yours."
If Adam noticed or was bothered by being called a 'boy' he didn't reveal it. Vi and I smothered giggles and watched as Adam, Chuck, and Matt filed obediently from the kitchen with Dad trailing uncertainly behind. Joe left from the back door, heading in the opposite direction.
Once we had the dirty dish situation under control, Mom dismissed me and I wandered slowly out to the front yard, soaking in the quiet of the old farmhouse along the way. The large kitchen had been built as an add-on when I was a kid, but the rest of the building had stood on top of the breezy bluff for more than 150 years. A Tanner had been farming the same hectares of land since the island was settled in the late eighteenth century. There was a lot of history in my family and more than a great deal of pride. I desperately wanted Adam to see that.
Dad was sitting alone on the porch swing, watching as Adam, Chuck and Matt crowded around the motorcycle. Matt had his tools out and was under the bike fiddling with something while Adam crouched beside him talking and Matt watched with interest. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but the camaraderie between the three was obvious, even from where I stood.
A bank of threatening-looking clouds was rolling in off the sea and the darkness contained within them had me a little worried, it was a forty-five minute ride back to the city and I didn't think it would be as much fun in the rain. The wind picked up as well, whipping escaped tendrils of my ponytail across my face.
Dad patted the cushioned seat beside him and I sat; the groaning creak of the porch swing as familiar a sound as I'd ever heard. Dad slung his arm across the back of the seat and looked down at me. And then he smiled.
"He's a different sort of follow now isn't he?"
"That's an understatement, if I've ever heard one," I laughed loudly. Across the yard Adam's head swiveled at the sound and he winked at me before turning back to the boys.
Dad and I watched the three for a time, listening to the sound of their laughter over the ever-present rhythm of the waves slamming against the base of the bluff. The brisk breeze off the ocean was oddly warm for spring and I realized with a jolt that I'd missed home a lot more than I thought. I sighed happily.
"Think this one will stick around?" Dad asked gruffly, interrupting my thoughts.
I glanced up at the large man whose blue eyes were so like my own. "I hope so," I answered genuinely, a little surprised at the admission. I hadn't really thought about it, hadn't really had time, but that didn't make it less true.
"I hope so too," Dad said with a small grin. And that was the end of that.
Chapter Five
We'd just sat down to dessert when the first clap of thunder shook the house. Everyone jumped except Dad and Adam who just looked at each other resignedly.
"Best get that machine of yours into the barn," Dad said gruffly. Adam nodded and he, Chuck, and Matt rose from the table to follow Dad silently out into the yard. Joe hadn't returned for dessert.
"He'll be down the road at Charlene's for the night, I'm sure," Mom sighed when I inquired about Joe.
"Charlene McMillan?" I asked incredulously; the McMillans had lived down the road from us as long as I could remember. "Since when are she and Joe dating?" I'd gone to high school with Charlene and never liked her; she was a nosy gossip in those days I was pretty sure little had changed.
"I wouldn't call it dating," Mom said grimly.
Vi giggled. "Yeah, I think she's more of a 'buddy', a fuc..."
"Violet!" Mom scowled darkly. "That's enough." She took a sip of her tea and picked half-heartedly at her slice of pie.
The men were gone for what seemed like a long time and I supposed they were not only stashing Adam's bike, but checking the barns and equipment before the storm fully hit. We could hear the storm approaching and when the fierce downpour finally
If Adam noticed or was bothered by being called a 'boy' he didn't reveal it. Vi and I smothered giggles and watched as Adam, Chuck, and Matt filed obediently from the kitchen with Dad trailing uncertainly behind. Joe left from the back door, heading in the opposite direction.
Once we had the dirty dish situation under control, Mom dismissed me and I wandered slowly out to the front yard, soaking in the quiet of the old farmhouse along the way. The large kitchen had been built as an add-on when I was a kid, but the rest of the building had stood on top of the breezy bluff for more than 150 years. A Tanner had been farming the same hectares of land since the island was settled in the late eighteenth century. There was a lot of history in my family and more than a great deal of pride. I desperately wanted Adam to see that.
Dad was sitting alone on the porch swing, watching as Adam, Chuck and Matt crowded around the motorcycle. Matt had his tools out and was under the bike fiddling with something while Adam crouched beside him talking and Matt watched with interest. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but the camaraderie between the three was obvious, even from where I stood.
A bank of threatening-looking clouds was rolling in off the sea and the darkness contained within them had me a little worried, it was a forty-five minute ride back to the city and I didn't think it would be as much fun in the rain. The wind picked up as well, whipping escaped tendrils of my ponytail across my face.
Dad patted the cushioned seat beside him and I sat; the groaning creak of the porch swing as familiar a sound as I'd ever heard. Dad slung his arm across the back of the seat and looked down at me. And then he smiled.
"He's a different sort of follow now isn't he?"
"That's an understatement, if I've ever heard one," I laughed loudly. Across the yard Adam's head swiveled at the sound and he winked at me before turning back to the boys.
Dad and I watched the three for a time, listening to the sound of their laughter over the ever-present rhythm of the waves slamming against the base of the bluff. The brisk breeze off the ocean was oddly warm for spring and I realized with a jolt that I'd missed home a lot more than I thought. I sighed happily.
"Think this one will stick around?" Dad asked gruffly, interrupting my thoughts.
I glanced up at the large man whose blue eyes were so like my own. "I hope so," I answered genuinely, a little surprised at the admission. I hadn't really thought about it, hadn't really had time, but that didn't make it less true.
"I hope so too," Dad said with a small grin. And that was the end of that.
Chapter Five
We'd just sat down to dessert when the first clap of thunder shook the house. Everyone jumped except Dad and Adam who just looked at each other resignedly.
"Best get that machine of yours into the barn," Dad said gruffly. Adam nodded and he, Chuck, and Matt rose from the table to follow Dad silently out into the yard. Joe hadn't returned for dessert.
"He'll be down the road at Charlene's for the night, I'm sure," Mom sighed when I inquired about Joe.
"Charlene McMillan?" I asked incredulously; the McMillans had lived down the road from us as long as I could remember. "Since when are she and Joe dating?" I'd gone to high school with Charlene and never liked her; she was a nosy gossip in those days I was pretty sure little had changed.
"I wouldn't call it dating," Mom said grimly.
Vi giggled. "Yeah, I think she's more of a 'buddy', a fuc..."
"Violet!" Mom scowled darkly. "That's enough." She took a sip of her tea and picked half-heartedly at her slice of pie.
The men were gone for what seemed like a long time and I supposed they were not only stashing Adam's bike, but checking the barns and equipment before the storm fully hit. We could hear the storm approaching and when the fierce downpour finally
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