Black Creek Burning (The Black Creek Series, Book 1) Read Free Page A

out of a shiny black truck as they turned onto the gravel drive
     of their new home. The snow had to be a plus, Nathan decided. His nephews had played
     in snow when they visited their grandparents up here, but they'd never had it in their
     own backyard. He could tell Duncan, the older of the two, was wondering if people
     could actually live in the place. He'd tried telling them it would be an adventure.
     He said the three of them would be like pioneers.
    Snow crunched under his tires as the truck pulled to a stop. He looked over at the
     boys' cautious expressions. "Come on, men. We'll get her put together in no time.
     We're bachelors now." He laid a reassuring hand on Duncan's shoulder.
    "Do you think Goldie will like it here?" Duncan asked.
    He figured his nephew wasn't really asking about the bouncing yellow Lab in the backseat,
     although taking care of Goldie and his little brother were first priorities for Duncan,
     even if he was only eight. He thought about how much Duncan looked like his dad with
     his deep brown, wavy hair and serious sable brown eyes. Duncan's soft nose and chin
     were the only features he had inherited from his mother.
    "I think he already does. What do you think, Andy?" He glanced over at his younger
     nephew.
    Goldie, not quite two yet, yelped and jumped in the backseat. With his tongue hanging
     to one side, he pressed his wet nose against the window.
    "'Course he'll like it. Look at the creek and the lake," Andy defended. "He can fish
     and chase birds."
    Andy not only inherited his mother's looks, but her personality. Optimist. Adventurist.
     Like his brother, he had his father's wavy brown hair. But his eyes were light brown,
     soft and full of wonder.
    The extended cab, eight-foot-bed pickup was packed full. Bungee cords tied down mattresses,
     sleeping bags, suitcases, a card table with chairs and a cooler of food along with
     a handful of puzzles, Legos and Duncan's drawing supplies. It was enough to get them
     through until the first moving van came with more. The rest would be retrieved from
     storage as the house became ready.
    The boys climbed out and stretched from the last hours of driving like they'd just
     woken from a long nap. Nathan grabbed Andy, tossing him effortlessly onto his shoulders.
     With Andy's hands wrapped under his chin and his feet tucked around the sides of his
     back, he couldn't resist pulling out the new notebook he had ready in his back pocket
     and the pencil from behind his ear.
    He opened it to the first page and jotted down notes about the shutters. They would
     need to be discarded and completely rebuilt. The porch was littered with rotting boards
     that needed to be replaced. Some were still in good condition and just needed to be
     planed, stained and sealed. The railings, however, were going to be all new and all
     his, part of a giant wrap-around porch he envisioned. The wood siding needed to be
     scraped and painted. Some boards needed replacing there, too. He jotted down notes
     about finding a good painter and roofer. He wouldn't have time for that if he was
     going to finish the beauty by summer's end. The outside of the house would have to
     wait for better weather, he decided.
    "Dad, Goldie wants out. Let him out and let me down." Andy squirmed as he fumbled
     the notebook back into his pocket. "Can we go around back?"
    "I'll come with. Stay where I can see you." He let Andy down and took Duncan's hand.
     He noticed that Duncan held on a little tighter than usual.
    He opened the door of the packed truck for the jumping, barking dog. Taking a giant
     leap, the dog tried to run before his legs hit the ground. Stumbling and rolling twice
     before regaining his footing, he took off around the side of the house. They followed
     through the deep snow as they zipped coats and pulled on gloves that were too thin
     for staying out very long. Snow already began dipping into their shoes, but they didn't
     seem to care.
    A floodplain encompassed the