Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 57897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
10
JASON
My phone’s alarm was set to go off at nine, but I woke up a lot earlier than that. The sun was barely up, in fact, when I heard the sound outside that got me moving. I sat up and climbed the steps, looking out of the window of the door leading to the backyard.
Just a little way off, Carter was standing by a tree stump, an axe in hand. I watched as he sat a piece of wood on the stump and then swung the axe, splitting it in two. Then he collected the two pieces, put it in a growing pile beside him, and grabbed another block of wood from the stack on the other side.
Carter wiped his head with a handkerchief before sticking it back in his pocket and going for another block. The stack of blocks was pretty high, and I figured the least I could do would be to offer to help. After all, he was letting me live in his home, rent-free.
I checked the clock. It was just past six. Might as well get moving now.
The duffel bag with my clothes was just past the end of the bed, and I walked over that way to grab it. Once I had it on the bed, I unzipped it and found a pair of socks. Slipping them on, I finally felt like I could brave the cold floor.
I got dressed in some jeans and a T-shirt and went into a box I had brought in of work materials I bought, thinking I might need them. Among them were some brand-new leather gloves. I pulled them out and ripped off the packaging before trying them on. Then I stuck them in my back pocket, grabbed a handkerchief, and went upstairs to the kitchen.
Lauren and the baby weren’t there, and I figured they were probably still sleeping. I opened the fridge, still feeling a little like an intruder, and grabbed a bottle of water. I wondered when that intruder feeling would go away, or if it would at all. I didn’t plan on being here for more than a couple of weeks, maybe a month or two depending on how long it took to find a place, but still, Carter said he wanted me to feel at home. I was family. I wanted to think that I would feel that way too.
A bottle of cold water in hand, I went back down into the basement and threw my shoes on, coming up and exiting the back door. Carter turned when he heard me coming and waved. I waved back as I joined him by the tree trunk.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you up,” he said. “I forget how loud this can be.”
“No worries,” I said. “I slept like a rock, so I guess I was just done.”
“I just wanted to get some more of this done while I’ve got the time.”
“Want some help?”
“Sure,” he said, handing over the axe. “Knock yourself out. Only… don’t actually knock yourself out.”
I laughed.
“I won’t, I promise.” I took a sip of the water and lined up the first block of wood. Aiming the axe, I brought it down hard and split it into two. “So, Lauren and Carson must be able to sleep through the noise too, eh?”
“No,” he said. “Carson’s an early riser so Lauren already got him up and went down to the diner,” he said. “She brings him down there every Sunday to see her friends and hang out.”
“Ahh,” I said. “That’s a hell of a woodpile you have there for August.”
Carter looked over at the pile and scoffed.
“Normally it’s a lot bigger already. I like to have it six foot high by September if possible. Makes it a lot easier to get through the winter if I have a six-foot pile I don’t need to use until November. I usually make a second stack that goes in the garage, but this year, I’m going to build a shed just for it right over there.”
“That’s smart,” I said, splitting another piece of wood. “Need any help with that?”
“If you don’t mind, yeah. I’d love to get it built rather quickly. Maybe we can get started on that next weekend.”
“Sure. Not like I have a lot else going on.”
Carter took a seat in a camping chair and opened a cooler sitting next to it. Pulling out a cold water bottle, he took a deep sip and leaned back, grinning.
“What about this girl, Beth Ann?” he asked. “Going to see her again anytime soon?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’d like to, but who knows if she’s interested.”
“Did you happen to see if she had a woodpile out there? I would assume she does, but did you see one?”
“I didn’t, actually. I think the trailer’s propane heated.”
“Oof,” Carter said. “That’s expensive and an issue if you run out during a storm.”