Chapter Five #2
“I never thought so. But I’ve learned in the last few weeks from Mom that money’s been tight.
I’ve been trying to find a time to sit down with Otis to go over financials, but things keep coming up and we haven’t been able to connect.
And the roof is just the beginning of the big things that need to be fixed around here. ”
“Well, I’m better in the kitchen than I am with a hammer, but you know I’m happy to help where I can.”
Chad rolled his eyes. Austin Young had made sure not only that all his sons could work on engines, but they could fix just about anything structural as well. “You just don’t want to risk injuring your precious fingers,” he teased.
“Damn straight,” Zach said with a grin, holding up his hands and wiggling his fingers. “These babies are my bread and butter. Gotta take care of them.” He began working his way toward the edge of the roof and the ladder. “And ... women like what I can do with my fingers too.”
Chad burst out laughing at the raunchy innuendo and simply shook his head.
The sound of a vehicle coming down the driveway had him turning his head, and his smile grew when he saw Lincoln behind the wheel and Knox in the passenger seat.
Hurrying now, he followed Zach down the ladder.
Zach tackled Knox as soon as he climbed out of the car, and the two were soon rolling around in the grass that made up their mom’s small front yard, mock wrestling.
Chad chuckled and walked over to Lincoln.
He gave him a man hug, pounding him on the back.
They’d seen each other at their dad’s service not too long ago, but this felt different somehow.
All four of the brothers were together again, for more than a brief trip.
“Get ’em!”
Chad heard the words a second too late, and before he was ready, he was taken down by Knox. Zach took care of their oldest brother, and the next thing he knew, all four of them were in a playful scrum, making him feel as if he was a teenager again, roughhousing with his brothers.
A loud whistle froze them all in their tracks, and when Chad looked up, he saw Mom standing in the yard with her hands on her hips, glaring at them. “What are you four doing? Get up! You’re causing a ruckus.”
Chad couldn’t help but chuckle. She sounded exactly like she had when they were younger. He got up and helped Lincoln to his feet. Then all four of them hurried over to their mom and surrounded her, encasing her in a five-way hug.
“You’re smothering me!” she complained, but Chad noticed she didn’t push them away.
Love and sorrow overwhelmed him. Love for his family, but sadness because their dad wasn’t there to join in.
Eventually, they all gave their mom a little room, and she looked teary eyed up at all of them. “Are you hungry?”
Knox and Lincoln chuckled.
“Mom, it’s not that far from the airport to here,” Knox told her. “We ate on the way.”
“You did? But I wanted to feed you,” Evelyn protested.
“Chicken and spinach casserole tonight?” Lincoln asked eagerly.
“With your homemade biscuits?” Knox added.
“I was thinking ramen and hot dogs for everyone,” their mom said. Silence filled the air for a solid minute before she giggled and said, “Just kidding! I’ll make whatever you want.”
“But in the meantime, I could eat again,” Knox said, clearly not wanting to disappoint their mother.
“Me too,” Linc agreed.
Chad was bursting with happiness. He knew his brothers would annoy the crap out of him before long. Of that he had no doubt. They were all too type A to get along perfectly. Too much alike. But for now, all felt right in his world.
For some reason, he glanced over at the body shop, where he’d last seen Britt heading.
He just caught a glimpse of her standing by the side door to the office before she ducked inside.
But he’d seen the small, wistful smile on her face as she watched the mini reunion in the front yard of the main house from her vantage point.
A vision hit Chad then. Of her watching a group of children playing in this same yard, years from now. Laughing as they roughhoused and got on each other’s nerves. His heart rate jumped with anticipation and longing.
He was confused about his feelings for the stranger he’d invited to Lobster Cove. She made him think about things he’d never considered before. It was uncomfortable, yet at the same time filled him with anticipation for the future.
“Come on, bro, help me unload the car,” Knox said as he smacked the back of Chad’s head. “I brought some stuff for Mom from Florida.”
He walked toward Lincoln’s SUV and asked, “You and Linc stop by your places yet?”
“Stopped and got the keys to our places before we came here,” his brother said.
“And Lincoln’s place is sweet. He did good.
The house isn’t huge, but it overlooks the Atlantic from a hill, and while it’s no Lobster Cove, it’s nice.
We unhitched the trailer with all his stuff while we were there. It won’t take long to move him in.”
To Chad’s surprise, their oldest brother had bought a house when he’d made the decision to move back to Maine. It had been on the market for quite a while and needed some work, which their brother wasn’t afraid to take on. Of course, they’d all help him however they could.
And his mom was right—Knox was renting an apartment nearer to town.
Maine didn’t have large apartment buildings like those available in other parts of the country.
Mostly people renovated older houses into separate living quarters.
Knox had the bottom floor of one such house.
It had two bedrooms and one bath and apparently wasn’t very large, but since he was single and planned to spend a lot of his time at work, he’d told Chad he didn’t really care.
Zach had also found a place to rent. It was a studio apartment—really just one room in a renovated house, much like Knox’s place.
But more importantly, he’d also bought one of the food shacks downtown.
Ironically, as much as he’d protested operating a lobster shack, that’s exactly what it was.
But Chad had no doubt his brother would put his culinary skills to use and update the menu so it was both high-end and down home at the same time.
His brothers were settling in, and Chad was thrilled. He had no problem staying at Lobster Cove himself. He wanted to be home to look after their mom and make sure things continued to run smoothly, now that their father wasn’t there to serve in the traditional role he’d held for half a century.
He refused to acknowledge the small voice in the back of his head telling him those weren’t the only reasons he was content to stay in the house where he grew up.
Britt Starkweather.
She’d gotten under his skin. Now that he’d admitted it to his brother, he was forced to acknowledge the fact to himself as well. He wanted to learn everything about her. And what better way to do that than to live with her?
Lincoln shook him out of his thoughts by flinging an arm over his shoulders and tugging him toward the house. “So ... how bad is the roof?”
He’d asked the question in a low tone so their mom couldn’t hear.
“Total replacement,” he said with a shrug.
“Figured. Well, we’ll get it done before winter sets in again. No problem.”
And that was just another reason Chad was happy his brothers were here. Problems shared always seemed less daunting than when faced alone.
Just like that, once again his thoughts turned to Britt. She seemed to have more than her fair share of problems that she’d had to figure out on her own. Well, now she had him, and his entire family, to help solve any issues she might face. The thought made him smile as he climbed the porch stairs.
His family might be rambunctious and loud, but he wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world. The Youngs stuck together, no matter what.