Finn's Fantasy (Maine Men #1) - K.C. Wells Page 0,29
demolishing.”
“Hey, you’re not demolishing anything,” Joel told her. “Your task is to move stuff out of the way, and make sure your dad always has something to drink.” He pointed to a clear plastic water bottle sitting on the kitchen table. “See that? If you see it getting empty, refill it. And if you’re moving pieces of wood, always wear gloves.”
Laura rolled her eyes. “You’re as bad as Mom.” She peered at the table. “Hey, what’s this?” She picked up Finn’s sketch of the proposed deck. Joel had left it there to show them.
“That is what is going to be built out there.”
“Can I see?” Carrie walked over, her hand outstretched. Laura gave it to her.
“This is what Finn came up with.”
Carrie nodded approvingly. “I think it will be beautiful. I can’t wait to see it.” She peered over her shoulder to where Nate still stood in the living room. “Come look at this. You’ll find it interesting.”
That had been Joel’s hope too. But before Nate could see it, Laura got in first. “Now can we go out into the yard?”
Joel laughed. “Fine.” He led them to the back door and unlocked it. Bramble was through the gap in a heartbeat, and Laura chased him, chuckling. Nate walked out onto the deck and glanced at the hole.
“Is that where your foot went through?”
Joel nodded. “The boards are a bit rotten. I think there’s a leak from the gutter above. The rain poured through and rotted the wood.” He cocked his head at the sound of a car engine. “That’ll be Finn.” Joel stepped off the deck and went around the side of the house to the gate.
Finn was walking toward the rear of his truck. “Hey, nice timing.” He opened the flap and lifted out two large toolboxes. “You can help me carry them through.” He peered at Nate’s car. “Hey, is this a bad time? Only, your text said whenever.”
“Carrie—that’s my ex—and the kids are here. Come and meet them.” Joel picked up one of the toolboxes and winced. “What have you got in here?”
Finn chuckled. “You haven’t spent much time around power tools, have you? Lead the way. I’ll come back for the rest.”
“You mean there’s more?” Joel exclaimed, feigning shock.
Finn merely grinned. He followed Joel through the gate, carrying the other toolbox. Joel did the introductions, and after putting down his tool chest, Finn shook hands with Carrie.
She glanced at the toolboxes and smirked. “So you’re the one who’s going to show Joel how to use a reciprocating saw?” Her eyes glittered. “Be afraid. Be very afraid.”
Joel flashed her a mock glare.
Nate gazed with obvious interest at the toolboxes. “Do you use a lot of tools?”
“Anything to make life easier,” Finn told him. “Back when I was training to be a carpenter, we had one teacher who told us the complete history of carpentry, going back as far as Egypt and ancient Greece, with a brief stop in the middle ages and the industrial revolution. He told us he used to measure using string and a tape. Nowadays, of course, it’s all lasers and GPS.” Finn squatted beside the toolbox and patted it. “Power tools are our friends.”
Nate’s eyes sparkled. “I want to be an architect.”
Finn beamed at him. “Yeah? That’s good. You at college?”
Nate’s chest swelled. “I’m studying architecture at UMA.”
Finn’s eyes widened. “Way to go. Your portfolio must’ve impressed them.”
“I guess.” Nate gave a shy smile. “Did you always want to be a carpenter?”
“I hope you don’t mind all the questions,” Joel said quickly. Not that Finn appeared to mind, but Joel didn’t know him all that well.
“Not at all,” Finn assured him. “An interest in power tools? That’s in our DNA, isn’t it?”
Carrie laughed. “It might be in my DNA, but I’m not sure it’s in Joel’s.” She gave him a sweet smile. “I think the correct term is mechanically challenged.”
Nate chuckled at that.
Joel gave an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. Rub it in.” He couldn’t deny it.
Finn got to his feet. “Well, I’m here to show him how to use the tools.” His eyes twinkled as he gazed at Carrie. “Maybe I should be showing you.”
Nate let out a louder chuckle.
Carrie smiled. “Hey, he might have improved with age.”
Joel coughed. “I’m right here, you know. How about you let Finn do what he came here for?”
“I think that’s my cue to make the coffee,” Carrie said diplomatically. She glanced at the kids. “Guys? How about you bring Bramble inside? I don’t think Dad wants him