“Yes, I do to the first few and somewhat to the last.”
He shook his head. “I’m talking about more than what you covered in Girl Scouts.”
“It’s a good thing, ’cause I was never a Girl Scout. My immediate family are Appalachian folks. I know a thing or two about the old ways.”
“Then you won’t mind showing me?” he challenged, not able to believe this sassy woman in front of him and the quiet girl he’d attended school with were the same person.
“Nope. I’m used to having to prove myself to a man. However, you might end up feeling inadequate. I’m pretty damn good with fire work. Don’t feel bad, though. I showed my brothers up many times and they survived.”
Is she for real right now? He looked down and caught her quirky grin. He might actually be enjoying this banter if his brai
n wasn’t stuck on a loop made up of all things Alexa. Was Alexa laughing at him now? Maybe with Peter? He knew she’d been seeing someone else. Now it was clear who that man might be.
He doubled his speed, anxious to burn off the pent-up emotion bottled inside of him. Lilac remained close. No complaints spilled from her lips, and no stumbling or requests for breaks hindered their progress. He respected her for that. She’d been here less than an hour and she was already making him do things he didn’t want to. He might be in serious trouble.
Part of him wanted her to throw in the towel and leave him to his solitude. The other part craved adult interaction. His face heated. The minute Lilac entered the cabin she’d be privy to his shame. He was out of practice when it came to dealing with people on a personal level. Especially one as pretty as Lilac Fehr. He crushed the thought like dead leaves beneath his boot. This was strictly business.
They reached his cabin faster than he wanted. A fine sheen of sweat coated his forehead and the back of his neck. His chest tightened as the white pine dwelling came into view.
“Oh, this is beautiful.” Birds skittered from the trees with angry squawks at her disturbance.
“You like it?” he asked.
“Yes. Did you build this yourself?” The wonder in her voice pushed him away from the irritation the unexpected swap stirred up.
“Every inch.” Pride filled him like a balloon inflated with air. He’d toiled, hammered, sawed, sanded, and stripped bark for his homestead.
“You did an amazing job.” They moved up the stairs and onto the screened in porch where he’d set out two comfortable wicker chairs, two white pine rockers, and a matching table he crafted himself. On the left and right he stacked up wood in anticipation of the cooler weather starting to creep in. He’d done it to free up time with Alexa, but Lilac didn’t need to know that. He’d let her think he was extra prepared.
“This is a really nice set up.” She turned and shielded her eyes from the sun. “The view is incredible.”
Alexa said being surrounded by the trees made her feel trapped and isolated. He’d cleared out several of the trees since she’d been out last in hopes of appeasing her. The Marine in him understood compromise. So, he’d done his best to do what he could stand to adjust.
“You don’t mind all the trees?” he asked, curious to get another woman’s opinion.
“No, I think it’s part of the reason this place is so spectacular. I mean, it’s one of the reasons you live out here, right? To be surrounded by nature. It’d be a shame to take them down. Do you have a power source and running water?”
Her questions were thoughtful and intelligent. She did her research. “Yes, I have a solar powered system set up behind the cabin and well water I have running in the house. I also have a pump over there.” He pointed to the red hand pump a few yards in front of them. “I use solar power and a generator. I wanted to have multiple ways to produce energy just in case something happened. We’re about forty-five minutes from immediate help, and that’s in good weather. Water and power are two of the most important issues one needs to address when they’re thinking of living off the grid. I also use a Gasifier to power my generator.”
“Wait, a Gasi-a-what?”
He chuckled. “A Gasifier. It’s a machine that harnesses the power of burning wood into fuel that’ll power my generator. The odd-looking green contraption over there.” He nodded his head toward the drab olive green metal instrument with rounded barrels connected by thick pipes and tubes.
“I’m not going to lie. That looks intimidating and cool as hell.”
“Nah. It’s really not once you understand it.”
“Did the land come with the well?”
“No, I dug it. I specifically chose this spot because of its access to water. One last thing before we go inside. The outhouse is over there to the left. I preferred it to the composting toilet.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’m with you on that call.”
“You ready to go inside?”
“Yes, please.” The eagerness in her voice and the sparkle in her eyes chased away a bit of his bitterness. There was nothing like having a student excited to learn.
“I’ll give you a tour and then I want you to unpack your bag so I can look over your supplies.”