I stepped back,squinting at the wall while pointing toward the beam overhead. “I need floor to ceiling. Don’t cheat me.”
The TaskRabbit guy stretched his arm higher, the tape measure shaking slightly. “I’m literally at the ceiling.”
“Then touch it.”
“Ma’am, my arm only goes so far.”
“Then get creative,” I said, hands on my hips. “What type of helper are you?”
He glanced down at me. “You hired me for filing and bookkeeping.”
“And look how far you’ve come,” I encouraged. “Now extend.”
He shook his head but adjusted the tape anyway, rising onto his toes. “Nine feet, six inches.”
I tapped it into my iPad, nodding to myself. “See? Growth.”
The shed felt different in the morning.
The air was cooler, but it held the smell of damp wood and soil. Light pushed through the wide openings in uneven strips, catching dust in the air and settling along the floorboards.
The place had a good structure, even if it had been neglected, the bones were still there.
Chewy tugged at the leash beside me, restless and impatient. He wasn’t used to mornings like this.
“Babe, relax,” I muttered, giving the leash a small tug back. “We almost done.”
“We aren’t done yet?” TaskRabbit asked, almost as impatient as Chewy. I think everyone needs a nap or a cup of coffee.
“Mm-hmm. Rotate,” I said, pointing toward the next wall. “Let’s get width.”
He groaned and moved across the room, dragging the tape with him. I stepped back again, scanning the space while he worked.
I could already see it.
Seating arranged along the perimeter. A bar running the length of the back wall. Open panels facing the vineyard so the view did the work for you.
Yes. This could work.
I just need to make the budget work.
“What you doing up this early, Ms. Rodriguez?”
I turned toward the door just as Wyatt stepped inside, stopping short when he saw us.
I straightened, brushing my hands together. “Working.”
He looked around the space, taking it in. “This what working look like?”
“I’m getting measurements.”
“For?”
“None of your business yet,” I said, tapping my iPad. “But it’s gonna be nice.”
He nodded slowly, still looking around.
His eyes dropped for a second—my legs, the heels—then came back up.
