea. Hey, I’ve been thinking.” I lean against the board that I still haven’t cut and hold Rem’s gaze with my own. “I think it’s time that I built a place out here. The ranch belongs to you, but all five of us siblings have acreage.”
“You haven’t decided which acres you want, but yeah, there’s definitely a place for you out here. You don’t want to be in town anymore? You always said before that you liked being close to the station in case you were needed at work for an emergency. Being this far out of town isn’t convenient for that.”
“I can make it into town within twenty minutes,” I reply. “And yeah, I liked being closer to the action in the beginning, but people have started stopping by the house when I’m there to ask questions or to try to get me to do them a favor.”
“What kind of questions and favors?” he asks, narrowing his eyes.
“The usual shit. Can you tell my neighbor to cut his tree down, or can’t you get me out of this ticket? It’s a small town, and you know that I love it, but it comes with small-town politics and attitudes. People think they can call me on my day off, and I don’t like that. I’m ready to come back home. I love it out here. And I need to build a big fucking shop so I have the space I need for woodworking projects. In fact, I’d likely build the shop first and go from there.”
“Fine by me,” he replies with a nod. “I’d love to have you out here more often. Might put you to work sometimes. You’re damn good on a horse. What part of the property were you thinking?”
“On the lake.” I grin over at him, as just the thought of it makes me happy. “I’m surprised no one else has built there.”
“It’s not a big lake,” Rem reminds me.
“Big enough to put a little dock on and fish in the summer. The sunsets are pretty out there, too.”
“You already have it mapped out in your head.”
“Yeah, I do. And I’ll build it myself.”
That makes him pause and frown over at me. “All of it?”
“I can’t do the electrical and plumbing, but the rest? Yeah. I can do that. And I want to build my place with my own two hands. It’s kind of a family tradition out here.”
“I don’t think there were construction companies in this valley a hundred years ago, so building things themselves was kind of a given. I didn’t know that building your own place was a dream of yours, man.”
“I didn’t either, until recently. I’m not in a rush. We’ll get through this wedding, and then I’ll start digging into what it’ll take. I’ll have to get the land surveyed to make sure that it’s stable enough for a house and a big shop. It won’t happen overnight, and that’s okay with me.”
“No, but it’s damn exciting to think about. Just let me know what you need from me, and I’ll make it happen.”
That’s Rem. Always ready to jump in and help. Always the big brother.
“Thanks.”
He pauses. “Do you want to go have a look now?”
“Actually, yeah, I do.”
Rem laughs as we walk out of the garage and over to his Jeep. We hop in, and it only takes us about five minutes to make our way over to the lake. He’s right, it’s not a big lake, definitely not big enough for motorized boats, but it’s not tiny. We’ve spent many a summer canoeing and paddleboarding out here. Swimming and fishing. Hell, we’d camp out here as teenagers, sometimes for a week at a time.
“Not only is it a pretty spot,” I say as Rem comes to a stop, “but it’s not part of your grazing land. It won’t interfere at all with the business.”
“That makes it a win-win, then,” he replies. “Point out where you’re thinking, and I’ll drive us over.”
I point to the other end of the lake, and Rem turns to me in surprise.
“All the way over there?”
“That’s right.”
“Okay, then, hold on. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
He puts the Jeep in gear. He’s not wrong; it’s a rough ride through the brush and trees, but we eventually make our way to the other side of the lake.
“Right here,” I murmur and climb out of the Jeep, taking a deep breath of clean air. “I want the shop here. Four bays wide and two stories tall.”
“Nice,” Rem says with a nod, scanning the land. “And the house?”
“About forty yards that way, closer to the shoreline. It’ll also have an attached garage so it’s easier in the winter. Not a huge house, about two thousand square feet, all one story.”