Finding Truth Behind Legends
by Wizardtho
Chapter 23:
Just as soon as Aiden and Jake get the bunk bed frame and mattresses up the main stairs, I hear a knock on the front door while Brad calls, “Miss Bella?”
I call out as I fix another cup of coffee for both Taha and myself, “Come right in, Brad.”
I place our coffees on the newly wiped dining table, then smile as I stick out my hand to the middle aged native man with Brad, “Hi, I’m Bella. Thank you for coming.”
He smiles and shakes my hand, “It’s a pleasure, Bella. I’m Hudson. Brad can’t seem to stop talking about your cooking.”
I chuckle, “Well, Brad’s been helping out around here, and I know my way around a kitchen, so I figured food was a good payment to someone with an endless metabolism. Would you like some coffee while we talk?”
Once two more cups of coffee were fixed, and Taha had said hello to both men, we sat around the dining room table. I started off by asking how much he had been told about our current needs, and he explained, “I’m in the know, Bella. I was there when Brad first found his coyote. Most of the tribe believes, so you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone without at least a bit of knowledge. Anyway… I know there’s something big happening, and other shifter tribes are coming. They may be here for several weeks, and they’re going to need beds to sleep in. You’re trying to do that for them, and I want to help you. I will build the beds and let you use them for the shifters for free. All I ask is that they come back to me when you no longer need them. I’ll make any minor repairs and sell them at that point.”
I let out a loud breath before asking, “Wait… what? Free?”
Hudson nods, “Yes, Ma’am. Free. I know if Brad were ever sent to help another tribe, I’d want someone with the ability to do the same for him.”
I nod seriously, then say, “Alright then. Did you happen to bring sketches?”
He nods as he pulls 2 folded pieces of paper from his back pocket, “These are both new designs. If both suit you, we can split the bunks between the two styles.”
One is clearly traditional, with it’s slatted rectangular frame, while the other has a definite modern vibe and rounded C-shaped frame. I love them both. “These are amazing, and look like they would both do well with adult occupants. I think this modern one will be quite popular for you.”
Hudson grins, “Thank you. Now how many can you host?”
I shake my head, “I don’t want to crowd too much into a space, so I’m thinking full-over-full bunks. I have two lofts, which we are turning into temporary bunk rooms, so 3 of each design will cover what I need. Will that stretch you too thin?”
He shakes his head, “No, that’ll work out well. I have all the needed supplies and can be done in about a week and a half. If Zander can clear Brad from duties to help me, I can have them done in less than 4 days.”
Just then, Zander walks in through the open dining room french doors, after saying something to Sam. Hudson stands to shake his hand, then sits back down. Before he can say anything, Zander offers, “Brad was going to be posted here at the house for the next few days, but since we have two wolves in the house and another coming, I can spare Brad to help you. He’ll still be needed if there’s a threat, though.”
Hudson nods, “Of course. Bella, if you need anything else from us, you call Brad’s phone. I don’t usually have mine with me when I’m in the shop, but Brad keeps his near the fan in case he’s needed.”
I nod as I see my dad walking into the room, “Will do. Again, thank you for doing this. It’s a major to-do I can mark off my very long list. Before you go, please let me introduce you to my father, Charlie. Dad, this is Brad’s father, Hudson.”
They shake hands, then Dad says, “Good to meet you, Hudson. Bells, we can temporarily block the top of the master loft stairs with framing and plywood, since there is a door on the second floor from the hallway. We just take out the stair railing. It can be reversed easily.”
Hudson nods, then says, “Hey, have you checked Gray Haven? It’s being demolished soon, so you might be able to get a bunch of lumber there for cheap.”
Not understanding, I ask, “Gray Haven? I’ve not been away from the property much since moving here a few weeks ago.”
He shakes his head, “I apologize. Gray Haven was a local bar and grill type hangout about 5 minutes up the road; the kitchen caught fire a few years ago, and the owners never rebuilt it. The rest of the building was okay, but abandoned. The property went back into the hands of the reservation, and the building is being torn down soon. The council is talking about a community garden and picnic area. Any money made on things would go directly into the reservation fund that helps out the pack. I don’t know who you would need to talk to, but I think there’s a sign on the front of the building.”
I shake his hand again, “Thank you again, Hudson. I’ll look into that right away.”
Taha walks them out, though Jake is with him when he comes back. I nod, knowing he wants me to see his and Aiden’s work. “I’m coming, Jake. Lets go see these bunk beds.”
They honestly look brand new. The wood is so perfect and smooth, I would swear I just took it off the showroom floor. There is not a scuff or scratch on this set of beds. I look at Aiden, then say, “She should have charged me more. These are pristine, Aiden. At least find out her favorite food for me. Maybe I can make her something special.”
He smiles, offering, “Two of the 6 sets of sheets are on. I placed the other 4 on top of the washer, because Mom said they had been packed away. Something about not smelling fresh anymore. As for food, she loves raspberry jam. She has it on toast, muffins, and peanut butter sandwiches. She’s constantly running out.”
I nod in thought, “Gran Marie had a good raspberry preserves recipe. Do you think she’d be happy with preserves?”
Aiden shrugs, “What’s the difference?”
I think for a second, then say, “Okay… with jelly, there’s no bits of anything, so it has a smooth texture. Jam usually has crushed bits of fruit in it, and is thicker than jelly. With preserves, you have larger chunks of fruit. Gran Marie’s recipe called for both small bits and larger fruit chucks, and was very thick. You couldn’t lift it out of the jar with a knife; you needed a spoon.”
Aiden nods enthusiastically, “That’s perfect, then. Mom’s crazy for them.”
I pull my phone from my back pocket, then make a note, Raspberry preserves for Aiden’s mom, Shelly. Then, after confirming that she likes apples, I tap out, Add a jar of apple butter.
Once done, I look at Aiden again, “Please tell her I said thank you, and I will definitely donate the sheets to the community center once the threat is over. For now, we’ll keep the preserves a surprise.”
We exit the bedroom, and I hear Dad calling my name, so I cross the hall to the great room loft. Dad is sitting on the floor, working on deconstructing the railing. “Hey, Kiddo. The paper next to me has the measurements of each loft, and the floor opening is noted in the master loft section. Since you have the door at the bottom of the stairs, it will essentially be a closed stairway to nowhere once the floor opening is framed up. In here, we just need to close up the opening to the great room and the one overlooking the entry. Again, things that can easily be reversed once they aren’t needed. Although with so many people, it might not hurt to add a bathroom, too, and keep the entry overlook closed up.”
I let out a breath, “Thanks, Dad. I really appreciate this.”
He smiles up at me, “There’s room in the actual basement for these things, so once I have each section wrapped and labeled, they will be placed on the storage shelves.”
Taha comes up behind me, kisses my shoulder, then asks, “Do you want to take a trip to Gray Haven? I made a call to the tribe chief to see who we needed to speak to about prices. It happened to be him, and he said he could meet us there in 10 minutes.”
I looked at Jake, then pointed at my father as I said, “You don’t leave his side for a second, Jacob. I mean it. Dad, the stay in the house thing? That’s back in effect. Please don’t go outside until I’m back. Then if you want, we can have a picnic lunch out on the island.”
With a screw in his mouth, one hand on a spindle, and the other working a screwdriver, Dad mumbled out a mangled form of, “Got it, Bells. Be careful.”
Just as soon as Aiden and Jake get the bunk bed frame and mattresses up the main stairs, I hear a knock on the front door while Brad calls, “Miss Bella?”
I call out as I fix another cup of coffee for both Taha and myself, “Come right in, Brad.”
I place our coffees on the newly wiped dining table, then smile as I stick out my hand to the middle aged native man with Brad, “Hi, I’m Bella. Thank you for coming.”
He smiles and shakes my hand, “It’s a pleasure, Bella. I’m Hudson. Brad can’t seem to stop talking about your cooking.”
I chuckle, “Well, Brad’s been helping out around here, and I know my way around a kitchen, so I figured food was a good payment to someone with an endless metabolism. Would you like some coffee while we talk?”
Once two more cups of coffee were fixed, and Taha had said hello to both men, we sat around the dining room table. I started off by asking how much he had been told about our current needs, and he explained, “I’m in the know, Bella. I was there when Brad first found his coyote. Most of the tribe believes, so you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone without at least a bit of knowledge. Anyway… I know there’s something big happening, and other shifter tribes are coming. They may be here for several weeks, and they’re going to need beds to sleep in. You’re trying to do that for them, and I want to help you. I will build the beds and let you use them for the shifters for free. All I ask is that they come back to me when you no longer need them. I’ll make any minor repairs and sell them at that point.”
I let out a loud breath before asking, “Wait… what? Free?”
Hudson nods, “Yes, Ma’am. Free. I know if Brad were ever sent to help another tribe, I’d want someone with the ability to do the same for him.”
I nod seriously, then say, “Alright then. Did you happen to bring sketches?”
He nods as he pulls 2 folded pieces of paper from his back pocket, “These are both new designs. If both suit you, we can split the bunks between the two styles.”
One is clearly traditional, with it’s slatted rectangular frame, while the other has a definite modern vibe and rounded C-shaped frame. I love them both. “These are amazing, and look like they would both do well with adult occupants. I think this modern one will be quite popular for you.”
Hudson grins, “Thank you. Now how many can you host?”
I shake my head, “I don’t want to crowd too much into a space, so I’m thinking full-over-full bunks. I have two lofts, which we are turning into temporary bunk rooms, so 3 of each design will cover what I need. Will that stretch you too thin?”
He shakes his head, “No, that’ll work out well. I have all the needed supplies and can be done in about a week and a half. If Zander can clear Brad from duties to help me, I can have them done in less than 4 days.”
Just then, Zander walks in through the open dining room french doors, after saying something to Sam. Hudson stands to shake his hand, then sits back down. Before he can say anything, Zander offers, “Brad was going to be posted here at the house for the next few days, but since we have two wolves in the house and another coming, I can spare Brad to help you. He’ll still be needed if there’s a threat, though.”
Hudson nods, “Of course. Bella, if you need anything else from us, you call Brad’s phone. I don’t usually have mine with me when I’m in the shop, but Brad keeps his near the fan in case he’s needed.”
I nod as I see my dad walking into the room, “Will do. Again, thank you for doing this. It’s a major to-do I can mark off my very long list. Before you go, please let me introduce you to my father, Charlie. Dad, this is Brad’s father, Hudson.”
They shake hands, then Dad says, “Good to meet you, Hudson. Bells, we can temporarily block the top of the master loft stairs with framing and plywood, since there is a door on the second floor from the hallway. We just take out the stair railing. It can be reversed easily.”
Hudson nods, then says, “Hey, have you checked Gray Haven? It’s being demolished soon, so you might be able to get a bunch of lumber there for cheap.”
Not understanding, I ask, “Gray Haven? I’ve not been away from the property much since moving here a few weeks ago.”
He shakes his head, “I apologize. Gray Haven was a local bar and grill type hangout about 5 minutes up the road; the kitchen caught fire a few years ago, and the owners never rebuilt it. The rest of the building was okay, but abandoned. The property went back into the hands of the reservation, and the building is being torn down soon. The council is talking about a community garden and picnic area. Any money made on things would go directly into the reservation fund that helps out the pack. I don’t know who you would need to talk to, but I think there’s a sign on the front of the building.”
I shake his hand again, “Thank you again, Hudson. I’ll look into that right away.”
Taha walks them out, though Jake is with him when he comes back. I nod, knowing he wants me to see his and Aiden’s work. “I’m coming, Jake. Lets go see these bunk beds.”
They honestly look brand new. The wood is so perfect and smooth, I would swear I just took it off the showroom floor. There is not a scuff or scratch on this set of beds. I look at Aiden, then say, “She should have charged me more. These are pristine, Aiden. At least find out her favorite food for me. Maybe I can make her something special.”
He smiles, offering, “Two of the 6 sets of sheets are on. I placed the other 4 on top of the washer, because Mom said they had been packed away. Something about not smelling fresh anymore. As for food, she loves raspberry jam. She has it on toast, muffins, and peanut butter sandwiches. She’s constantly running out.”
I nod in thought, “Gran Marie had a good raspberry preserves recipe. Do you think she’d be happy with preserves?”
Aiden shrugs, “What’s the difference?”
I think for a second, then say, “Okay… with jelly, there’s no bits of anything, so it has a smooth texture. Jam usually has crushed bits of fruit in it, and is thicker than jelly. With preserves, you have larger chunks of fruit. Gran Marie’s recipe called for both small bits and larger fruit chucks, and was very thick. You couldn’t lift it out of the jar with a knife; you needed a spoon.”
Aiden nods enthusiastically, “That’s perfect, then. Mom’s crazy for them.”
I pull my phone from my back pocket, then make a note, Raspberry preserves for Aiden’s mom, Shelly. Then, after confirming that she likes apples, I tap out, Add a jar of apple butter.
Once done, I look at Aiden again, “Please tell her I said thank you, and I will definitely donate the sheets to the community center once the threat is over. For now, we’ll keep the preserves a surprise.”
We exit the bedroom, and I hear Dad calling my name, so I cross the hall to the great room loft. Dad is sitting on the floor, working on deconstructing the railing. “Hey, Kiddo. The paper next to me has the measurements of each loft, and the floor opening is noted in the master loft section. Since you have the door at the bottom of the stairs, it will essentially be a closed stairway to nowhere once the floor opening is framed up. In here, we just need to close up the opening to the great room and the one overlooking the entry. Again, things that can easily be reversed once they aren’t needed. Although with so many people, it might not hurt to add a bathroom, too, and keep the entry overlook closed up.”
I let out a breath, “Thanks, Dad. I really appreciate this.”
He smiles up at me, “There’s room in the actual basement for these things, so once I have each section wrapped and labeled, they will be placed on the storage shelves.”
Taha comes up behind me, kisses my shoulder, then asks, “Do you want to take a trip to Gray Haven? I made a call to the tribe chief to see who we needed to speak to about prices. It happened to be him, and he said he could meet us there in 10 minutes.”
I looked at Jake, then pointed at my father as I said, “You don’t leave his side for a second, Jacob. I mean it. Dad, the stay in the house thing? That’s back in effect. Please don’t go outside until I’m back. Then if you want, we can have a picnic lunch out on the island.”
With a screw in his mouth, one hand on a spindle, and the other working a screwdriver, Dad mumbled out a mangled form of, “Got it, Bells. Be careful.”
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