Saving Grapes - Madeline Kirby Page 0,70
build-out.”
It was after lunch before Thom found an opportunity to speak with his grandfather alone.
“Hey, Granddad,” he said as he stepped onto the front porch and closed the door behind himself.
“Hey yourself,” Steve answered as he pointed to the chair next to him. “Hobble on over and sit a spell.”
“Very funny.” Thom lowered himself into the chair and looked out over the vineyard sloping down to the construction site at the base of the hill.
“Yeah. But you’ll be good as new before you know it. Always figured I’d be the first one to break a hip.”
“I don’t recommend it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I wish you didn’t have to go back. It was great having you here.”
“Yeah, well. You know I can’t handle the winters here anymore. And I’ve made some friends down there. But yeah, I miss this place.”
“I’ll be down as soon as I can after New Year’s. And maybe you can come back in the spring when it starts warming up?”
“We’ll see, son. We’ll see. I would like to see how this all shapes up,” he said, waving his hand towards the construction.
“And you’re okay with, well, the changes and everything?”
“We’ve had a lot of time to talk things over while I’ve been here. You know I am.”
“I know,” Thom nodded. “But I guess, with you leaving and Ben and I, well, we’ve figured us out, too, and I just want to be sure.”
“Thom,” Steve reached his hand out and Thom took it. “Thom, you’re the only family I’ve got left, and I’ll love you no matter what, you do know that, right?”
Thom nodded, swallowing hard.
“The only thing I’ve ever worried about is that you’d be alone. I’m real proud of what you’ve accomplished here, and I’m glad you’ve found someone who’ll stick by you. If you’re happy, that’s all I need.”
“I am, Granddad.”
“Good. So no more of this worrying about what I’ll think. Whatever you do, I’ll support you.”
Ben and Jon finished putting the dining chairs back in place and looked around the room. Thom’s hospital-style bed had been picked up earlier that week. The borrowed bed Steve had been using was stripped and ready to be loaded into Chuck’s pick-up. Steve’s bags were packed and waiting by the front door.
“You’re sure you’re okay with us using your car?” Ben asked.
“Yeah, no problem. It’ll be more comfortable for Steve that way.”
“You can come if you want.”
“No, this’ll give Thom some more time with Steve, and then the two of you can take your time getting back here.”
“If you’re sure.”
“Mindy and I have got this. Anyway, she’s busy studying. Chuck’ll be by later and I’ll help him load the bed. Just call or text me later and let me know if you want me to have some dinner ready when you get back.”
“How about we pick something up for all of us on the way back?”
“Even better. Just drive safe and we’ll see you tonight.”
“Will do.”
Ben found Mindy in the living room, notes spread out on the sofa and coffee table.
“Hey, Min. Got a minute?”
She threw her pencil on the table and stood up. “Yeah, I can’t look at this another second. What’s up?”
“Doug’s taking me up on the job, and he’ll be here in a couple of months. He’ll need a place to stay, and we’re out of rooms.”
Mindy’s face fell. “Oh.”
“No! No, we’re not asking you to leave. But we need to do some rearranging and I wanted your opinion.”
“Okay. On what?”
“Come on, I’ll show you.” Ben turned, motioning Mindy to follow him upstairs. When they reached the second floor, Ben opened a door to reveal a set of narrow stairs leading to the attic.
“I thought that was a closet!” Mindy said.
“Nope. You never looked?”
“Well, no. Not my business, and who has time for snooping around here, anyway?”
“I guess you have a point. Come on, I want to show you this.”
Ben flipped a light switch just inside the door and Mindy followed him up the stairs.
“Wow!” she said when they reached the top of the stairs and stood on the plywood floor of the attic. “This is huge!”
They were standing at the center of a large open space covered with plywood sheeting. The rafters and roof supports were exposed, and in the east side of the steeply sloped roof there was a large dormer with two windows. Mindy crossed over to look out at the view of the vineyard and the winery/brewery taking shape near the road.
“So what’s your plan?”
“We were thinking