Chapter 16: Trouble with the Treehouse
1015 Words
The morning snow glittered in the pale sunlight as Claire sipped her coffee in the Cozy Chalet Inn’s lobby. She had barely finished her first sip when Emily appeared, clipboard in hand and an expectant look on her face.
“Good, you’re up,” Emily said briskly.
Claire groaned. “Please don’t start a sentence like that before I’ve had at least three sips of coffee. ”
Emily ignored her. “I need you to help Adrian with something today. ”
Claire frowned. “What kind of ‘something’?”
“The treehouse,” Emily said. “It’s starting to fall apart, and Abby will be crushed if it’s not safe by Christmas. ”
Claire raised an eyebrow. “And why, exactly, am I involved?”
“Because Adrian can’t do it alone, and you’re the only one with a flexible schedule,” Emily replied.
Before Claire could argue, Abby came bounding into the room, her pigtails bouncing. “Aunt Claire! You’re going to fix the treehouse?”
Claire opened her mouth to object, but the hopeful look in Abby’s eyes made her sigh. “Looks like I am. ”
The treehouse stood nestled between two sturdy oaks on the edge of the woods. Snow dusted its roof, and the ladder swayed slightly in the breeze.
“This thing’s still standing?” Claire asked skeptically as she and Adrian trudged through the snow toward it.
“Barely,” Adrian said, carrying a toolbox. “I’d give it a week before it collapses on its own. ”
“Great. No pressure,” Claire muttered.
Adrian smirked. “Don’t worry. I’ll do the heavy lifting. You just hold the nails .”
Claire shot him a glare. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize ‘holding nails’ was a critical job .”
“Very critical,” Adrian teased, climbing the ladder to inspect the structure.
The repair process started smoothly at least for the first five minutes. Adrian handed Claire a hammer and pointed to a loose plank on the side of the treehouse.
“Think you can handle that?” he asked, grinning.
Claire rolled her eyes. “It’s a plank, not rocket science. ”
She climbed up, balancing precariously on the ladder as she hammered the plank into place.
“Careful, city girl,” Adrian called from below. “You’re looking a little wobbly. ”
“I’m fine,” Claire snapped, just as the hammer slipped from her hand and landed in the snow with a dull thud.
Adrian chuckled, retrieving the hammer. “You were saying?”
Claire glared down at him. “That doesn’t count. ”
The next mishap came when Adrian attempted to replace a broken beam.
“This beam’s heavier than I thought,” Adrian admitted, struggling to lift it into place.
Claire crossed her arms, smirking. “Need help?”
“Nope. Got it,” Adrian said, his voice strained.
A moment later, the beam slipped from his grasp, landing with a loud thud and sending a cloud of snow into the air.
“Yep. Nailed it,” Claire said, laughing.
Adrian dusted snow from his hair, grinning despite himself. “You’re enjoying this way too much .”
Just as they were making progress, Abby appeared with a bag of glitter and a roll of ribbon.
“Can I help?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Maybe you should stay on the ground,” Claire suggested, glancing nervously at the ladder.
Abby pouted. “But I brought decorations!”
Adrian crouched down to her level, smiling. “Tell you what how about you decorate the ladder? That way, we can admire your work every time we climb up. ”
Abby brightened immediately. “Okay!”
As Abby got to work, Claire leaned over to Adrian. “You’re surprisingly good with kids. ”
Adrian shrugged. “I have a niece back home. Taught me everything I know .”
Claire’s curiosity piqued. “You never talk about your family. ”
Adrian’s smile faltered for a split second before he recovered. “Not much to tell. ”
Claire frowned but let the subject drop.
By late afternoon, the treehouse repairs were nearly complete. Adrian and Claire sat on the small platform, taking a break as the sun dipped low in the sky.
“You used to spend a lot of time here, didn’t you?” Adrian asked, glancing around.
Claire nodded. “Emily and I practically lived up here as kids. It was our escape our little kingdom. ”
Adrian tilted his head. “What were you escaping from?”
Claire hesitated, her gaze drifting to the snowy woods. “The usual stuff. Family arguments, school stress... Life felt simpler up here. ”
Adrian studied her, his expression softening. “I get that. Everyone needs a place to breathe. ”
“What about you?” Claire asked, turning the question back on him. “Where’s your escape?”
Adrian hesitated, his easy grin slipping away. “I don’t know. Haven’t really found one yet. ”
Claire frowned, sensing there was more to his answer. Before she could press further, a gust of wind sent snow swirling around them, and Adrian stood.
“We should finish up before it gets dark,” he said, his tone lighter.
Claire nodded, but the moment lingered in her mind.
With Abby’s glitter covered ribbon adorning the ladder and the structural repairs complete, the treehouse looked as good as new.
“This might actually hold up through Christmas,” Adrian said, stepping back to admire their work.
Claire smiled, her earlier frustration giving way to pride. “Not bad for a couple of amateurs. ”
Adrian grinned. “Admit it you had fun .”
Claire rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile. “Maybe a little. ”
Abby clapped her hands, bouncing on her toes. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
As they walked back to the inn, Claire couldn’t shake the feeling that, for all of Adrian’s charm and humor, there was something he wasn’t telling her.
- Writer
