AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Lily holds up one hand to them. “I got it, boys.”
Digger stands up and tucks his lips between his teeth, clearly trying not to laugh. “We should let them come too, though. You know, so they won’t feel left out.”
“Okay,” she says with a shrug.
She gives him the “come closer” gesture with her index finger and when he leans down, she whispers, “I don’t have to touch worms, do I?”
“Nah, I’ll take care of that for you this time,” Digger tells her. “Now, why don’t you go check out your castle for the night and I’ll bring up another load of stuff from the plane.” He turns back in the direction of the lake and calls over his shoulder, “It’s not locked, so you can go right in.”
Of course it’s not locked. Nobody would willingly want to go in there.
I walk into the two-room cabin and it’s all I can do not to burst into tears. It’s horrible. There are cobwebs everywhere, and a nest in the corner that could be home to God knows what. It’s got one lonely kitchen cabinet, a sink without any taps, a small wooden table with four chairs, and an ancient puke-green colored loveseat that I could never imagine sitting on. It’s totally filthy. I’m still standing frozen in place when Digger comes back, his arms loaded with gear.
“Through that door is the bedroom,” Digger tells me. “You and Lily can have that, and the boys and I will sleep outside.”
I offer him a smile that I’m sure would earn me a Razzie (on account of being so unconvincing). “Super.”
Lily tugs on my hand. “It’s okay, Mom. We’re tough.” I walk over to the door and open it. The small room has two double beds pressed up against each wall. They’ve been stripped down to the mattresses. Digger’s voice comes from over my shoulder, “I’ve got the bedding in the plane, so it’ll be fresh. I’ll send Wyatt to go get it for you.”
“Thanks.” I turn around and find him standing closer than I thought he was. The nearness surprises me. He’s an imposing figure up close. Handsome, too, if I cared about that sort of thing. Which I don’t. Men are the very last thing on my mind and honestly, they may never cross it again.
His eyes flick down to my lips, then he seems to catch himself because his cheeks turn a little red. He clears his throat. “Are you up for some fishing?”
“I think I’m going to stay here for now and try to … spruce the place up a bit.”
As we leave the bedroom, he says, “There are some cleaning products under the kitchen sink. The well is out back if you run out of water in the tank.”
“And how does one use the sink?” I ask. “What with the lack of taps and all …”
He points to a large water cooler on the counter. “There’s a kettle in the cupboard. I’ll set up a camp stove outside if you need to heat it up.”
“Ah, okay,” I answer, trying not to sound horrified.
“All right, kids, should we go catch some fish?” he asks.
As Digger and the kids disappear down the path, I’m surrounded by silence. I take a deep breath, trying to figure out what to address first. I decide on the nest and the cobwebs. There’s a broom leaning against the wall, so I start sweeping. By the time I’m done sweeping, scrubbing, and making the beds, the place seems slightly less wretched. Not good, but at least I don’t want to cry.
While this is not home-sweet-home, it’s going to have to do the trick. At least until the vultures give up.
Chapter16
Digger
Five kids is a lot of kids. Especially when you’re letting them fish. I rush from one to the other, detangling fishing lines, reminding them not to stand too close to each other, and re-baiting their hooks when they lose their worms. After a couple of hours, Harper shows up on the dock. I’m glad to see her as I’m going to need some help herding the cats.
She’s carrying a small cooler that I hope contains at least one beer. With her free hand, she offers a small wave. She looks amused while taking in the scene before her—which can only be described as marginally-managed chaos. “How’s it going?”
“It’s a little hectic,” I tell her, doing my best not to notice how good she looks in her tank top and shorts. She could make a career out of her legs alone.
“Who’s thirsty?” Harper asks, causing all five kids to drop their lines and go running.
She chuckles as she sets down the cooler and starts handing out bottles of soda. Then she pulls out a couple of Bud Lights. She tosses me one. “You look like you could use this.”
“Thanks,” I tell her, cracking the tab. “Did you manage to make the cabin feel homier?”
She opens her can and holds it up. “Let’s just say I earned this.” After a long sip, she says, “Tell me about the whole bear situation up here. We’re talking grizzlies, yes?”
I nod. “But don’t worry, the kids make enough of a racket to keep them far away from here.”
