Part 3 - Two Becomes Three
The following weeks were frantic. Addie and I had our work to attend to, plus a zillion things on the house project needing attention. My fiancee made many visits to County Planning, pleading for rapid processing of the permit applications. She even took in a letter from Hugh and Cora praising the design, and pointed out there were no other neighbors with a view of the house site.
But the darn creek was a sticking point. Over dinner one night, Art said we should hire a professional hydrologist and follow his recommendations to the letter in a supplemental application.
Addie was so frustrated, she knocked me to the sofa after dinner, right in front of her father. Pounding on my chest, she shouted, "Put those fancy degrees to work!" Art and I were both laughing up a storm but she wasn't. "Damn it, winter will be here before you know it. Don't the bride and her baby count for anything?"
Art was shocked. "Are you...?"
She jumped into his lap and pounded harder. "No, but maybe I should be. I could go in there and say I'll be forced to deliver in a snowdrift if they don't get busy."
Now we were all laughing and hugging. She kissed Art on the lips and said, "I told Michael we were pretending this was my first time and that I was saving myself..."
He got her across his knee and delivered a whack or two. "Daughter, I hate to say it, but you haven't looked like a tender virgin for quite a while."
Art and I sat together and spread the tough body across our laps. She struggled to get up but we pressed down, saying, "You are our kind of woman, but not a virgin."
She turned over and smiled at us. "OK, not a virgin. If I had to deal with two jobs and a new man, and all this other stuff, and no sex, I would go insane!"
We repeated for her, hands busy, "Insane."
Art pulled her tight. "All we need to do is prove to the county that no human or animal waste is going to contaminate the creek or its wetlands. We'll redo the survey to show elevations to the inch and Emma will make sure all the building sites drain away from the creek."
She closed her eyes, kissing our hands. "You make it sound so easy. What's wrong with me that I can't sort things like that?"
"You've been too busy lassoing a husband."
Art and I high fived and Addie screamed, "Dad!"
I grabbed her away from Art. "It's true. You cried your way into my bed, lured me to follow you west, blackmailed a big check out of me for the land, and you are about to announce the wedding date!"
"Oh damn." She cried real tears into my shoulder. I kept her close, mumbling that everything was going to be all right.
"I know!" she howled. "I've got the nicest dad, and the nicest guy to marry, and I am just having a happy meltdown!"
Art and I looked at each other, shaking our heads. She wiped her tears and tried to punch us.
* * *
Over the next weekend, we had a storm with sleet in it, and someone at the County took mercy. All of the necessary permits issued at once. We conveyed the package to Emma for review of any changes or conditions.
She called in the morning, suggesting a trip to the site to go over any last minute issues before we had the surveyor stake the foundation lines for the barn and the house. Art had decided to rough it in the barn until after the house was built and everyone was comfortable before doing his own place.
Both structures were going to be slab on grade, with heating coils for hot water to keep humans and animals warm in the depth of winter.
Emma had her arm around Addie, who was nervous as could be. "Look around, young one. After there is forty yards of concrete in these foundations, they will be hard to move!"
"Oh Emma, I am so excited, I can hardly think!"
I poked Emma in the side. "Still unhappy with your silly clients?"
"I am getting a kick out of this filly here, dancing around about my house design."
I suggested the three of us visit Cora and Hugh, to tell them we were about to start work.
The women thought that was a fine idea. I did too, as it gave me a chance to ask his advice about a foundation contractor. Soon, we were on his sunny porch again, with brews in hand.
"Going to mess up my road with readymix trucks, are you?"
"Hugh, do you know a reliable foundation guy who will do our work properly before snow and not mess up your road?"
"I just might. The son of a logger I worked with is trying to make it on his own. Would be a feather in his cap locally to get your business. Might even give up the usual surcharge for coming way out here."
"Knows his stuff? Emma has some tough specs on the concrete because of the radiant heating."
"His name is Craig Smith. Let me get the phone and we'll see if he is reachable."
He was, and would be delighted to drop by the house to pick up a set of the plans and work up a quote. Hugh went a step further, inviting him for a beer and a site visit the next day after work.
"Hugh, you slippery codger, you're just trying to make me stay up all night doing those plans."
"Listen youngster, this is an Emma Cartright house. Play your cards right and the business will flow right in."
Addie's excited voice interrupted, "Michael! Cora says that Craig's girlfriend is Emily Hodgkins. Emily and I skied together in school. We have to have them to dinner. Cora says we should do it here, because Craig needs a site visit anyway."
I had a sinking feeling that my bride-to-be was out in front again. I grabbed her in a clinch and asked, "You and Emily are going to get your boots on and shovel mud?"
Cora was in the kitchen doorway behind us, laughing hard. "Michael, you bring the wine and steak, I'll do the rest."
Addie pushed me against the wall. "Lover, this house project is getting better by the day."
She got a hot kiss and a question. "Have you decided when the big wedding day is?"
She huddled in my arms, giggling, "When the beautiful concrete floor is hard enough to stand on!"
* * *
Dinner the next night was out of this world. Craig decided we would all go in his crew cab. Addie was in suggestive cutoffs and sat in the back with Emily. What I could hear of the conversation was outrageous.
"Craig, we never should have let these two pair up on the project. There is going to be nothing but trouble."
/Hugh loaned us one of his work tables on which to arrange Emma's large sheets. Some stakes were already in the ground. Craig was comparing the sheets and stakes to his takeoffs and nodding.
