Chapter 9
Finn
I don’t ask Jennie to move in with me because I know the answer.
I tell her I’m getting lunch. Which is what I intend to do—plus get as much of her stuff as possible.
It isn’t hard to figure out where she’s hidden her emergency key, taped into the rainspout.
I don’t feel bad about using it. Safeguarding the woman I love and the baby inside her is an emergency, after all.
I make sure to get all of her books, as she’ll spend a lot of time reading.
We’ll have to order stacks of new ones. I briefly contemplate quickly dropping in at the grocery store, as they have some books.
A measly collection of outdated paperbacks, but still something Jennie hasn’t read yet.
The steaming food container on the passenger seat urges me on, though. My queen likes her meals hot.
When I carry the boxes with her things into the cabin, Jennie’s eyes narrow to cold, hard slits. “You didn’t…”
“I did.” I push myself to my full height. “There are many ways we can do this, but unless you can assure me you’re able to keep yourself and the baby safe, you’re staying here.”
“Oh, am I?” she asks. Her voice is as sharp as steel. “And how do you propose we do that? Share your bed, as the guest rooms conveniently have been turned into tracks?”
“Uhm, no. You can have the bed and I—”
“Fine then.” Jennie grabs one of her books from a box and turns around. “Come, Lilly, it’s cuddle time.” Together, they vanish into my bedroom. The sound of the closing door punctuates the finality of Jennie’s decision.
That went better than I would have thought. She’s mad at me and I will be in the doghouse for a while—sans the dog—but at least she’ll stay where I can keep her safe.
I eye the couch. It’s a comfy one, with soft leather. But it is too short for my frame. Sleeping on it will be hell. Not that I wouldn’t face hell for Jennie, but only if need be. I have to try getting around sleeping on it, so I call Lyle.
He answers on the first ring.
“Hey, little brother, waiting for my call?”
“No.” There is some shuffling. “Grace and I are setting up the business plan for next year.”
“It’s March.”
“Well, apparently you can’t plan early enough.”
I chuckle. Grace is an accountant and runs their business with iron determination. Lyle loves his Christmas tree farm and the cabinet-making workshop, but I know how much he loathes the admin side of his business. “You want to get out of there? I need your help—no paperwork required.”
“Oh, I see. It’s that urgent? I’m on my way.” He hangs up, but not before I hear Grace exclaiming, “That’s a ruse, right?”
Ten minutes later, Lyle arrives. “Thanks for getting me out of there. I don’t know why Grace keeps trying to get me interested in the office.”
“You’re in trouble?”
“Nah. She is much more efficient without me anyway.”
I show Lyle the train models and his eyes pop. “Maybe you are the most creative person I know—or you desperately need to get laid. How much time did you spend doing this?”
“Some years. I want to move all this to the empty barn at the Christmas lot.”
“The empty barn the tractor is in?” Lyle laughs.
“Oh, that’s where it went?”
Lyle hums. “We could move it to the shed on the other side of the south lot.”
I nod enthusiastically.
“But why would you want to move all this?” His hand moves over the model. “Wait. Is that Skip dressed up as Bigfoot?”
“Do you remember that tourist car?”
“That broke down on Halloween and Skip repaired it in costume? They were so scared.”
“Fun times.” I grin. Not only was that an absurdly hilarious memory, but it also made Lyle forget about why I need the trains out of here.
I’m not ready to let my family know about Jennie living with me.
Ma would start planning a wedding right away, and I still need to get ninety-two I-love-yous in.
After I assure Lyle that he won’t have to present the models to anyone—I will in Christmas season—he willingly helps me to disassemble them.
Having put some thought into the construction of the scene pays off now.
Each room consists of three large panels of plywood that can be taken apart and transported separately.
It takes some to-ing and fro-ing, but Lyle and I manage to take everything to the barn, causing only minimal damage that I will be able to fix quickly.
“I can’t wait to tell Grace about your trains,” Lyle says as we part.
“Do you think she’s going to like them?” I ask nervously. I’ve kept my trains a secret for so long, I’m somewhat edgy that soon many people will know about them.
Lyle grins. “Bringing her something new and unexpected to work into the business plan will make her forgive me skipping planning.”
“As if you’d have to work for her forgiveness,” I huff.
“Yeah, she’s easy like that.” He winks, and finally leaves.
On my last tour back to the cabin, I take the rest of Jennie’s things from her apartment.
For the most part, the furniture belongs to her landlord; only the bookshelf is hers.
I will not tolerate that monstrosity of oatmeal wood in my home and just leave it there.
I will make sure Jennie’s books will have a place to go that is deserving.
When I arrive home, the bedroom door is still closed. I pop my head in, just to get a pillow thrown at it.
“Out!” Jennie shouts.
“Do you want dinner?”
Jennie remains silent, but her belly starts growling.
I snicker. “I put a casserole in the oven. And I love you. Ninety-one.”
As I close the door, I can hear Jennie groan. I hope that’s a good sign.
While the casserole heats up, I call Neil.
I feel bad for having abandoned him for the entire day, but he dismisses my concern.
“You missed out on some very good things,” he tells me and adds that he’ll swing by later as he needs my John Hancock on some documents.
Apparently, we will get all our licenses.
Never thought getting a brewery running would go this smoothly.