Chapter 17

seventeen

JACOB

The following afternoon, I stopped my truck beside the tiny home village. Pastor Adam hadn’t been kidding when he said it was a community project.

Instead of seeing one digger and plumber, at least ten people were busy working on the plot of land.

Opening my door, I stepped outside. After driving in my air-conditioned truck for the last twenty minutes, breathing the fresh mountain air made me feel alive.

“You made it.” Pastor Adam strode across the parking lot. “I thought you’d be resting after taking Paul to Boulder.”

“You must have read Jenny’s Facebook post.”

Adam smiled. “I never miss them. Is Paul okay?”

“He’s fine. It wasn’t the stress-free weekend he was planning, but he’s on the mend.”

“That’s the main thing.” Adam turned to the large plot of land. “Welcome to the first stage of the village. Would you like a guided tour?”

“Are you sure you’re not too busy?”

“The site foreman has got everything under control. You might want to take a look at the plans before we go any farther. It will give you an idea of what everything will look like once it’s finished.” Adam unwound the large sheets of paper he was holding and placed them on the hood of my truck. “The two homes in front of us were moved into position last week. The structural work’s complete, but the plumbers and electricians need to finish their work.”

I looked at what everyone was doing. “And that’s what’s happening today?”

“Some of what we’re doing. We build the homes in the old steamboat museum on the outskirts of town. It means we can continue construction over the winter, but it has a few drawbacks.” Adam pointed to two men lifting a large mirror off the back of a truck. “Anything that can be damaged when the homes are moved isn’t installed. We’ll be adding those fixtures to the houses over the next day or two.”

I studied the plans. “When I said this was an ambitious project, I wasn’t wrong. Why didn’t you include a full kitchen and laundry in each home?”

“We want to provide inexpensive, safe accommodation to people who haven’t been able to find somewhere to live. To make the project more affordable, we had to look at ways to reduce our costs. Using the houses that were originally on each plot of land as communal living spaces made that possible. By sharing kitchen, laundry, and group meeting areas, we’re not only making the homes cheaper to build, we’re reducing social isolation, encouraging inter-generational activities, and giving the residents a sense of community. Would you like to look inside one of the homes?”

“I’d love to.” As we walked across the parking lot, I imagined the finished project sprawled in front of us. In a lot of ways, it reminded me of the refugee camps in Afghanistan. The people who worked in the camps did everything they could to make life easier for the families living there. Creating a sense of community, drawing on people’s strengths, and overcoming their obstacles was a top priority.

Adam opened the door to a small office. “We’ll need to sign in before we enter the construction area. And you’ll need one of these.”

I took the hard hat and followed Adam toward the nearest home. “When will these two houses be ready?”

“We’re officially opening the site in ten days. The first tenants will be living in their homes by mid-April.”

As we walked closer to the first tiny home, I could see why Adam was so enthusiastic about the project. Whoever had designed the home hadn’t let the limited budget detract from the appearance of the house. The wide veranda would be a welcome addition during summer, and the French doors would give easy access to the outdoor living space.

“I like the bright red front door.”

Adam smiled. “That was Andrew’s idea. When he saw the original color scheme, he told me we could do better. A lot of people have worked hard to make these homes comfortable for the tenants.”

I stood to one side as two builders walked out of the house.

“Don’t worry about your shoes,” Pastor Adam said. “The floors have been covered in sheets of plastic. We’ll leave it there until everything’s finished.”

Even though I’d seen the plans, I was surprised at how spacious the homes were. To the left of the front door was a living area. The high ceiling and exposed wooden beams made the room appear much larger than the floor plan suggested. In front of me, a small kitchen counter and refrigerator would enable someone to prepare breakfast or a cup of coffee without having to leave the house. On the right-hand side, the ceiling dropped to a standard height. A queen-sized bed and bathroom completed the ground floor layout.

Adam stood beside a spiral staircase. “A team of architectural students from the University of Colorado designed the houses. They’ve used every trick they could think of to maximize the space.”

I ran my hand along a set of inbuilt shelves. “They’ve done a great job.”

“Look in the loft.”

I climbed the stairs and was even more impressed. The loft utilized the space above the downstairs bedroom and bathroom. Two single beds and a wall of shelves would give the tenants even more options. Someone had added soft yellow blankets and red and blue cushions to each bed. The floor-to-ceiling window was framed by colorful curtains, and the view of Willow Lake was spectacular.

“What do you think?” Pastor Adam asked as he climbed the stairs.

“It’s incredible. A lot of people will want to move here.”

“As soon as we shared the plans with everyone, we had a waiting list of thirty people. If you have some spare time, you could help us build the next two houses.”

I looked around the loft. What the community had achieved was nothing short of a miracle. And maybe, if I was part of what they were working toward, a little of their positivity might rub off on me. “I’ve got a few more days of work ahead of me, but I might do that.”

“Good. When you’re ready, give me a call. In the meantime, I’ll show you the first of our communal living spaces. If you’re impressed with this home, you’ll like that even more.”

Before Adam disappeared down the stairs, I cleared my throat. “I wanted to ask you about something else. Andrew told me you have a PTSD support group in Sunrise Bay. Are you meeting any time over the next two weeks?”

“You’ve asked at the right time. Our next get-together is at the church at six o’clock tomorrow night.”

“Would you mind if I came along?”

“You’re more than welcome. There’s usually about a dozen of us. I don’t know what Andrew told you, but we’re fairly informal. We’ll have dinner together before talking about what’s happening in our lives.”

“What would you like me to bring?”

“We’re having a barbecue, so meat or a salad would be great.” Adam stepped onto the spiral staircase. “If we’re lucky, Jenny will drop off some of her home-baked chocolate cheesecakes. Between her cooking and the fudge in Candy Lane, I’ve gained ten pounds in the last year.” He ducked his head as he wound his way down the staircase. “The plumbers have been working overtime to make sure the kitchen in the first communal living space is finished today. You’ll be one of the first people in the community to see it.”

I followed Adam across the lot. I was grateful he hadn’t made a big deal out of me coming to the support group. After kissing Andrew, I knew I had to give counseling one last try.

If I wanted to be more than his friend, I needed to deal with my past. And Sunrise Bay, with its towering mountains and glistening lake, could be the best place to do it.