The Bears of Blackrock, Books 1 - 3: The Fenn Clan (18 page)

He stopped dead at the sight of her.

The woman who called herself Theresa Little steadied her crutches by the kitchen chair, eyeing the sandwiches on the table. She shot Kirk an apologetic look. “Sorry. I needed that.”

Her hair was damp, hanging down in kinked waves, and her face was flushed from the hot water. She was clad in yoga pants and a boat neck gray shirt, the sleeves pulled up to her elbows.  It was the first time he’d seen her figure, the first time he’d seen her the way she would present herself to the world without a nurse and a hospital gown to accessorize. She leaned down to catch one of the crutches as it shifted and her body jiggled in all the right places. Even in her lounge clothes, Theresa – Josephine looked so easily beautiful, he found himself stunned. He could imagine her curled up on his couch with a cup of tea and a book, that clean scent of her, with its hints of jasmine and Dove deodorant and something inherently feminine, filling the space. He could also imagine the way her ass would jiggle when it absorbed a solid smack of his palm. He shut his eyes tight, scolding himself for this thought. Why did she have to wear yoga pants?

More importantly, Kirk, why are you affected by her wearing yoga pants? She seems almost offended by your mere existence, he thought.

He swallowed. “No worries. Make yourself at home. Bread might be a little soggy by now though, but should be good. Oh!” He hurried across the kitchen, pulling a fancy mason jar from the fridge. “I like to add a smear of this to mine. Aunt Janice’s homemade cranberry sauce.”

Josephine struggled with her chair a moment, and Kirk lunged around the table, pulling it out for her to sit down. She shot him a wary look at the gesture, but took her seat. Then the two of them ate their lunch in silence, Kirk fighting with every passing minute not to stare at his new houseguest.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“Damn it, my name is Theresa!” Joe said, glaring at the man in the driver’s seat beside her. He just laughed, shooting her a sideways grin as they pulled out of the clinic parking lot.

Joe leaned down, scratching at the newly bared skin around her lower thigh. The boot was finally off and the rumpled skin and long leg hair made her cringe. She thought she caught Kirk glancing over at her bare leg as she pried her pant leg up to scratch at the ridges and divots left by the boot, but he’d turned away by the time she looked. She pretended not to notice. It wasn’t the first time she’d caught him looking.

Joe groaned as she scratched at her leg. Still, she was content to see her kneecap again after weeks of hobbling around Kirk Fenn’s house.

Joe was spending much of the days alone as Rory went to Blackrock Middle School and Kirk went to work. She’d managed to marathon several dry British Comedy Shows on Netflix, as well as a few documentaries. Though Kirk suggested she try a few of the dramas, she knew damn well that every British Crime Drama included dead children, and that simply wasn’t something she wanted to partake in. She washed dishes, did laundry, vacuumed – anything to pass the time and feel useful. She did not, however, cook. Kirk was rather adamant that he take care of that part of the household.

Despite being alone and crippled in the middle of nowhere much of the day, she did enjoy wrapping herself in one of Deirdre Fenn’s handmade quilts and reading on the deck, wiling away many hours with Kirk Fenn’s book collection. There were far worse ways to spend her recovery, she often thought. Especially since Rory was thriving.

Rory liked school, she liked the kids in her class, she liked the school band where she was learning to play the clarinet - she even liked her teachers. After several days of Kirk coming home early from work to pick Rory up from school, Joe finally caved, agreeing to Rory’s pleas that she be allowed to take the bus home. Apparently, the long ride to and from Blackrock School was one of Rory’s favorite times of the day.

Despite Joe’s disdain for being beholden to Kirk Fenn, she almost dreaded the day that she would finally get the all clear from the hospital to travel.

Maine wasn’t so bad, she thought. Maybe they could settle there.

Joe stretched her leg out, pressing her heel into the truck floor. The movement felt strange, almost as though her leg was asleep. She rolled her foot around and around, trying to wake a limb that wasn’t entirely sure it wanted to be used.

“You’re sure you want to start today? I don’t imagine you’ll be light on your feet, given the circumstances.”
“God yes,” she said, watching the now familiar landmarks of Blackrock, Maine sail by. “A person can only take so many days of alone time before they turn into a hermit – or a militia leader.”

Kirk laughed. “Are you saying those are bad?”

She fought to hide her smile, watching his large hand as he shifted into third gear. She was going on two weeks of living under Kirk Fenn’s roof – of eating his spectacular cooking, of reading his stellar taste in books, of watching hockey games with him on the couch in the late evening, hearing his colorful language when his beloved Bruins played. She’d seen him help Rory with her homework, seen him curl up in a recliner with a Lee Child novel and his sister’s cat, Mischief, visiting from up the road for the afternoon. She’d even caught him checking out her ass once or twice, something that seemed amplified by yoga pants or shorts. She feigned oblivion to it. She couldn’t pretend she hadn’t hovered outside her bedroom door more than once to catch a sight of him heading into the bathroom wrapped in nothing but a towel.

The view had been lovely, both times.

Despite her best efforts, she was softening to the man. How could she not, seeing how much Rory loved him?

“So, where’d you go last night?” Joe asked, searching for words to fill the silence.

“What? Oh, just went out for a walk.”

“At ten at night?”

Joe watched him as he drove, his dark hair springing in tufts from beneath his black and gold Bruins hat.

He glanced at her, then shrugged. “Why not?”

“Uh, because ‘wild animals.’ How many times have we seen a moose or deer sauntering across the driveway just since I’ve been there? And you know Rory and I have both seen a bear up here.”

“Yes, I know that.” Kirk paused. “I’m not too worried. Been going for night walks all my life. I find it peaceful.”

And necessary. His kind needed to shift. If they went too long without letting the bear out, the animal would start to slip out in their day to day lives – starting fights, throwing things. Weekly shifts, late at night had always been the Patrick Fenn way, and his bloodline saw no reason to change tradition now.

Joe shook her head. “Just don’t get yourself killed, please.”

“Why? You worried about me?”

She glared at him. “You’re the one who said moose are dangerous.”

“You growing fond of me, Josephine?”

“Theresa!”

“Like having me around, Joey Joe Joe?”

She swatted at him, fighting desperately to hide the smile on her face. God damn, he was growing on her. More than she ever wanted him to know.

They pulled up outside the Blackrock Inn and Tavern, and Joe climbed out of the truck without help for the first time in what felt like ages.

“Yeah, this is nowhere near the road GPS tried to take me to.”

“No, I imagine it isn’t,” Kirk said.

Her leg wobbled under her weight, but she did her best to hide the weakness. Kirk led her into the restaurant, holding the door open for her as she passed.

He was wearing cologne today. He smelled like Christmas.

Joe was startled as soon as they entered the restaurant. It wasn’t apparent from the outside of the building, but the restaurant wasn’t quaint in size, by any means. Attached to the Blackrock Inn, the restaurant was styled like a log cabin with open beams overhead and framing the raw wood walls. There were two main rooms to the establishment, one on either side of the front door, and at their center, a massive fireplace with a stone face that reached up to the ceiling. The room to the right was closed off for the afternoon, the bar that lined one side of it not serving for another four hours. Yet, despite the quiet of the early morning crowd, there was a fire roaring away in the fireplace and the young hostess stood before a glass case of pies and cakes, all available to order for there or to take home. Joe swallowed.

“Hey handsome!” A woman called from the corner of the restaurant. The dark haired waitress touched the nearby, older patron on the shoulder and tucked her notepad into her apron before rushing over to the door, She smiled brightly at Kirk, and Joe watched the woman approach, her short, dark curls bouncing as she rushed him.

Joe’s stomach tightened. She fought to ignore the sensation.

“Hey baby sister,” Kirk said, holding his arms out to embrace the woman.

Joe heard the word sister and exhaled. The woman shot her a sideways look from over Kirk’s shoulder.

“Is this the famous Josephine?”

Joe turned an eye to Kirk to unleash her fury, but before she could even open her mouth, Kirk’s sister touched a hand to Joe’s elbow in companionable greeting.

“Your baby girl is one of my favorite students.”

Joe raised an eyebrow. “Students?”

Kirk nodded, scratching the back of his neck. “Yeah. Gracie teaches band at the Middle School. I had Rory signed up for private lessons a couple nights a week so I could – you know – just to have a little -”

Gracie smiled. “Grown up time. We all need it every once in a while.”

Joe’s fists clenched at her sides without her control. She knew where Rory was now, knew she was safe at school, but the sudden reminder of all those days her daughter lived and breathed without her – without her protection? It turned her stomach to think of it.

“She was doing really great. You should bring her back in. I know the kids would love to see her.”

“I don’t know about that -” Kirk started.

“That sounds like – it sounds like it would be good. I know she’s really enjoying the band.”

Both Gracie and Kirk turned to watch her a moment, as though startled to hear her agree.

Gracie turned her attention to Kirk, gesturing outside at the massive schooner perched on its trailer. “You putting the boat in already?”

Kirk smiled. “Look at this damn weather and say you blame me.”

“I don’t blame you, I just think you’ll feel silly if we get another resurgence of snow – as per usual.”

She shot this last aside at Joe. Joe smiled.

“I’m willing to take the chance, thank you,” Kirk said, turning toward the door. He offered Joe a quick wave, faltering almost in the doorway, as though he wondered if he should do more. Then he was gone.

Gracie finally broke the strange spell, gesturing for Joe to follow. “Anyway, your wee one told me your name. Sorry if I wasn’t supposed to know. I can call you whatever -”

“No, Josephine is fine – Joe.”

Gracie smiled. “Alright, Joe. Come on back and we’ll get you squared away.”

Joe stood in the doorway to the kitchen, armed and ready to take on the job of waiting tables, something she’d done more than once in her life. Gracie gave her a tour of the place, introducing her to a young brown haired man clad in a hairnet and white apron. He introduced himself as Billy before returning his attention back to the fryer. There was a hostess who couldn’t have been more than sixteen, a blonde girl named Sarah, but otherwise, the dining room was quiet, save for the comings and goings of locals and regulars. Gracie assured her there were maybe a dozen customers total that weren’t over sixty and would actually notice if their food came out wrong or slow - or both. Still, Joe faltered there as the smell of the fryer cooking away in the kitchen filled her nostrils.

Apron on? Check.

Pen and notepad? Check.

Capacity for human interaction? Debatable.

“You alright, honey?”

Joe startled, turning toward the male voice. A man almost as tall as Kirk stood in the kitchen behind her, smiling the same smile she’d come to look forward to over breakfast every morning. It was almost disconcerting.

He extended his hand to her, and there was something soft about the gesture. “I’m Tiernan. I’m Kirk’s brother?”

He said it as though asking permission. Her wariness was showing. Joe took his hand, shaking it. Though his handshake was firm, he smiled and gave her a silly expression, sticking his tongue out slightly. It was such a disarming gesture, Joe found herself warm to him, instantly. That wasn’t common. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Joe had an inherent distrust of men. Being on the receiving end of Carson O’Neil would do that to a person.

This man was lighter haired than Kirk and Gracie, and not a stitch of facial hair to speak of, but his eyes had the same amber color as Kirk’s, and the smile was almost identical. Without Tiernan having to say another word, Joe watched the way he carried himself, the way he offered up open and heartfelt smiles to everyone he encountered, and became quite certain that Kirk’s little brother, Tiernan, was gay. This fact alone made Josephine relax.

“Did Gracie already give you the tour, and all?”

Joe nodded.

“Haven’t been out in the world much the past couple months, I hear. You feeling up to the task? I’ve got a couch in the back room if you need to take a breather, put your feet up, have a cocktail.”

Joe smiled at this, Tiernan’s hand gestures becoming dainty with the word ‘cocktail.’ “I don’t think my boss would appreciate it if I spent my first day drinking Mimosas in the back room.”

Tiernan smiled. “You’re right. Especially if you don’t share.”

He gave her an eyebrow waggle, and Joe’s mouth dropped open a moment. It just hit her. Kirk said the Blackrock Inn and Tavern was a family business – run by his siblings. Tiernan Fenn was her boss.

The tension in her belly relaxed with such speed, she almost fell over.

Tiernan pulled an apron over his head, pulling it behind his waist to tie it. “Kirk’s said you’re still recovering, so do what you can, but don’t overdo it on our account. It’s a Wednesday. There won’t be any mad rushes to contend with.”

“Are there ever?”

He put a hand to his chest in feigned offense. “Why, whatever are you implying? I’ll have you know we once had twenty whole people in here once - on a Tuesday – at the same time! Place nearly burned to the ground.”

Joe laughed, covering her mouth with one hand as she did.

Tiernan swatted at her. “Take a table when you’re ready. Feel free to just bus until then, alright? I’ll let Gracie and Sarah know not to seat you -”

“No, no. I’m ready. I’ll be ready. Just – I don’t know, give me nice people? Women preferably?”

Tiernan smiled, but he stopped to watch her a moment. “Honey, everybody’s nice up here. As long as you like guns and lobster fishing. I’ll let Gracie know, though.”