Black Creek Burning (The Black Creek Series, Book 1) (10 page)

Nathan shrugged and handed her the notebook while turning to Chase. "I was just figuring
what to do with the stairs. I think I'm going to start from scratch."

"This is what you call
not really
?" She turned the sketch to face Nathan and Chase.

"Mmm. Give it back if you're going to embarrass—"

"Nathan frigging Reed." Chase hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. "I knew
I recognized the name. You're Nathan Reed. You own Woodridge Studio, don't you?"

"Did. I sold the place."

Brie looked from Chase to Nathan and back again.

"What the hell are you doing here? Why did you sell? Sorry, none of my business. Are
you still making pieces? I've got two end tables from your place... your old place.
They're Greene and Greene. Mahogany with little square, ebony inlays and box joints."
Chase wrung his hands and rocked up on his toes.

"I know what tables you're talking about." Nathan stuck the notebook back in his pocket,
slipped his pencil behind his ear and tucked his thumbs in his front pockets. "Made
a few sets of them."

"You still taking orders? I'd really like a coffee table to go with the end tables."

She was confused as she watched the two of them. She'd never heard of the studio or
Chase's obsession with upscale furniture. Her brother looked like when he was a kid
working their mother to buy him a new instrument.

She followed as they talked.

"No. No orders. I'm on leave."

"Not even for an across-the-creek neighbor's brother? After all, you did kiss my sister,"
Chase added with a toothy smile.

"My priority is this place. I plan to have her done by summer's end. I also plan to
kiss your sister again," Nathan said as he led them up the creaky stairs.

"Standing right here," Brie murmured to herself.

"I'll tell you what, if you still want it come fall, you'll be my first post-home-remodel
order." They walked up the curving, creaky slats, then along the stripped hallway
to the bedrooms.

As Nathan opened the door to the first room, she drew in one deep breath. She stuck
her chin out, walked in slowly and looked around. It was simply the most stunning
room she'd ever seen. In it was the wood he had been beating on... distressing he'd
called it. It was stained with a comfortable light color now, yet maintained the smooth
look that made her want to touch it. It was all around the windows and doors and even
crowned around the ceiling. The tops of the windows and doors held taller layers of
wood.

Arranged in the room over rows of thin strips of tight hardwood and a large rug was
the furniture he'd brought with him from the South. The walls were painted a homey
sage green with curtains and a messy bed comforter that matched. On the walls were
two framed pictures, one of a house in a compact neighborhood with towering trees
in the background, the other of a rocky beach along an ocean. She walked closer to
look at the pictures and noticed the frames had pieces of something that looked like
they were stuck in the wood. She ran her fingers over the silver pieces, then turned
to look at Nathan with an expression he read.

"Silver inlays."

"How do you get them in there?"

He lifted a corner of his mouth. "Carefully."

Her eyes drew back to the picture. They were both signed
Duncan Reed
. "Duncan drew these?"

"Yes. You can see why I don't claim to draw with him in the house."

"Where are they?"

"Still asleep in the next room. This is Andy's room. He generally makes his way into
Duncan's sometime during the night. You usually do the floors all at once in a whole-house
remodel like this one, but I decided to go ahead and get their rooms done."

She felt a tug on her heart as she watched him speak of his nephews with all the adoration
any father would show for his sons.

Chase made his way to look out the back window. Curious, she followed. They looked
toward the house that had been in their family for three generations. The double-leveled
deck she had hired out blended well with the Victorian theme from up here. She couldn't
see the basket weave pattern of the bricks on the patio she dug and laid herself from
so far away, but the shape was nicely symmetrical.

She noticed Chase staring down toward Nathan's huge backyard filled with weeds.

"I know a good landscaper," he spoke up.

Brie gave him a discreet elbow to his kidney.

"You do? I've got that on my list, but seeing that summer is so far off—"

"Spring or fall is when you do the work, and it's not far off," she couldn't help
but interject.

"Give me the name. I'll call," Nathan said.

Chase answered, "It's Brie. I thought I was being sarcastic. She didn't tell you?"

"Hmm," was all Nathan said in response.

She enjoyed watching her brother's childlike enthusiasm oddly mixed with Nathan's
slow swagger as he animatedly described his plans for moving walls, adding bathrooms,
and enlarging the kitchen. He spoke excitedly about the projects that the boys would
help with.

Absentmindedly, Nathan placed his hand on the small of her back as they headed for
the front door.

It wasn't an absentminded gesture for her. The earlier tug on her heart changed to
a solid punch. In her head she carried a short debate with herself about the foolishness
of her reaction to such a mundane gesture. "I'm impressed. It seems... overwhelming.
You can get this done by summer?"

The dogs were crashed on the holey porch, sitting in the snow the same as they might
by a cozy fire.

"
End
of summer," Nathan corrected. "And remember, this is my job for now. The furniture's
mostly built and waiting in storage."

Nathan grabbed his dog as she split two, short whistles.

"Thanks for the tour." Chase shook Nathan's free hand. "Let me know if there's anything
I can do to help. Or have Brie do to help so you can start on my table sooner." He
smiled and headed around toward the back.

* * *

Pleasantly worn from taking down lights from fourteen homes in forty-eight hours,
Brie lay in bed thinking back on the past few days. She and her siblings had told
stories about their childhoods—embarrassing stories, heartwarming stories. Nodding,
she thought of the feeling of contentment from that part of her life.

Her brothers had joined their sons in tussles over football. Her nieces had debated
the true New Year's Eve Twister champion. Enough food had been made to feed a small
country. She sent her brothers off with to-go bags of food. Kisses were passed and
promises made to spend time with each other the coming summer.

And the house had become silent again.

Chase had tried to fill his role of eldest brother after their parents died, but Brie
shut that off. His children were just reaching adolescence. It made more sense for
Brie to handle the affairs since she lived locally. She had nothing and no one, then
or now. It suited her. She preferred it that way, as Brian so aptly pointed out for
her.

She grinned as her mind flipped to the small tantrum her brother had pitched when
Chase told him the Nathan Reed that bought the old farmhouse was Nathan Reed, founder
of Woodridge Studio, and had agreed to make a coffee table for Chase's front parlor.
His reaction confirmed that her new neighbor must have built up quite a business.
She wondered what made him leave that kind of success. So his nephews could be closer
to their grandparents?

She thought of the conversations with her brothers and sister, reminiscing about their
parents, this house and the neighbors who made this their own little retirement community.
Gossip was that Clifford Piper had been spending an awful lot of time over at Lucy
Melbourne's. Mr. Piper's house was near the entrance of the short cul-de-sac, just
a few houses from hers. Brie could see it from the window as she rode in the back
of a yellow car. A cab. This was familiar.

Fear seeped into her spine. She couldn't quite think of why she would be afraid. Someone
was walking. She remembered someone was walking. A couple. Don't take time to stare
at them, she told herself. Don't take time to look at the red flowers her mother had
planted as she walked in the moonlight. She felt an urgency to get in the house and
then realized it was too late. It would always be too late. Failure and guilt took
her.

Everything came back. She knew she had to go in and watch her parents die and that
she would be useless in saving them. She recalled that her legs weren't going to run.
So, she just walked. She stood this time at the bottom of the stairs and let the tears
stream down her face, feeling mortified that she was actually eager for the moment
that her mother would turn to look at her one last time. When their eyes met, Brie
simply cherished their last connection and brought her arms out to her sides waiting
for the explosion. Her eyes opened and she was lying in her bed. She rolled over and
buried her trembling body in her pillow until sleep took her.

Brie woke to a dreamless morning. It was a good sign for a new day, a fresh start
to a new semester. She felt worn from poor sleep, but relieved she'd woken with a
blank mind. She called out to her dog even before lacing her running shoes. She tied
her hair back in two quick twists as she walked from the bathroom and down the stairs
to grab her yellow fleece jacket. Snatching her dog's leash from its hook, she went
into the garage and pushed the button to open the door.

"Damn," she said out loud. "Damn, damn, damn it."

Punching the garage door button with more force this time, she went back in to schedule
a cab ride to Bloom Elementary. If someone was trying to scare her, all they were
really doing was pissing her off.

As she ran, she considered who might have a grudge against her. A parent of one of
her students? The Gradys never missed a chance to tell her she had ruined their son's
academic career for having him repeat first grade. Poor kid. He had moved from school
to school and could hardly write his name when he had started in her class two years
before in the middle of the term.

Hmm. Confidentiality would keep Mr. Babb from knowing who reported his abuse to the
authorities.

She rounded the corner as Nathan's dog came running down the drive. This time, Macey
completely ignored Brie's command to heel and yanked the leash out of her hand, dragging
it through Nathan's yard.

Nathan meandered down his drive to greet her.

"I'm sorry, Nathan," Brie said impatiently, "but I don't have time to talk. I have
a new student coming today, my car broke down and I need to get back to catch a cab
to work. Please help me get the dogs."

"I'm afraid I can't have you taking a cab. I'll drive you. You have a new student?
To train for landscaping? In January?"

"No, in my classroom. Macey, come!"

"Classroom? You teach landscaping?"

"No," she said, picking up Macey's leash and wrapping it around the palm of her hand.
"I teach over at Bloom on Millcreek and Prairie. Landscaping and holiday decorating
are a side job. I have a cab coming. Thank you. I need to get going." She turned to
take a step.

"Wait." Nathan grabbed her arm. "Duncan and Andy are starting today at Bloom. First
and third grades."

Chapter 9

Without fully turning, Brie stopped. Her mind did a fast-motioned circle through several
possibilities.

There was a mistake.

She knew Andy was six.

There was no Andy starting in first grade at Bloom. She would know that kind of thing.

She assumed they were starting at a private school next week with the rest of the
private schools. Nothing really to think about there.

Back to there-is-a-mistake.

She turned to face him. "Have you registered them yet?"

"Yes. They have Mrs. Whittier and Miss Chap... oh." he said as his eyes wandered up
and to the side.

"I'm Miss Chapman." Brie dropped the leash, not noticing her dog running off again.
"There is only a Sylvester registered to start in my class today."