An excerpt from Chasing Winter, by Cass Michaels
“What kind of construction do you do, Rex?” Wracking her brain, Noel can’t remember what the ladies said the other night at the bar. Twirling her pasta around her fork, she waits for his reply.
Tearing the tail from the shrimp, he drags it through the alfredo sauce, explaining, “It’s not every day construction work. I mean, that’s what I used to do, before I decided to branch out and start my own company.” He savors the taste of the crustacean before continuing his response. “About three years ago, I started building log cabins, just a few friends helping me. Posting ads online. Within ten days, I had four actual jobs lined up. Everything was just trial and error, but people liked our work. When the pay started to outweigh my weekly salary, I decided to strike out on my own, create my own business, Rustic Retreats.”
Her fork hits the plate. “That’s you? You build those? I saw those in a vacation magazine recently; they’re beautiful.”
“Thanks,” he blushes. “Now I have a crew who work for me, and I can relax a bit. Take time off to be with the kids.”
Tilting his head right to left, he grimaces. “If it was only that easy. Some of the guys aren’t as reliable as they should be. Machinery is always breaking down, and I’m trying to keep it as authentic as possible. Once we get the sawmill out on highway forty-two completed, that should make things easier. We’re finally at a point we can do a lot of the work at the warehouse and take it and construct it on site.”
They continue talking while they finish their meal, Rex offering some shrimp to Noel, but she declines, wrinkling her nose at the thought. She asks more questions about his cabins, and he shows her the company website and some pictures he has on his phone. “The cabins are really amazing,” she awes. “They just make me want to cuddle up in front of the fireplace with a good book.”
“Yea, I know what you mean…” He dips his head sheepishly. “Actually, I get to do just that for the holidays. One of the job sites we recently finished was mine. My grandfather left me some property along the lake and I snuck in time to build it myself, without too much help from the guys. I wanted it to be all mine; something I could share with the kids.”
This time she doesn’t hesitate. She grabs his hand, lying beside his plate. “That’s amazing, Rex! Why do you seem embarrassed?”
His eyes drop to their hands, and he slowly turns her hand so it rests in his, his thumb caressing over the back of hers. He clears his throat and his voice is a bit deeper when he speaks. “We needed some place new, something completely ours, without old memories to haunt us… It’s hard to sleep at night, Noel, when I hear them cry themselves to sleep because they miss their mother. It makes me feel like I failed them.”
Her heart aches. “You didn’t fail. You just stumbled, Rex. Everyone stumbles. You just had to pick yourself up faster because the kids depend on you. I mean, your story is none of my business, and I’m not prying, but… have you taken time to grieve a lost relationship?”
His sad chuckle hangs between them. “That requires time, Noel. Not something I have a lot of these days.” He leans forward and places his other hand over her wrist. “And actually, it is your business,” he sighs. “I like you, or I wouldn’t have invited you here. I come with a lot of baggage. Anyone that spends any time with me has to put up with a lot of extra stuff.”
Noel rests her other hand over his. “Small steps, Rex. But that extra ‘stuff’ happens to be two kids, one I already adore. Why don’t we order some coffee, maybe a dessert, and you fill me in a little more?”
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Thanks @caramell0w for your continued support! This is the style of cabin I envision Rex building on his family’s property. Simple, rustic...
