Page 50 of The Mountain Man's Mail-Order Mafia Princess

Talia stayed near the porch, well clear of the trees I was inspecting.

When I finished, the woman joined us beneath the shade of an aspen.

“The damaged tree needs to come down,” I said. “The low branches on the others need to be removed, and the ground beneath them needs to be cleared.”

She pressed her lips together.

“All of them?”

“No. One tree.”

She faced the damaged pine. “My husband planted those when we built the house.”

I followed her gaze. “The damage near the base makes that one a risk.”

“I understand what you’re saying.”

She clasped her hands tighter.

“It’s close enough to the roof that a bad wind could put it through the back room,” I said. “The dry growth underneath the others also gives fire a path toward the house.”

Talia moved beside her without coming near the trees.

“He isn’t telling you the memories don’t matter,” she said. “He’s telling you which changes might protect the house and the trees you can keep.”

The woman turned to her.

Talia gestured toward the pines. “If the damaged one comes down, could part of the trunk stay here? A bench, maybe, or something else you’d use?”

I hadn’t considered that.

The woman relaxed her hands.

“My husband always sat outside with his coffee,” she said. “He liked this side of the house in the morning.”

“We can save a section of the trunk,” I said. “I don’t build furniture, but I know someone who could look at it.”

“I’d like that.”

“I can also split the work into two visits. I’ll take down the damaged tree and clear the worst ground fuel first. The pruning can happen after you see how the area looks.”

She nodded. “That would be easier.”

“I’ll write up both options. You can choose.”

The woman glanced toward the shed behind the house.

“While you’re here, my generator has been making a terrible noise.”

I’d heard it before she mentioned it.

“I don’t repair generators,” I said. “Cade does. I’ll give you his number when I bring the estimate.”

“I thought you might listen to it.”

“I could tell you it sounds bad, but you already know that.”

Talia covered her mouth with her hand.