Spencer had accounted for unforeseen setbacks like these. It was why he hadn’t committed the move-in date to heart, knowing flexibility was the name of the game when it came to construction. Still, he wanted to be in the house before snow season. He didn’t have a lot to move into the place but getting settled before the holidays was his hope.
“Anything I can do to speed things along?” he asked. His years as a cattle rancher obviously didn’t make him an expert at home building, but he had a work ethic that had been born from perseverance and dedication. He could roll up his sleeves and lend a hand where necessary.
“Nope. Me and my guys have it under control. But I will need to get those wall colors from you soon. We’ll be ready to paint late next week.”
That was where Spencer could actually use some help. He’d had a difficult enough time selecting the granite for the countertops and the tile for the bathroom floors. Luckily, most of the structure was wood, with big logs and beams that made it feel more like a cabin than a house. But there were portions of the home that were sheetrocked, and they would obviously need to be painted.
“Email Tammy at the office once you’ve got those picked out,” Darrell said as he got into his truck and buckled up. “See you back here tomorrow, bright and early.”
“See you then.” Spencer clapped the hood of the vehicle before it roared to life and backed out, a string of other white construction trucks following behind like a herd of horses on the move. He waited until they’d made it all the way down to the main road before turning toward the home.Hishome.
When he’d been ranching, he had lived in a fifth wheel. At the time, it was all he needed. Honestly, he liked the flexibility of being able to hitch it to his truck and move it about the acreage, settling in near the mama cows during calving season, a sick heifer that needed attention, or wherever the work required. Being portable was ideal.
But ever since he’d moved back to Snowdrift, he’d wanted deeper roots.
At first, he was content in staying in a room in Nana’s ranch house. That place had always felt like home, anyways. He and his twin sister, Clara, had spent so many summers in that house. So many of his youthful memories were made within those very walls.
But the ranch house was more than just a family home now. It offered lodging to travelers visiting the Sierras, and occupying a room that his grandmother could easily rent out didn’t make any sense.
With Nana Jo’s blessing, he carved out his own section of land, met with an architect, and hired a construction crew. The process had been smoother than expected, despite the occasional hitch or delay like the one with the electrician. And as the walls of his new home began to rise, Spencer found himself growing more and more eager each and every day. It wasn’t just about having a place to call his own; it was about putting down permanent roots in a place that held so much meaning for him.
But building a home was one thing. Creating a life within it was something else entirely.
And selecting a paint color was another animal altogether.
He stopped back by the ranch house on his way to the hardware store, hoping his grandmother might be inside and volunteer to go with him. She had an opinion on everything, and he doubted she’d be silent in expressing her paint color of choice. Right now, he welcomed that opinionated spirit.
Instead, he located her out in the barn, checking on Bluebell with a bucket full of carrots perched on her hip. He knew this was where she was really needed right now, making sure the mare was adjusting well and treating her to a well-deserved snack.
“You don’t need my help,” she assured, offering an open palm holding a bright orange carrot to the horse. “Just go with your gut.”
“So electric blue it is,” Spencer teased. He leaned against the wooden railing of the horse stall, resting his forearms on its sturdy top.
“Okay, maybe don’t go with your gut.” She snickered at her grandson. “If there happens to be a woman in the paint aisle, ask her to help you narrow down your selection. I do think that new place of yours could use a woman’s touch.”
Spencer highly doubted he’d find a woman standing in the paint aisle. Sam’s Hardware was a small store nestled in the Sierras that specialized mostly in the essentials for rustic living. Rows of snow shovels, firewood bundles, and snow camping gear adorned its aisles in the winter, while gardening tools, fishing supplies, and outdoor grills took precedence during the warmer months. They boasted a modest section of builder grade appliances and fixtures, so he assumed their paint section would be equally sparce.
However, as he parked his truck in the lot and hurried into the store, he was taken aback by the vibrant wall of color swatches, resembling something out of a kaleidoscope.
“When did you folks get all of this done?” He asked Zeke Hart, the retired fire chief who had recently taken on a part time job at the store to “keep himself young.”
“Just last week. Sam recently partnered with Aura Paint, and they sent us all of this.” Zeke waved his hand over the spectrum of colors like a magician showcasing his array of tricks. “It’ll be a miracle if I can actually learn how to use this big old contraption that actually mixes the paint, but supposedly, these are all of our options. Something like eight hundred and seventy-four to choose from.”
That was eight hundred and seventy-three more than Spencer needed.
“You got just plain white?”
Zeke’s fingers stroked his handlebar mustache thoughtfully. “Nope. But we do have diamond dove, satin swan, cotton crane?—”
“I’m sensing a theme.”
“Opal owl.” The man chuckled. “Don’t get me started on the blues. Juniper jay, sapphire sparrow, royal robin.”
“Nothing in there that just says builder-grade white?” Spencer was quickly becoming overwhelmed.
“This is a premium brand, made for a premium painting experience.” Zeke came around the counter to stand next to Spencer, the two men facing the big wall of bird-inspired paint swatches. “Choosing a color for your new place?”
“That’s the goal,” Spencer replied. “Maybe I should just close my eyes and point.”
