by D. R. Mather
“I’m pleased to meet you Will, I’m sure I’ll have a wonderful stay here, the place is amazing.”
“Well, thank you very much Kevin, I only wish it would keep itself running. The son of a bitch is gonna kill me one of these days.”
William stood about Kevin’s height, but things seemed to be shifting on his body. Things were hanging where they didn’t used to be hanging. His hair was graying and it seemed he’d forgotten to shave that day. Kevin liked that about him. Will didn’t seem to be built like a man who had worked hard for his entire life.
“You do all your own work here Will?”
“Yeah, pretty much most of it. Barb does vacuuming and laundry and of course, the cooking; I do most everything else though. Now everything else may not sound like that much, but it’s a handful that’s for sure. Now, what say we get you all checked in and be done with it, shall we?”
Kevin followed Will over to a small desk that was stuck in a corner of the lower entrance area.
“We charge $400.00 a month for the room and that includes a breakfast and a dinner every day. We can do laundry if you need it, but we have to charge a small fee for that because it takes up so much of Barb’s time. I’ll let you discuss that with her though, I don’t wanna step on any toes, especially hers. I gotta sleep with her at night.”
“Will, that sounds fine to me, do you mind nine months in advance?”
“Hell, I don’t mind. Planning on staying through the winter, are you?”
Kevin hadn’t even thought about that, but it seemed plans were made without consulting him. “It seems that I am Will, it seems that I am.” He took out his wallet and sure enough, he pulled out a wad of one hundred dollar bills and handed them over. Kevin didn’t even have to count it; he knew it was all there. “There you go Will, $3,600.00 even.”
Will took the money and was about to ask if Kevin would like to count it first, then decided against it. For some reason, he just knew it was right.
Will took Kevin for a walk around, so he could get used to the place and see the layout. As they both entered the grand staircase, a woman went flying past them and hit the stairs two at a time.
“Hi guys, pardon me, these stairs count as part of my run. Catch you later, Will!”
Off the woman went, without even slowing, as she climbed up the stairs and out of sight.
“That, sir, was Judy. She’s our little ball of fire around here. She lives in room two for now, but she has her eye on room fifteen at the end of the corridor.”
As they ascended the staircase, Will was filling Kevin in on the details of the house.
“My great-granddad had this built in 1885, while there was still a good amount of gold to pull from the area. He retired in this house until he died in 1909, and my granddad took it over. Of course by then, a lot of the gold was gone and my granddad spent a good chunk of the inheritance while he was alive, leaving the rest to my dad. Now, dad didn’t do shit for work most of his life and spent all the family money that was left to him by the time he was sixty. We were about to sell off the house for dad’s medical expenses when he up and died. So, here Barb and I are, sitting on the only thing that remains of the family fortune. I came up here a few times when I was a kid, and Barb and I had our wedding right in the Great Room downstairs, but that was about it for most of our younger years. Dad didn’t like the house much, so we hardly ever used it. We mostly lived in Denver. Barb and I, well, we both had our own careers which kept us busy for the most part. Barb was an R.N. as well as a Doctor’s assistant; I used to dabble in the stock market. We never got rich, but we managed a nice little nest egg by the time we both hit Fifty.”
Kevin intervened with the question, “kids?”
“Nope, never seemed to find the time I guess. We kept putting it off until we both came to realize it was just plain too late. I think Barb always regretted that, I know I did. So anyway, six years ago we got a notice from the City of Denver telling us that we had six months to come up with five years of back taxes or they would auction off this place. Barb and I talked it over and here we are – no nest egg left, but it’s ours. We charge enough to make ends meet, and that’s about it. We both just loved this place so much; we thought it would be the perfect place for us to retire. Did I say retire? I meant to say, work our asses off like we’d never done before in our lives!”
“Will, I can see you’re going to be one of life’s more fascinating people; you’ve already had me glued to your every word and we’ve barely crested the stairs!”
“Oh go on, Mr. Chase, now don’t bullshit an old bullshitter.”
“Kevin, please, if you would, and I promise you I don’t bullshit.”
“Well that’s good news to hear Kevin. We already have our fill of them here already, so it should be a refreshing change!”
As they toured the living quarters which made up a large portion of the second floor, Will found out that Kevin was a builder in what Kevin referred to as his ‘other life’. Will had a slight grin on his face now, mostly because he’d been learning how to repair things as they needed it. Not all repairs had the wanted results, Like that damn sink next to room twelve. No one had been able to use it since Will’s fantastic ‘repair’ work.
After the second floor tour, Will announced that Kevin would be having room ten. He also told Kevin that he’d be the instant envy of everyone there because it had the best view of the neighboring mountainside and the valley.
“Why give it to me Will? I’m new here. Someone else must be more deserving?”
“Nope, everyone here knows that room ten goes to the visitor who pays the most in advance, Barb and I agreed on that right off the bat. So far, everyone here pays one month at a time.”
“I have to say I’m very much obliged then. I was kind of hoping to get a room at the end of the house anyway; I guess I just paid for it without even knowing I had.”
“I’m afraid those are the rules Kevin, but remember, if someone else comes in and pays ten months up front, you’re out on your ass and sleeping in the boiler room in the basement. Yup, those are the rules.” Kevin and Will were laughing their asses off as they came to another central landing to yet a higher level set of stairs.
“What’s on the third floor, anything worth seeing Will?”
“I guess if I offer you a tour, I suppose I should be giving a full tour. Don’t you think, Kevin?”
Kevin only grinned as they climbed the stairs to the third floor.
As they reached the third floor landing, a solemn face seemed to grip Will as he scanned the closed doors running left and right down two separate hallways.
“We thought we could fill it, the whole place I mean. We figured with the entire skiing and winter tourist thing, it would be a cinch. It never caught on though. Barb and I almost went broke with what we paid for advertising alone.” Kevin heard the quiet sigh come from Will. “Just never happened like we wanted it to, that’s why the sign at the road says INN and not boarding house. I guess we missed the two main roads by one and it makes all the difference in the world. I keep this entire floor closed up all the time because it would just plain cost too much to keep the rooms up and running. Shame though, damn shame.”
“I see, so your last name is Colburn?”
“Yip, it’s my family’s name and has been for a very long time, longer than I’ll ever know, you can bet.”
As they moved back down to the second floor, Kevin asked how many bedrooms the house had.
“There are thirty six bedrooms in all, fifteen on this floor and another twenty on the third floor. The ground floor had two bedrooms off the back of the house for servants which Barb and I converted into one suite for ourselves.”
“Why the first floor Will?”
“Well, we talked that over right away and we both agreed that it would be best for the guests not to see us walking the halls like we were snooping in on them. It’s worked our good really, gives them a bit more privacy.”
As they made their w
ay back to the stairs that headed to the ground floor, they were both standing in front of a very large set of double doors directly across from the second floor landing.
“And what’s this?” Kevin asked as he pointed to the double doors.
“Now, now, don’t be in an all fired rush, I’m getting to it.”
Will opened both doors in a grand gesture, like he was showing off the place to royalty.
“Here we have the second floor sitting room, library and what the younger folks call ‘the man cave’; only here, it’s both a woman and man cave. It’s for our guests and our guests only. We come into clean and to do a repair and such, but other than that, Barb and I stay out of here. Consider it your hangout away from the owners’ prying eyes if you want.”
Kevin instantly noticed the wonderful woodwork that made up the walls. “Fantastic workmanship if I may say so, Will.”
“Sure is, and a pain in the butt to keep it all oiled and looking this way I can tell you. Barb and I will always let the guests know the day before we have to come in here – no surprises that way.”
“I think that’s a very nice and fair way to run your Inn Will, I just want you to know this right off.”
“Why thank you Kevin, I think you and I are going to get along just fine. I believe you’re beginning to grow on me young fella.”
Kevin’s grin could be seen from all the way down the end of the hallway.
They moved back down to the ground floor and Will showed Kevin the Great Room with a beautiful stone fireplace covering one entire corner. There were several chairs and sofas all around the room. Some faced each other, others off by themselves.
“This is just beautiful, Will.” Kevin couldn’t describe it any other way. All of the walls were dark mahogany, set in panels that divided each section. There were gold leafs raised and seemed to be hand carved in each corner of every panel in the room. “I think this entire room alone would cost what most complete homes would cost, Will.”
“I can imagine so Kevin, it’s one beauty of a Grand Room, that’s for sure.” Will turned them in the opposite direction and entered the grand dining room.
“Wow, look at that table, isn’t it beautiful,” Kevin said.
“Sure is.” Will said with a proud gleam in his eye, “It was built for the house and has enough leafs to seat 50 people when they are all in.” Will opened a closet next to the door; it had been built just for the table leafs alone.
“Well, look at that!” said Kevin as he examined the closet and its content.
“We still serve all the meals here for any guest who decides to eat with us. So far, they all eat most every meal here.”
“Any special seating at this beautiful table Will?”
Will gave him the layout and Kevin smiled a little.
“So no one sits here, on the left edge?”
“Nope, yours for the taking if you want it.”
“Great,” said Kevin, “I’m left-handed and it should work out perfect. I don’t want to be shoving anyone’s fork up their nose while my elbow goes up and down as I eat.” That made for a good laugh as Will imagined the mess it could cause.
As Will brought Kevin through and out the back of the dining room, there was a small hallway that made a turn to the left, where it was met by two swinging doors.
“Now we meet the boss,” Will said with a mighty grin.
As the doors swung open, Kevin‘s line of sight brought him directly into the center sight of Barb Colburn. The first thing to hit Kevin’s mind was that she was as freaking cute as a button. She seemed to be about just over five feet; maybe five foot three or four if he had to guess. She looked like she’d had dark hair at one time, but now it was streaked with white and grey. She had an adorable little nose and dark brown eyes.
Will walked Kevin over to where Barb was rolling out some type of dough on a large wooden work bench.
“Barb, I want you to meet Kevin Chase, he’s going to be staying in room ten for at least the next ten months.” Will leaned into Barb, “Personally I’m going to try to get him to stay on longer, but don’t tell him.”
Barb looked at her husband. “Don’t you think your plan might work out a little better if Mr. Chase wasn’t standing directly at your side, dear?”
Kevin cleared his throat in a comedic way; “Please, call me Kevin.”
“Fair enough Kevin, and I’ll pretend to be Barb, so that I can pretend that this foolish man on the side of me is my husband.”
They all got a good laugh from that. ‘It’s going to be a good place to be for a while;’ Thought Kevin, ‘A good place to rest my weary bones until things takes a turn for the worse’.
Will told Kevin he could have stall ten in the garage. He set them up according to room numbers so there was no confusion.
“You’ll see the numbers on a small sign right over the top of each spot, so there’ll be no problem finding yours.”
“So it looks like my old horse won’t have to sit out in the cold winter snow after all.”
“Your’ old horse’ as you call it,” chuckled Will, “could win some major trophies if you entered it in some car shows.”
“Maybe, maybe. I guess I’d have to enter one first though, wouldn’t I?”
“You mean to tell me you drive around in that and you haven’t?” smiled Will.
“Nope, sorry Will, I’m afraid not.”
Will never mentioned the passion he’d had for mustangs. “Well son of a gun, imagine that. Listen Kevin, I’m about to become Barb’s slave here and I don’t want anyone to see the harness and whip come out, so why don’t you go get whatever you want to bring to your room. Here’s your key. Now remember, dinner’s at 6 p.m. sharp, give or take the sharpness that is. Get comfortable; feel free to roam around wherever you want.”
“Thanks Will, it was wonderful to meet both of you, I’ll catch you around.”
Kevin headed to his car. Sitting in the small back seat, under an old blanket, were two suitcases. He rarely used them because they were filled with his ‘people pleasing’ clothes, as he liked to think of them. There weren’t any T shirts and jeans in these cases, only real clothes. He went back to the trunk and took out his backpack which was filled with his ‘normal’ clothes. In his trunk sat a wooden box which was locked. On the side of it sat a pile of empty burlap grain bags. He glanced briefly at the box and thought, ’It has to be close to time for another drop off.’ He then closed the trunk.
Room ten was absolutely gorgeous. It must have been about twenty by thirty feet in size, with four sets of massive windows that were all arched at the top. Two of them faced the front yard; two were on the side wall of the house, overlooking the garage area. As he moved to the bed to put down his cases, his eyes were drawn to the view. It was fantastic to see. He had no idea when he drove here just how high he had climbed a mountain. He absentmindedly put the cases on the bed, then walked over to the windows that overlooked the garage. The tree line dropped away by maybe two hundred feet past the garage as the mountain descended down into a valley. He could clearly see four large mountain tops and all the valleys between them. “Fantastic,” was all he could say. Kevin just stood at a window and stared out at the distant wilderness of the mountains.
Chapter Five
Cindy and Emma were sitting in the waiting room of Cindy’s doctor’s office. Cindy was reading a magazine about Hollywood, as if she could care less. Emma was switching between checking her cell phone and buffing her nails. Emma would always be Emma, but Cindy loved her like a sister anyway. Emma was the flight of fancy type, and Cindy was the stable, feet on the ground one. It actually made a well-rounded set according to both of them.
When Cindy got called in she asked if Emma wanted to join her.
“Na, you go. I’m busy here.”
“Fine buddy, but if I come out with some wild exotic incurable disease, I’m blaming you for not being there with me.”
“Ya, ya, ya,” said Emma, not even looking up from her phone.
Cindy sat in the cold office and waited for doctor Burgenstein. She’d been his patient since the day he helped bring her into this world. She didn’t call him by his name though. Could you imagine that coming from a two year old? To Cindy it was always Dr. B.. He liked it; he got a feeling of warmth from it, of being home.
As she sat and stared out the window, he came into the room and rolled up his chair so that he was only a foot away from her. He took her hand into his and looked at her in silence for a bit. Then he said, “Well, after extensive tests from over 150 labs across this country and half of the rest of this great wide planet, we have all come to the same conclusion kid, you seem to be suffering from a bit of the ‘Preggers’ disease. Why didn’t you come to see me earlier than this Cindy? You’re about two or two and a half months along here.”
Cindy stared back now, but she didn’t seem as surprised as Dr. B. would have thought.
“I knew it. Well, I didn’t know it, but I knew it, you know?”
The doctor sighed in relief. “I don’t suppose you’d like to tell me how this came about Cindy?”
Cindy gave him a cynical stare. “What, they don’t teach you that part in medical school?”
Dr. B. stared for a second as if taking in what Cindy had just said, then he laughed and decided that questions would only put unneeded pressure on her, so he dropped it. He gave her some vitamins to take as well as iron and set up her next appointment in a few weeks.
As she walked out she turned, “I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner Dr. B., I honestly thought I was just eating too much lately and I was just picking up a few pounds.”
“Well Cindy, you weren’t wrong, you are gaining a few pounds.”
Cindy turned without saying anything and left the inner office, heading back out to where Emma sat waiting.
“Come on Emma, time to go.”