Tiny House in the Trees

by Celia Bonaduce

  “I do.”

  “Pine cones grow on—wait for it…”

  Molly smiled. She could happily wait all day.

  “Pine cones grow on pine trees. Fir cones grow on—”

  “Fir trees. See? I’m halfway there already,” Molly said. She took a sip of coffee, then added, “I guess this is a dumb question—”

  “Frankly, when it comes to Christmas trees, all questions are dumb. I mean, how are you supposed to take this line of work seriously?”

  “I take it seriously.”

  “And that’s why I love you.”

  Molly froze. Did Quinn just say he loved her? She wanted to jump across the table and say she loved him too, but he appeared to still be speaking. Had she even asked her question, “Why are we picking pine—or fir—cones in the first place?” She must have asked, because he was answering. She tried to focus on his words.

  “It takes a ton of time, but cones sap energy from the trees. We need the trees to be focused on growing big and strong, so Daddy can turn a hefty profit.”

  Quinn rubbed his fingers and thumb together in the classic “money” gesture. Molly tried to smile. She realized someone would have to be out of his mind to work with trees all year long just for the love of it but she sometimes forgot that.

  “And people don’t want cones on their Christmas trees,” Quinn added. “They’re really sticky, especially the ones growing on the Fraser firs. And too many cones hog all the room for ornaments.”

  “I’d be happy to pick cones,” Molly said. “That sounds fun.”

  She was telling the truth. Even though she was relieved to the point of turning into a puddle on Beamer’s floor at still having her job, the thought of interacting with the trees on another level sounded wonderful.

  “It can get pretty hairy,” Quinn said. “Some of our Fraser firs are forty feet tall.”

  Molly was well aware of that. Her tree fort was in a Fraser.

  “Oh, I know you’ve got some big trees on the property,” Molly said, but stopped herself from going any further.

  Why introduce her tree (and tree fort) into the conversation? Besides, she really wanted to get back to that “I love you” part.

  “So…Quinn,” Molly started in the most smoldering tone she could muster in a coffee shop at nine in the morning.

  As she leaned toward him, Marni appeared with the check and the coffee pot.

  “Fresh coffee,” Marni preened. “I made it just for you.”

  “And that’s why I love you.” Quinn winked.

  * * * *

  “We’ve been talking for three hours,” Bale said.

  “Really? Oh, I’m so sorry,” Violet said, pushing back the guest chair in Bale’s office. “I didn’t mean to take up so much of your time!”

  “Not at all. It’s just that my dog is looking at me like he’s ready for some food.”

  Bale and Violet both looked at Thor, who stared blankly back at them.

  “So, that’s his ‘I’m hungry’ look?” she asked.

  “That’s pretty much his everything look,” Bale said. “But I can read his every mood. Both of them.”

  Violet laughed.

  She had a great laugh.

  “Hang on while I feed this beast,” Bale said.

  As soon as Bale stood up, Thor thundered to his feet and raced to the door.

  “He eats in the workshop,” Bale called back to Violet. “I can meet you out in the lot if you want to check out some houses.”

  Violet gave him a thumbs-up and smiled.

  She had a great smile.

  Bale felt happier than he had in a long time. He loved to spread the joy around, so he skipped the dry food and gave Thor his favorite: stinky gourmet anchovy, sardine, and salmon mix. As soon as Thor dove in, Bale headed out to the lot to find Violet.

  He studied her as she walked among his creations. She really seemed to appreciate the artistry in each one, touching the steel rivets on one house and the red flower boxes on another. A traveling nurse wasn’t exactly the perfect match. On the other hand, Molly was always right around the corner, and that hadn’t worked.

  He stopped himself. He was getting better at not thinking about Molly but he certainly couldn’t say he’d mastered it.

  Violet must have felt his eyes on her, because Bale found her staring right at him.

  “Can I buy you lunch?” he suddenly asked. “Thor isn’t the only one who needs to eat. There isn’t anything fancy in town, but…”

  “Lunch sounds great!”

  “Great. I’ll get my keys.”

  “I’ve already got mine,” Violet said, holding up her keys and jangling them.

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Bale opened the driver’s side of the purple truck, and watched Violet’s long legs climb in. Violet snapped open the passenger-side lock and Bale slid in.

  “Where to?” Violet asked. “You’re the local.”

  “There’s a good burger joint, Chinese, Indian, a microbrewery, and Thai.”

  “No pizza?”

  “Pizza?”

  “A traveling nurse can tell everything about a place by the pizza.”

  Did this mean she wanted to check the place out? He grinned.

  “We have great pizza,” he said. “Hang a left to Main Street, then turn right and go to the stop sign.”

  Violet pulled a pair of mirrored aviator sunglasses from the visor and slipped them on.

  “Love the shades,” Bale said.

  “I know,” Violet said, pulling onto the street. “Very badass, right?”

  “My exact thought.”

  “You have to know how to take care of yourself when you’re on the road as much as I am,” Violet said. “Looking like a badass helps.”

  Bale nodded. He wondered if Violet liked being so independent. Or if she might, sometimes, want someone to take care of her. He looked over at her. Not that she gave any indication of needing any help.

  He didn’t have to give directions twice. As Violet headed confidently down Main Street, Bale spotted a car at the side of the road with the hood up. He closed his eyes and put his head back.

  It was an old blue Buick Lucerne.

  Molly.

  * * * *

  Molly stared down at the engine.

  Why? Why? Why?

  Now that she was a few bucks ahead, was her car going to eat it all?

  “What seems to be the problem?” The familiar voice wrapped around her like a favorite old sweater.

  “Bale!” Molly cried as she spun around. “Thank—”

  She stopped, mid-exuberance.

  The beauty in the purple truck was leaning against her vehicle, watching Bale.

  Were they together?

  “This doesn’t look good,” Bale said, indicating the engine.

  “No, it doesn’t,” Molly said, unsure of what exactly she was referring to.

  She and Bale stared deep inside the engine compartment.

  “The car sounded like somebody was hammering on the engine,” Molly said. “And there was smoke coming out the exhaust.”

  Even though he was not looking at her, she could practically feel Bale grimace.

  “Get me a rag,” he said. “I want to check the oil.”

  “I just put oil in it,” Molly said. “I’m not that lame!”

  “It still sounds like you ran out of oil.”

  Molly rummaged in the trunk until she unearthed a roll of paper towels she kept just for this purpose as well as a plastic bottle of oil. She handed them to Bale.

  She waited until Bale turned to face her. He didn’t need to tell her the car was in trouble. It was written all over his face.

  “There’s no oil,” Bale said, showing her the dipstick. “I’m pretty sure the engine froze
.”

  “Oh no,” Molly said, staring at the dipstick, willing it to drip. “Can we just put some more oil in?”

  “I think it might be worse than that.”

  Molly bit her lip.

  “Look, Molly, I’m on my way to lunch with a client,” he tilted his head slightly in the direction of Mama Long Legs. “But I can come help you out in an hour or so and we’ll figure this out.”

  “I’m on my lunch break. I have to get back to work.”

  “I’m sure Violet wouldn’t mind running you back to the farm before we have lunch,” Bale’s said, his eyes flicking to the woman standing by the truck.

  Violet?

  “Don’t be silly,” Molly said. “I’ll call Quinn and just let him know I’ll be late. I’m sure he’ll be cool.”

  “Isn’t he always?”

  Molly looked down Main Street. There were certainly plenty of places she could kill an hour.

  “Go ahead and have lunch,” Molly said. “I’ll be fine.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Very sure,” Molly said. “I’m just grateful you came by.”

  “You have my number if you need me.”

  Molly watched Violet’s truck head down the street and stop in front of Pietro’s Pizza. She watched Bale hold the door for Violet, putting his hand on the small of her back and guiding her inside. Molly thought this was highly unprofessional but stopped her disapproval when she thought of how many unprofessional fantasies she’d had about her employer at the Christmas tree farm. She blushed. Her scenarios started further along than a hand on the small of her back.

  She realized she was hungry. And she did have an hour to kill. She thought about heading to the pizza parlor. But she decided a visit to the same place Bale was entertaining his…client…seemed a bit too desperate. She decided she’d better save her money until she found out what the car was going to cost. She fished around in the seats and pockets of the car, unearthing $4.27. Not enough for a pizza anyway. Deciding she didn’t want to run into Manny, she popped into the little convenience store, choosing a giant ice cream sandwich and a bottle of iced tea that was on sale. As she took her selections to the front of the store, she was surprised to see a familiar face at the cash register. It was Naomi, looking exactly the same as when she worked at Crabby’s, except she’d changed her bright red lipstick to a dazzling pink.

  “Hey, Naomi,” Molly said. “I didn’t know you were working here.”

  “It’s not Crabby’s,” Naomi said with a shrug. “But it’s a job, right?”

  “Right,” Molly said.

  “I hear you’re over at Quinn’s with Manny,” Naomi said.

  Molly frowned. She felt special working for Quinn. Adding “with Manny” to the equation dulled the sparkle.

  “Yeah,” Molly said. “It’s a pretty sweet gig.”

  “I’ll bet.” Naomi arched a tweezed eyebrow. “That Quinn’s a hottie.”

  Molly smiled.

  Now that was more like it!

  Molly sat on the hood of her car, watching for the purple truck to head in her direction. As soon as she saw the truck go into reverse and onto Main Street, Molly busied herself with her phone. She could hear the truck getting nearer. Molly tried to act as casual as she could, waiting for the truck to stop and Bale to come to her…she was thinking “rescue” but changed her mind to “aid.” It made her feel less out of control.

  But the truck didn’t stop. It headed down the street and turned toward Bale’s lot. Molly jerked her head up. Did Bale forget about her?

  The crushing feeling that she was completely alone overwhelmed her. Tears sprang to her eyes. Okay, maybe she wasn’t a long-legged beauty in super-tight jeans. And okay, maybe she wasn’t even as alluring as Naomi with her pouty lips. But Bale was her friend. Wasn’t he?

  She stared down the street, bereft. The purple truck was almost out of sight.

  Her phone vibrated in her hand. It was a text from Bale.

  Bale: Going back to get my truck. I’ll tow you over to Altro’s A-Plus and we’ll see what’s up.

  Molly wiped away the tears and smiled. He’d added two eyeballs, a brain, and a fountain pen.

  Chapter 14

  Violet pulled into the lot, rolling smoothly to a stop in front of Bale’s. Thor shot out the office’s doggy door, hurling himself against Bale’s leg.

  “I love that,” Violet said. “The way a dog acts like he hasn’t seen his human in ten years.”

  “I’ve been gone an hour,” Bale said, kneeling down to receive Thor’s adoration. “I think that’s ten years in dog years.”

  “He’s a good guy. I bet he’s good company.”

  “He’s the best,” Bale said.

  He immediately mentally kicked himself. Couldn’t he have settled for “man’s best friend” instead of insinuating that Thor was better company than she?

  “You have any pets?” Bale asked, straightening up.

  “Not right now. My job makes it impossible. I never know if I’m going to be able to find a pet-friendly building or not,” Violet said, taking her turn at petting Thor. “That’s one of the reasons a tiny house would be perfect for me. I miss having a dog.”

  Violet stood up. She and Bale were standing very close to each other. She stared at him frankly.

  “I better get going,” she said. “I’ve got a long drive. And you’ve got to go help your…”

  She let the sentence dangle. It took a few seconds for Bale to understand he was meant to finish it.

  “Oh!” he finally said. He looked up the road. “You mean Molly.”

  “Yes. You have to go help your Molly.”

  “She’s a friend.”

  Violet arched a perfect eyebrow.

  * * * *

  “The piston rings are worn out and the oil burned with the gas. It just froze up,” Albert Altro said, wiping his hands on a flashy pink rag. “The engine is going to have to be rebuilt.”

  “That sounds expensive,” Molly said.

  “It is expensive,” Albert said.

  She wished Bale was still with her. He’d said he’d stick around until she heard the diagnosis. As they walked to the waiting room, he told Molly he was leaving on another road trip with his tiny houses, but he really wasn’t busy for the rest of the day. She stopped in her tracks.

  “But you just got back,” she said.

  “This is a busy time of year,” Bale said. “The road shows are getting more and more popular.”

  “But you just got back,” Molly said. “Sorry, I know I just said that.”

  Molly felt a shimmer of doubt—why hadn’t she seen him since he got back? Was he taking Violet with him? She shook off her thoughts. Violet wasn’t any different from any other client.

  Or was she?

  “You don’t have to wait,” Molly said. “You must have a million things to do to get ready. With your new client.”

  “That’s okay. Violet’s committed to buying a tiny house from me, but it will be an ongoing process. She’s on her way to Tennessee for a short-term nursing gig.”

  Tennessee. That was only one state over, but the distance sounded promising.

  “She’s in no rush,” Bale continued. “We’re going to stay in touch, so we can collaborate on the design.”

  “Is that all you’re collaborating on?” Molly asked, shocked she’d used her outside voice.

  “Pardon me?”

  Luckily, she must have muttered, because Bale didn’t seem to have understood her.

  “Nothing,” Molly said.

  Bullet dodged!

  “She really liked the steampunk model,” Bale said, warming to his subject. “I gave you full credit for your ideas.”

  “Not necessary,” Molly said, but she was happy he’d mentioned her.

  “I think you’d
really like her.”

  I don’t want to like her.

  “Glad to hear she’s got good taste,” Molly said.

  Molly finally convinced Bale he didn’t need to stay and, metaphorically, at least, hold her hand. She stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek, surprising them both. Molly sighed as she watched him drive away. She was perfectly capable of standing on her own two feet, but she always felt better when he was around.

  Bale was probably the best friend she’d ever had.

  Molly returned her thoughts to Albert and the problem at hand.

  “Now what do we do?” Molly asked Albert.

  He shrugged. “I guess that’s up to you.”

  “Is the car worth fixing?”

  “The car hasn’t been worth fixing since you’ve owned it,” Albert said. “So I guess the question is, can you afford a new car?”

  “No,” Molly said. “Not even an old new car.”

  “Okay, then I guess we fix this one. You’re in luck. I just took in a junker that happens to have a decent engine. I can drop it under your hood and have it for you in two days.”

  Molly swallowed hard. Not only did she not have the money to pay for an engine, she needed to get herself and Galileo out of the apartment tonight!

  “Can I put this on credit?” Molly asked.

  She knew this was a stupid question—who extended credit these days?

  “Sure,” Albert said. “I’ll put it on your tab.”

  “I don’t have a tab.”

  “You do now.”

  Apparently, people in small towns still trusted their neighbors.

  “Thanks, Albert,” Molly said, trying to control her shaky voice. “This means a lot.”

  “No problem.” Albert smiled. He loved to do his New Jersey gangster impression and added, “I know where you live.”

  Not for long.

  After tonight, she didn’t even know where she lived.

  “This is a huge relief,” Molly said, pulling out her phone.

  “And I can lend you a car,” Albert said. “It’s nothing fancy…. well, actually, compared to your car, it is fancy. Anyway, I can set you up.”

  Molly waved as she drove out of the shop in a nondescript beige car. She’d been vague in her phone call to Quinn, merely stating, “It’s Molly. Can you give me a call?” She looked at the dashboard and located the clock. She wondered, in her disguised automobile, if she could probably sneak onto the tree farm without Quinn noticing she was two hours late coming back from lunch.