Phil's Cabin Works Out Well

"I looked at your list. There's lots of money on that list that I don't have. I'd known that all along, but I ignored it. I drowned that knowledge in alcohol...and it wasn't there. I don't know what to do."

"What if I can solve it for you?"

"How?"

"I'll just pay for it, and we'll figure out how you can pay me back."

"No! It's not personal, but I don't want to owe money to any man." She had a very stern look on her face.

"Jolene, I'm just trying to help out."

"Phil, I know that. I do, believe me. But, I am who I am and what I am." The look on her face was questioning whether I understood.

My internal answer was yes and no, but I hadn't lived Jolene's life. Still, without my paying for the supplies, nothing was going to happen. We were at loggerheads. I smiled and growled at her.

"Sorry," she said, still looking stubborn.

I wasn't sure why I was so determined to repair Jolene's cabin. Maybe today, it was because of the changes I'd seen in her. She'd gone from a shabbily-dressed and unkempt cabin owner to a very beautiful woman. Maybe there was another way.

"I'll make a deal with you." I paused to see if she'd give any purchase to that idea.

"I may be sorry, but go ahead."

"I'll buy the material, and you'll pay for it by helping with the work, maintaining the cabin...and looking for employment."

"That's not fair, Phil."

"It is to me."

"I want to believe you, I really do."

I smiled.

"I've made bad decisions in the past--and paid for them. Don't make me pay again, Phil."

"So, is that a yes?"

"A very cautious yes."

"Fantastic! I can hardly wait to get started."

I was surprised when she gave me a warm hug.

"Friends hug, you know," she said.

"Being friends will make working together much easier."

Those freaking blue eyes would make working with Jolene very enjoyable.

◇-◇-◇-◇

A few measurements, along with envisioning how to install the insulation without tearing out the walls. Maybe foam? Probably foam.

I was off on two missions. First, check out and order things for the cabin, and second, visit my mom and give her the cutting board. I hadn't seen her for a while and was feeling a little guilty.

The checking, ordering, and purchasing ran well into four figures which I wasn't planning to share with Jolene. I was curious about how she'd react to everything once it was in place and complete. I knew I'd be proud and happy for her. But that was in the future. It was time to visit my mother.

The door swung open.

"Phil, honey. Your old mom has missed seeing you."

We hugged.

"I apologize, Mom. Getting settled in the cabin has been more complicated than I expected, and then setting up the shop."

"How's that going?"

"Good, and here's the first output." I presented her with the cutting board.

"Phil, that's beautiful and very unique. Did you come up with that design?"

"Not exactly. One of my neighbors is an engineering student, and it's their design."

"It's so clever and unexpected."

"She seems to have a knack for that."

Mom smiled.

"You say she's an engineering student. What year?"

"She'll be a senior." Mom had caught my slip.

"So, twenty-one or twenty-two then?"

"Mom."

"You broke up with Jana, and I expected you to get a new girlfriend. Is this one it?"

"She's a neighbor, Mom, and she'll only be a neighbor for another two or three weeks until school starts again."

"That's too bad. I think you and an engineer would get along well."

Mom had always had plans for me, and they were the fairly standard plans that moms have for sons. She'd been happily married to my dad for twenty years when he was killed in an auto accident on a business trip. The insurance settlement had been lucrative, and Mom had never wanted for anything...except Dad. How many times had I heard her say, "I'd give it all up twice just to have him back?" She wanted the happiness she had experienced for me as well, but I didn't seem to be as fortunate at picking women as Dad had been.

All of that led to the cabin in the woods and becoming friends with two women, nearly total opposites, who were not destined to be a long-term part of my life, no matter what my mom wanted.

We sat for nearly two hours talking, me being updated on every member of our family, and Mom learning about my plans for the shop and the business. It was a good time, and I treasured every moment I spent with her, even though sometimes there were long spans of time between our visits. Maybe that made each visit more valued than if we visited often. I wasn't sure about that, though.

"Thanks for stopping by, Phil. It's always good to see you...and thanks for the cutting board. I have an idea for it."

"What's that, Mom?"

"Never-you-mind. I'll let you know if anything comes of it."

I squinted at Mom, who had always enjoyed teasing me.

"Go on, get back to your cabin and your engineer friend. I'll be in touch."

A double tease this time, but I left and headed home, my truck loaded with a few items for Jolene's cabin.

The next day I took the interior paint I'd purchased and, this time drove the truck to Jolene's cabin. I hauled it all inside, leaving Ingrid in the truck.

"Where's Ingrid?" was the first thing Jolene said to me.

"Still in the truck."

"You know I'd rather see her than you, so bring her in."

"You're cruel," I tossed over my shoulder as I headed for the truck. No leash this time, but Ingrid jumped down and headed straight for the door Jolene was holding for her.

I began talking about the paint, but she interrupted.

"If we're friends, I'm Jo," she said.

"That's easy for me, and that way, I won't picture Dolly Parton every time I say your name."

"Dolly Parton?"

"You said you're a southern girl. You should know that song."

"I was only a southern girl for three years, and what song?"

I fiddled with my phone for a minute and smiled as the song began.

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, I'm beggin' of you please don't take my man.

Jo was laughing now. "I've heard that when I was little, but not since. I'd forgotten all about it. Can you play it again?"

I played the first part again, and before it was finished, Jolene was singing along with Jolene.

"You can sing," I said, feeling pretty stupid when the words were out of my mouth because it was obvious that she could sing.

"I used to sing a little," she said, "but show me about the painting."

Another shocker from Jolene.

We went over how to use the rollers and the brushes and a quick session on using the painter's tape to mask off sections that weren't to be painted. Jolene's excitement at being able to work on her cabin was palpable and had my blood flowing a little faster.

"Get on your way," she said with a laugh. "I don't want you to watch me."

I chuckled. "Do you have any questions?"

"I don't think so."

"Give me your cell number, and I'll give you mine. You can call if you have a question."

"I don't have a cell phone."

I guess I was naive to think everyone had a cell phone. I eyed Jolene.

"Jo, I think it's important that we be able to communicate. I'm going to get one for you..." When she opened her mouth to protest, I ignored it. "Only until the cabin is finished."

"Phil, how long is this going to go on?"

"Depends on how hard we work, I guess."

"Grrr. Go away; I need to get to work."

"Good luck," I said as Ingrid and I went out the door. She sniffed around for a few seconds, then headed for the truck. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall and watched Jo paint. I expected that she would learn quickly.

We had just gotten back to the cabin when my phone rang. My mother.

"What's up, Mom?"

"I have news for you...about the cutting board."

"News?"

"Right after you left, Ramie Massey stopped by, and I showed it to her. She asked if she could borrow it, and I gave it to her. She works at Barker's Crafts, you know. She brought the board back today, and are you ready?"

"I'm ready." For what, I wondered?

"They want to purchase fifty of them with an option for fifty more if they sell quickly."

"No kidding?"

"I wouldn't kid about something like that, Phil. She said the company loved them and just needs a price."

"Wow. I hadn't expected that. Let me do some calculating, and I'll get back to you."

"Let me know."

I had two things to do.

"Hi, Phil. What's happening?"

"Big news. You want to make some money?"

"Sure. How?"

"An outfit wants to buy fifty of the cutting boards, with an option for fifty more. We need to decide on a price."

"No shit...sorry, no kidding?"

"Come on over, and we'll work out the details."

She was there in about four minutes.

"Fifty of them," she said, stopping to scratch Ingrid's head.

"Yeah. Do you want to do it, the work, I mean?"

"You bet. I just learned how to do it, and I might as well do some more. Plus, there's money, right?"

"Yep and a lot of it is yours. It's your design that got the order."

The smile that formed on Nina's face was priceless.

I checked my receipt for the hickory planks I'd purchased, priced a new set of blades for the planer, and more of the special butcher block oil.

"How about twenty-one dollars?" I asked Nina.

She shrugged. "Sounds good. Fifty times twenty-one is...over a thousand dollars."

"And five hundred will be yours."

"That isn't fair," Nina said.

"Why not?"

"You know why not. You're supplying all the material, the equipment, the electricity and anything else we need. I'm just a helper."

"Who created the design that led to the order? Here's what lets do. You take the five hundred this time, and I'll pay you by the hour for the next fifty...if you're still here."

"I'll be here. It's only about forty minutes to get here from home and an hour from school.. And here's an idea too. Are you going to put a name on the boards?"

"You mean the name of the place that's getting them?"

She nodded. "Cool, then put the name of your business there too."

"I'll check on that as well."

"I want to be here to do them all. Plus, I enjoy being here with you."

The look I was getting now was unmistakable. I hadn't even been considering this possibility, but that was my problem. And I had to admit to myself that I enjoyed being around Nina as well."

"You're sure?"

"I'm very sure, Phil."

"I'm enjoying having you here too, being able to talk with you and work with you."

"We make a good team, don't we?"

We were getting on very well, and yes, we were a good team. I wasn't sure I wanted it to go beyond the team we already were, and I certainly didn't want to hurt Nina. She was clearly a very special lady in many, many ways. But neither could I tell her I didn't want anything more...because I wasn't sure that I didn't. I'd come here to stay away from, well, women, and already there were two of them around me. I was beginning to wonder if I really knew myself and what I wanted.

"We are that, aren't we?"

"When do we start on the fifty," she said, those dark eyes sparkling more than usual.

"I'll make some calls to check on the material and then pick it up."

"I want to go with you if that's okay."

"I'd like that. I'll call when I have the info and...tell me where your cabin is, and I'll pick you up."

"Perfect. Mom loves the cutting boards and would like to meet you. Dad too."

Of course, the cabin was close by and easy to find. Nina took off, and I made the calls, mostly to be sure the lumber supplier had enough hickory. I found a place that carried the special oil, and I could pick up the other stuff after we'd finished the first fifty.

Ingrid and I climbed into the truck and headed for Nina's.

Nina insisted that Ingrid come in to meet her parents, too, despite my cautioning that I hadn't had her long enough to know all her intricacies. As usual, my worries were for naught as she behaved perfectly. I met the parents, Erica in the wheelchair and Damien going on and on, reciting every award that Nina had ever received

"Dad," Nina said over and over, rolling her eyes each time. "He doesn't need to hear all of that."

Damien was obviously very proud of his daughter, while Erica just smiled and nodded.

"Nina has told me all about your workshop, and I love those cutting boards you two made."

"So glad you do. It's Nina's design--otherwise, they'd have just been rectangular and very plain."

"She's in Mechanical Engineering and taking design courses, aren't you, honey?"

I didn't think the cutting boards and the design courses she was taking had much in common, but it did give Damien a chance to brag again.

"Yes, Dad," Nina answered, obvious disgust in her voice. "But we are going to make fifty more of them for a company that wants to market them." She looked at me. "We do need to hurry, don't we, so we'll be sure to get what we need.

I heard pleading in her voice as she looked at me.

"We'd better get going. Nice to meet you both, and I hope to get to see you again soon when we aren't so rushed."

Back in the truck, Ingrid sat on the floor of the front seat, her head in Nina's lap. If I asked her opinion about Nina, I knew what it would be.

We loaded the planks into the back of the truck, and Nina held the big bottle of special oil. I had one more place to go, and it wouldn't take long. I stopped at the mobile phone store that I used for service and purchased a second phone to add to my plan. I got a quick lesson on how to set it up and went back to the truck.

Curious, Nina asked, "What's that for?"

"Well, I met someone the other day when I was walking Ingrid, and her cabin is badly in need of repairs, and she has no money, so I'm helping her out. I asked her to text me, but she doesn't have a phone, so this one is it."

Nina rode in silence for a minute or two.

"How come you're such a nice guy, Phil?"

I smiled. "Thanks, Nina. I appreciate that thought, but let me take a rain check on answering that."

Nina snorted. "And you're modest too." She bent over close to Ingrid's head. "I think you hooked up with a good one." She chuckled.

There was more banter on our return to the cabin, with lots of laughter and teasing. I hadn't thought about it previously, but I was realizing how comfortable I was around her. We had barely touched each other, usual accidental bumping, but I was noticing little things about her--the way her short hair was brushed so carefully, the way her nostrils flared when she laughed, her carefully trimmed fingernails. There were other things I was noticing too, but I was working hard to stifle the thoughts that accompanied those observations.

But we had arrived at Jolene's cabin, and I needed to deliver the phone.

"Want me to stay here?"

I did, but I wasn't going to say it. Plus, I knew that Jo would like to see Ingrid.

I gestured. "Come on and bring your friend."

When Jolene came to the door, she looked surprised, and rightly so.

"Jo, meet Nina. She's a neighbor and will be a senior in college this fall. She's in

engineering and has been helping in the wood shop, learning how to make things."

Jolene looked at Nina and then at me. A glance at Ingrid, and she smiled.

"Come on in, and Phil, you can grade my paint job."

"It looks so nice," Nina said as soon as we were inside.

"Thanks."

"She said it, Jo. It looks great."

Those blue eyes again.

"Do you really think so, Phil?"

"Are you kidding? And it looks like the tape worked well, too," I added, checking some of the trim.

"It took a while, and there are a few wads of tape in the wastebasket, but I finally figured it out."

She looked around, obviously proud of what she'd accomplished. She looked at me again.

"Can you show me what to do outside...so I can get started with that?"

I'd looked around, and there was nothing major needing done outside. There might be some touch-ups required after I installed the new windows, but having Jo paint now certainly wouldn't be wasted.

We went outside, and I gave her some scraping and wire-brushing hints. We were ready to leave when I remembered why we'd come.

I handed the phone to Jolene.

"Phil. You have to stop doing these things."

I grinned and ignored her. "You want me to set it up for you?"

She sighed and shook her head. "I'll bet you have an instruction sheet."

"Here ya go. I wrote my number at the top."

"I'll figure it out. I had a cell phone before."

"Nina and I have work to do, so we'd better take off."

Jolene knelt and rubbed Ingrid's head. "Take good care of this guy," she said softly.

When we started to leave, she stood and stepped in front of me.

"I'll say it again. Thank you, Phil."

Those blue eyes. "You're welcome, Jo. Good luck on the painting."

"Thanks, and nice to meet you, Nina."

"You too, Jo. Good luck on the painting, but based on what I've seen, it'll be beautiful.

"Thanks, and I hope so."

Back in the truck, we headed back to the shop.

"She's beautiful," Nina said softly as she scratched Ingrid's head.

"You can't imagine what she looked like when I met her the first time. Disheveled and not beautiful. She's changed."

"She's crazy about you."

"I don't think so, Nina. I'm just helping her fix her cabin."

It was more than not thinking so. It was something I didn't want. Had Nina seen something, or was she just guessing because of how beautiful Jo was? Or was a little jealousy sprouting? I didn't want that either.

"I don't know, but she sure seems excited about getting her place fixed up. You said she didn't have money. How's she paying for this."

I glanced at her nervously.

"You're paying, aren't you?"

"Only temporarily. We have a payback plan."

"Ohhhh," she replied, drawing out the single word.

"No, not that. Not in any way. The deal is that she has to take care of the place, and she has to look for a job."

"Not much for all you're doing, and I don't know about all of it, I suspect."

I nodded.

"And it's none of my business, right?"

Nina was delightful to be around, and I had to laugh at her response.

"The paint and three new windows are the bulk of it, along with some odds and ends."

"Sounds like your wood business needs to be successful to keep up with your charity."

If only she knew. "I hope it is," I said as I pulled into the driveway.

I intended to wait until tomorrow to begin the work, but Nina would have none of that and headed straight for the shop. In a few minutes, we were sawing away, and then the planer was performing its job. If making four cutting boards had produced a floor-full of chips more than a dozen times that was filling the shop now. I was feeding the boards into the planer, and she was retrieving them as they emerged on the other side. Consequently, the chips were flying in her direction, and I was fairly clean.

"If you can't find me, I'll be under the chips," she yelled over the din of the planer while spitting out chips that kept flying into her mouth.

I laughed at what she'd said but looking at her with half her body covered with chips while I fed the boards into the planer was producing a different reaction. She looked like an adorable elfin pixie with the chips adorning her dark hair. But I think she was unique in that it didn't seem to bother her that she was a mess despite the fact that I certainly didn't think that.

"I don't think you realize how you look with all those chips."

"Probably best I don't," she called, striving to be heard over all the racket.

If only she knew.

At last, we were through planing and had no choice but to clean up if we didn't want to work in ankle-deep wood chips. A broom and a shovel seemed appropriate. Two garbage cans were quickly filled, and we moved to the large paper garden waste bags. Two of them were topped off when we broke out the Shop Vac for the final touch-up.