Finn's Fantasy (Maine Men #1) - K.C. Wells Page 0,16

had at least three hours of calls ahead of him. By then, Bramble would be ready for another walk.

Will they still be working at that time? That brief wave had been Joel’s first contact with another human being for a few days. The only person he spoke to on a regular basis was the nice lady in the village store.

Maybe it’s time I got out and started mixing with people again.

Joel didn’t think he was cut out for a solitary life.

By the time Joel heard a car pull up outside, his heart was hammering. He had no idea what to expect. It would have been different if Nate had wanted to visit, but Joel got the idea Carrie had twisted his arm. He gave Bramble a warning glance. “Stay.” Then Joel opened the door, leaving the screen shut.

Laura was already out of the car and running toward the house, her long wavy hair loose beneath the floppy, wide-brimmed brown hat she wore.

God, she looks like Carrie. Laura had Carrie’s coloring, whereas Nate took after Joel. Laura beamed when she saw him. “Dad!” Her gaze went to the foot of the door, as though she expected to see Bramble.

Joel chuckled. “He’s inside. If I open the door, he’ll be out like a shot.” Behind her, Nate and Carrie walked more sedately toward them. Nate’s closed expression did nothing to ease Joel’s apprehension. Joel waited until the three of them were at the screen door before opening it and standing to one side, ready to catch Bramble if he made a run for it.

As soon as Laura was inside the house, Bramble’s self-control disappeared, and he launched himself at her. Laura sank to her knees and giggled as Bramble licked her face. “That tickles.” She put her arms around him, a wriggling mass of legs and chocolate fur. “Dad, he’s great. Can we take him for a—”

“Don’t say the W-word,” Joel and Carrie shouted in unison.

Laura laughed. “Don’t be silly. He won’t know what it means.”

“Aw, bless her.” Carrie grinned. “It’s easy to see we’ve never had a dog, right?”

Joel coughed. “Don’t I get a hug, or are they all for Bramble?”

Laura’s eyes widened, and she released Bramble instantly to get up off the floor and hurry over to where Joel stood. She flung her arms around him and hugged him “Hi, Dad.”

He laughed. “Hey, sweetheart. You can take the hat off now.”

Carrie chuckled. “You’ll be lucky. I think it’s now part of her head, she wears it so often.” Then Laura let go of Joel and went back to fussing over Bramble.

Nate gazed at the interior of the cottage, and the lack of greeting pierced Joel as sharply as a lance. “It’s good to see you, son.”

Nate flashed him a smile that was gone as quickly as it came. “This place isn’t that big, is it?”

“It’s big enough for your dad,” Carrie assured him. “And there’s somewhere for you two to sleep if you want to stay over.”

Laura jerked her head to stare at them. “We get to stay?” Her eyes gleamed.

“Not today, but sure, one weekend you can stay over.” Joel pointed to the futons. “They open out into beds.”

Laura rolled her eyes. “Great. I get to sleep near my brother.”

Nate didn’t look enthusiastic about the idea. “There’s only one bedroom?”

Joel pointed toward the loft. “On the other side of that wall is my bed.”

Laura was off the floor in a heartbeat, running toward the stairs. “Can I go look?”

“As if I could stop you,” Joel said with a smile. He was thankful Laura hadn’t morphed into a sullen teenager, but had retained her natural exuberance and love of life.

Nate on the other hand…

“This is so cool,” Laura called out from above their heads before thumping back down the stairs.

“Is there a backyard?” Nate asked.

“Yes, not that there’s much to see. There’s just a lawn, surrounded by trees. There’s also a deck, but if you go out there, be careful. I only do that when Bramble needs to go, and I don’t venture far from the back door. Some of those boards look a little dicey to me.” Joel looked to Carrie for help, and she gave him a compassionate glance.

“Do you have any hot chocolate?” she asked.

Great idea. Joel nodded. “And coffee for those who want it.”

“I’ll have coffee,” Nate piped up. When Joel blinked, he gave a shrug. “I’m drinking coffee now.”

“Only because he thinks he’s a grown up,” Laura interjected. “Well, I want hot chocolate.” She glared