Read Online Burn (L.A. Untamed #2) by Ruth Clampett - Free Book Online Page B

throwing a fit or he’s kindly pretending he didn’t see it.
    I shrug. “Sure.”
    He steps aside so I can pass through the door.
    “Wow,” I exclaim as I turn back and look at him.
    “Please don’t say it’s tiny,” he says.
    I shake my head. “No. I think it’s really cool.” I take a couple more steps in to marvel at the craftsmanship of his place. It’s like an intricate puzzle that someone put together. Every inch seems thought out as my gaze trails over the bookcase, fold-down table and chair, and miniature kitchen.
    “Who built this?” I ask.
    “My cousin’s best friend designs and builds them. I helped some with the build. I brought it all the way down here from Portland after he finished it.”
    “That must have been some drive.”
    He grins. “Yeah, I got a lot of attention for sure.”
    “Where’s the bathroom?”
    He points behind us and I slide into the space that’s smaller than my linen closet. “Whoa. No soaking in the tub for you!”
    “No, but wherever I land next I want to build a deck, do an outdoor shower, and get a hot tub.”
    I nod, imagining it. “That’d be cool.” I wiggle back out of the bathroom. “So you said you don’t sleep in a loft.”
    He points to the other end of the structure and I see a surprisingly large day bed set in an alcove with bookshelves on either side. It’s cozy and I have to resist the urge to crawl inside.
    I let out a low whistle. “This is a much better plan than having to climb a ladder to go to bed.”
    “I had to give up having a couch or seating, but I’d rather spend my reading and thinking time sitting on top of my rig anyway. I like the open air.”
    I take note of the drawers and nooks which are built in everywhere, and everything seems to have a place. It’s pretty amazing, and a complete contrast to my big empty house. I feel cozy in here, and I like it.
    “Do you get claustrophobic?” I ask.
    “Not really. I think the fact that I’m at the firehouse three to four days a week helps. It’s good coming back here to simplicity and privacy.”
    “I can understand that. Maybe when the house is gone I should get one of these.”
    He doesn’t say anything just opens the little fridge and pulls out two bottles of water and hands me one. “Want to hang for a bit?”
    “Sure.”
    We step outside and scale the ladder to the roof. We sit silently in the lawn chairs as I take in the daytime view of my neighborhood. When I turn back I realize Joe is staring at me. He smiles.
    “Is this going okay?” I ask.
    He gives me a confused look.
    I wave my hand across his roof. “I mean with your being here. Is everything all right?”
    “Yeah, it’s great, and I think Betty likes it here, too,” he says patting the deck railing affectionately.
    “Betty? Your tiny house is named Betty?”
    He scowls. “My rig is named Betty.”
    “Sorry . . . right, your rig.”
    He settles back into his folding chair. “Yes, and as I was saying, she’s very happy here.”
    I take a sip of my water. “How can you tell?”
    “It’s just a feeling. Besides, she hasn’t been creaking or groaning.”
    I grin. “Is that so? Well, I’m glad she’s happy. So did you really help build her?”
    He nods. “I would’ve liked to have done the whole thing, but I didn’t have the time or all the skills necessary.”
    “I bet it’s super complicated. It’s so clever how they designed it with all those nooks, drawers, and fold-down thingies. It’s like everything has a purpose and thought behind it.”
    He sits back and smiles with a satisfied look on his face.
    “What?” I ask.
    “I did the design.”
    My eyes grow wide. “Really? I’m so impressed. How’d you have the idea to do all that?”
    “When I was a kid my parents had a camper, and I was obsessed with it, the way you could take such a small space and give it so much purpose. So when my cousin told me about carpenters building trailer-like houses—structures on wheels that had woodwork