Free Black Creek Burning (The Black Creek Series, Book 1) by R.T. Wolfe Page A

pencil behind his ear and tucked his thumbs in his front pockets. "Made
     a few sets of them."
    "You still taking orders? I'd really like a coffee table to go with the end tables."
    She was confused as she watched the two of them. She'd never heard of the studio or
     Chase's obsession with upscale furniture. Her brother looked like when he was a kid
     working their mother to buy him a new instrument.
    She followed as they talked.
    "No. No orders. I'm on leave."
    "Not even for an across-the-creek neighbor's brother? After all, you did kiss my sister,"
     Chase added with a toothy smile.
    "My priority is this place. I plan to have her done by summer's end. I also plan to
     kiss your sister again," Nathan said as he led them up the creaky stairs.
    "Standing right here," Brie murmured to herself.
    "I'll tell you what, if you still want it come fall, you'll be my first post-home-remodel
     order." They walked up the curving, creaky slats, then along the stripped hallway
     to the bedrooms.
    As Nathan opened the door to the first room, she drew in one deep breath. She stuck
     her chin out, walked in slowly and looked around. It was simply the most stunning
     room she'd ever seen. In it was the wood he had been beating on... distressing he'd
     called it. It was stained with a comfortable light color now, yet maintained the smooth
     look that made her want to touch it. It was all around the windows and doors and even
     crowned around the ceiling. The tops of the windows and doors held taller layers of
     wood.
    Arranged in the room over rows of thin strips of tight hardwood and a large rug was
     the furniture he'd brought with him from the South. The walls were painted a homey
     sage green with curtains and a messy bed comforter that matched. On the walls were
     two framed pictures, one of a house in a compact neighborhood with towering trees
     in the background, the other of a rocky beach along an ocean. She walked closer to
     look at the pictures and noticed the frames had pieces of something that looked like
     they were stuck in the wood. She ran her fingers over the silver pieces, then turned
     to look at Nathan with an expression he read.
    "Silver inlays."
    "How do you get them in there?"
    He lifted a corner of his mouth. "Carefully."
    Her eyes drew back to the picture. They were both signed Duncan Reed . "Duncan drew these?"
    "Yes. You can see why I don't claim to draw with him in the house."
    "Where are they?"
    "Still asleep in the next room. This is Andy's room. He generally makes his way into
     Duncan's sometime during the night. You usually do the floors all at once in a whole-house
     remodel like this one, but I decided to go ahead and get their rooms done."
    She felt a tug on her heart as she watched him speak of his nephews with all the adoration
     any father would show for his sons.
    Chase made his way to look out the back window. Curious, she followed. They looked
     toward the house that had been in their family for three generations. The double-leveled
     deck she had hired out blended well with the Victorian theme from up here. She couldn't
     see the basket weave pattern of the bricks on the patio she dug and laid herself from
     so far away, but the shape was nicely symmetrical.
    She noticed Chase staring down toward Nathan's huge backyard filled with weeds.
    "I know a good landscaper," he spoke up.
    Brie gave him a discreet elbow to his kidney.
    "You do? I've got that on my list, but seeing that summer is so far off—"
    "Spring or fall is when you do the work, and it's not far off," she couldn't help
     but interject.
    "Give me the name. I'll call," Nathan said.
    Chase answered, "It's Brie. I thought I was being sarcastic. She didn't tell you?"
    "Hmm," was all Nathan said in response.
    She enjoyed watching her brother's childlike enthusiasm oddly mixed with Nathan's
     slow swagger as he animatedly described his plans for moving walls, adding bathrooms,
     and enlarging the kitchen. He spoke excitedly about the projects