Cottage Country Read Online Free PDF Page B

lakefront.
     
    When she approached the end of the trail, Max went running out in front of her towards the cabin. Brandon was straddling a board on top of the deck fastening something in place with a drill. “Good morning!” He called out to Stacey.
     
    “Hi there.” She waved back. “Someone was paying me a visit this morning.” She smiled.
     
    Brandon laughed. “Yeah he has a mind of his own. Sorry about that.” He apologized.
     
    “Don’t be sorry. He is such a love.” She smiled watching Max chasing a moth around the yard.
     
    Brandon crawled down the ladder he had leaned against the wooden structure and walked over to Stacey. He wrapped his arms around her and leaned in for a kiss. Stacey tipped her head up and welcomed his greeting.
     
    “Did you sleep well?” she asked.
     
    “Oh yeah totally.” He said. “I actually haven’t slept that well in a long time.”
     
    “I didn’t know where you had gone. I was worried you were a runner.” She joked.
     
    “Oh don’t worry, I wouldn’t run from you.” He squeezed her in for a hug. “What are your plans today?” he asked casually.
     
    “No plans. I was just going to read and sit around all day actually. This weekend away was geared towards complete vegetation.” She smiled. “How about you?”
     
    “Well, it seems as though the next few years are going to be spent working while I am here.” He teased. “I have so much work to do to get this place looking good…but it can wait. Would you like to go for a walk or out in my boat?”
     
    “Do you have an extra tool belt?” she asked matter-of-factly.
     
    “An extra tool belt?” he snorted.
     
    “I’ll have you know that I spent many a hours next door helping my father with various renovation projects. I know the difference between a two by four and a two by six and I know what pressure treated wood is.” She raised her eyebrows at him.
     
    “Well then Bob Villa, be my guest.” He removed his tool belt and held it out in his hand for her.
     
    Stacey took the belt and hooked it around her tiny waist. “So what are we doing?” she questioned.
     
    “I was just about to screw some plywood on the top of the deck to prepare it for vinyl decking.”
     
    “Three quarter inch or five eighths?” she asked placing her hands on her hips.
     
    Brandon’s mouth turned into a wide grin. “Come on. I’ll show you.”
     
    For the next several hours Stacey helped Brandon placing and screwing plywood on the surface of the deck that he had reconstructed. He handed her the pieces from the ground and she pulled them up and set them in place. Both her and Brandon were perfectionists and they made sure that each and every piece was perfectly square before they sunk a screw. The sun was hot on their skin and both of them were glistening with sweat.
     
    “You hungry?” He asked wiping the sweat from his forehead.
     
    “Yes I am getting there. More thirsty than anything.” She replied.
     
    Brandon went inside and brought out two cans of cola from the fridge. They both cracked them open and drank them down in seconds.
     
    “It’s so hot today.” Brandon sighed.
     
    “Well you did pick summer to work on your place.” She teased. “And I think it’s only going to get hotter.” She shook her head pretending to look sad.
     
    “Well I think that we have done a lot of work for today and we need to have some fun now.” Brandon said. “Wanna go for a swim?” He asked.
     
    Stacey hadn’t been swimming in years and she paused to remember back to when she was a kid and she would spend hours floating around on her air mattress with a snorkel and a mask and just stare at the treasures that were at the bottom of the lake.  “I would love to go swimming.” She smiled.
     
    “Last one in is a rotten egg.” Brandon challenged.
     
    Stacey was taken aback by his dare and it wasn’t until after he took of running towards the lake that she began sprinting to the shore.
     
    Brandon