Free Colorado Cabin in the Pines (Peakview series Book 3) by Jill Haymaker Page A

greet them.
    Emma giggled and plopped down in the hay, as the furry balls surrounded her and covered her face in wet kisses.
    Luke squatted beside the child and held out his hand. The biggest of the bunch left his siblings to climb up on his knee and look him squarely in the eyes, his whole body wagging in delight. That was it. Just like that, Luke lost his heart for the first time since that long ago day in the barn with Penny.
    “That’s Brutus. He was the first born.”
    Luke scooped the squirming mass into his arms and let him lick his face. “Hey Brutus.” The name seemed to fit him. He set Brutus back down so the pup could join in the wrestling match that had erupted between the other three puppies. But instead of joining his litter mates, Brutus followed Luke over to where he rejoined John at the edge of the stall and began chewing on the toe of his cowboy boot. Luke moved his leg around slowly and Brutus barked and tried to maintain his hold on his new found toy.
    “Brutus likes you,” Emma said.
    “Are they all still available?” Luke asked. Not that he cared about the other three, his mind was made up the moment he saw Brutus. He looked down at the puppy by his feet.
    “All except for the smallest female over there. They turned eight weeks yesterday, so they’re ready to go to their new homes.”
    “In that case, I’d better take Brutus, since he appears to be permanently attached to my boot.”
    Emma looked up, tears starting to well up in her eyes. “What? You’re taking Brutus away?”
    John leaned down and gently put his arm on his daughter’s shoulder. “Honey, you remember we talked about this. The puppies are going to go to their new families so they can be their dogs just like Gypsy is our dog. Luke will be Brutus’ new family.”
    “I know.” She frowned as she settled in her dad’s lap. “But I’ll miss them.”
    Luke looked over at the child. He knew how hard it was to lose someone you loved. “You can come and visit him anytime you want.”
    After talking price with John, Luke handed Brutus to Emma as he walked out to his truck to get his checkbook. “Here, you say goodbye to him while I pay your dad.”
    The child reluctantly followed them into the yard, holding tight to her squirming bundle.
    Luke had put a cardboard box with a towel in the bottom in the passenger seat of his truck—just in case. After one last tearful hug from the child, he picked up his new roommate and set him in the box.
    “Thanks, John. I’ll talk to you soon. Emma, you come visit any time.”
    Luke climbed in the driver’s side and looked over at the pup who was already chewing on the edge of the box. “I’m going to have to invest in some chew toys, before you eat everything I own.” He rubbed his friend’s head. He put the truck in gear, but only got about ten feet down the road, when the box tipped on its side and Brutus quickly wiggled onto his lap, his head looking out at the road through the steering wheel. Luke’s heart warmed even more. “Okay, little buddy, you can sit here for today, but we both know that you’re going to get too big to do this before long.”
    As he drove back through Peakview, he noticed that the Camaro was no longer there. Penny would love this little bundle he held in his arms. They used to talk about having pets—lots of pets. He looked down. Brutus had laid his head on Luke’s lap, no doubt worn out from his adventure. It was nice to feel love again, even if it was from a dog.
     
    ***
     
    Penny loved her first two weeks of working at Peak Adventure. She felt alive again—she was making a difference. All of the campers had stolen her heart, especially little Marissa. Gradually, she watched the child open up more and more, like a small flower just beginning to bloom. The books she purchased from Melanie were a hit. Each day the campers found more flowers to identify. It became a game with the group of younger girls, who named their group, the Columbines, after