The Matchmaker and The Marine

Chapter 4-1

Chapter 4

Adam pulled into Melinda’s driveway at two o’clock on the dot. After he parked the truck he wandered over to where she was working in the flower bed. “Hey, Mel.”

She looked up and had to squint as the sun was directly behind Adam. “Hi. Sorry, I didn’t realize I was running late.”

He held out a cup. “Lemonade?”

Melinda scrambled to her feet and clapped her hands together. Even her nails had dirt under them, and she chuckled. “I just love digging in the dirt.” She accepted the cup and pulled the paper off the straw. “You didn’t need to bring me something to drink.”

“It’s a hot day and I stopped to get something for myself, so I thought I would get two.”

Taking a sip, her face screwed up and her eyes popped. “Oh, it’s got a bit of a pucker factor.” She laughed. “Just the way I like it.” She took another sip and noticed the logo. “Jules has the best lemonade in the county.” She stepped in front of him and said, “Come on into the office.”

Adam followed her up the walkway and opened the door ahead of her. Holding it, he said, “Ladies first.”

“Thank you.” She stepped into the room, which seemed dark compared to the bright sun. She set her cup on the desk and handed the bottom piece of the broken drawer to Adam. “There’s a groove on the sides. I think that’s where the bottom is supposed to slide in. When I tried to fix it, it just fell out again.”

Adam picked up the drawer sides and turned it over. “See here?” He pointed to the corners. “These are finger joints. I’d hazard a guess the glue is dried out and that’s why it fell apart.” He smiled. “It’s an easy fix, but I’ll need to take it to my shop.” He took the wood bottom from her. “I can have it back to you in a couple of days.”

“Will it be expensive to fix?” Melinda chewed the corner of her lip. Adam wondered if money was a concern.

“No,” he said, “the first job is on the house.” He laughed. “As long as the first job isn’t to build a house.”

She brightened. “That’s a bargain.” She sank on to the brown leather sofa across from her desk. “Have a seat. I don’t often have a handyman here, and I’d like to talk to you about another project if you have some time.”

Adam set the two pieces of the drawer near the door and took the chair opposite her. He was intrigued by what she might have to say to him. Looking around the office, everything seemed well put together and nothing in need of repair. But looks could be deceiving.

Teasing, he said, “So, tell me what do you have up your sleeve.”

A mischievous look twinkled in her eye. “Well, I’ve been thinking…” She laughed. “Once you get to know me better that usually means trouble.”

He rubbed his hands together and chuckled. “I’m all ears.”

Melinda’s gaze drifted to the window that overlooked the backyard. “I have this amazing space out there.” She rose from the sofa and went to stand by the window. “It screams for something, like a dramatic focal point.”

Adam eased out of the chair and went to stand beside her. “How about you show me what you have in mind?”

With a lopsided grin, she turned to look at him. “I thought you’d never ask. Let’s go through the house.” She opened a door for Adam to follow her through her home.

Stepping through the six-panel door, he could see the house was clean and comfortable, just like her office. The rooms were decorated in warm earth tones and there were colorful flowers everywhere he could see. He looked at the large commercial-grade stove and over-sized French door refrigerator. “You have a nice kitchen. Do you like to cook?”

Off-handed, she said, “I love to cook and do a lot of canning in the fall, so this setup works well for me.” She opened a sliding glass door and stepped to a slate stone patio where pots of herbs and flowers lined the edges. She had a small round table and umbrella set up to one side.

Adam noticed the entire backyard was devoid of trees, except on lush maple, but instead was dotted with raised beds of various plants and sunflowers reaching toward the sky. “You have about a half-acre of land?”

“I sure do. And over the last few years I’ve built raised beds and hauled in soil and mulch to have the best possible gardens.”

He didn’t miss the pride in her voice. She wandered over to one bed to pluck a fat, round, deep purple r****h from the loamy soil. She pointed to a bucket close by. “If you want, give that a rinse and taste it. I guarantee you’ve never tasted a better radish.”

Adam took the vegetable and did as she suggested, breaking the leafy greens off and crunching down. He could feel his eyes begin to water. “That’s hot. But really good.”

“There’s nothing like coming out here and getting salad right from the garden. Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase from garden to table.”

Adam scanned the wide-open space. “I’m a little confused. What do you think this space needs?”

Melinda turned, her back to the beds and looked at the patio. “The back of the house gets a ton of sun in the afternoon, and it’s unbearable to sit out here and enjoy dinner.” She crossed her arms and after a thoughtful pause said, “I’m thinking about adding a pergola. I could plant some grapevines on one side for a bit of screening and keep the other three sides open.” She shaded her eyes from the intense, early afternoon sun. “It would kill two birds with one stone. I could get grapes and shade, and as a bonus I think it would make the backyard look amazing.”

Adam surveyed the back of her large Cape Cod-style home. “The patio is, what, sixteen by sixteen?”

“Good eye.”

“What kind of a design are you thinking? Cedar or a manmade material?” He pulled a small notepad and pencil from the side pocket of his pants.

“Cedar, definitely. Have you ever seen a pergola where the grape clusters hang down through the beams, and the dark green leaves block just enough of the sun, giving it a dappled effect on the stones? That’s what I’d like to have, and I’d like to use natural products that, with the proper care, will last for many years.”

Adam liked how her eyes sparkled. He appreciated that she knew exactly what she wanted. “I can pull together some ideas and give you a quote.”

“That’s awesome. How soon can you start?” Her enthusiasm was contagious as it bubbled over.

With a chuckle, he said, “You should probably review the quote, check my references and then make a decision.”

With a dismissive wave of her hand, Melinda said, “I’m sure you have glowing recommendations.”

He hoped he didn’t look cocky from her comment. “I’m going to run to my truck and get a tape measure for the estimate.”

Melinda sighed. “How long will it take for you to pull it together for me?”

“Impatient, aren’t you?” Adam teased.

“When I get something in my head, I like to get it done.”

“How about we agree on this: I’ll take measurements and drop off a drawing of what I have in mind, along with some pricing. If you agree, I can get started in, say, two weeks?”

She perked up. “That sounds great. And…”

He joked, “I know what your next question is going to be. How long will it take before it will be finished, am I right?”

She held up her palms toward the sky and shrugged. “I told you, when I make up my mind…”

With a chuckle he said, “I’m starting to see what you meant, and that’s fine. Consider me forewarned.”