* * *
Finn knew he’d blown things earlier with Oliver. When Oliver had spoken to him after their flying adventure about Maggie’s date with Hank, he’d been completely shocked by Oliver’s comment about wanting him to become his father. The comment had come out of the blue. In response, Finn had stumbled and fumbled, without a clue as to how to compassionately deal with a six-year-old boy’s tender wishes.
He had deliberately withheld that information from Maggie when she’d asked him about what was bothering Oliver. It would have been awkward to tell her what Oliver had said to him. He was still wrapping his head around the six-year-old’s comment and annoyed at himself for not responding well to it.
When he walked back into Keepsakes, Finn looked around the store for Oliver. He was sitting down at a little table Maggie had set up for him. His elbows were on the table and his head was slumped down next to the coloring book. He wasn’t coloring or doing anything other than brooding.
A quick glance in Maggie’s direction showed her distress over the situation. He didn’t know what was bothering him more. Oliver’s upset mood or Maggie’s frame of mind.
“Hey, Oliver,” he called out. “I’ve been thinking about something.”
Oliver barely moved. “What?” he mumbled.
“You still haven’t met Boomer yet,” he said in a casual tone.
Oliver quickly raised his head up. His face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Boomer? Your dog?” Oliver’s voice was infused with unbridled enthusiasm.
Finn folded his arms across his chest and rocked back on his heels. “Yep. One and the same. He gets really lonely when I’m away from the house. And he really likes visitors, especially kids your age.”
“Really? Do you think he would like me?” Oliver asked. He stood up from his chair and walked over to Finn.
Finn laughed out loud. “Are you kidding me? He’d be crazy about you.”
Finn shot a glance at Maggie, asking her a question with his eyes. She nodded discreetly.
“If you and your mom aren’t busy tomorrow you could swing by and meet Boomer. If you think it’s something you’d like to do, that is,” Finn said.
“Yes! Of course I would,” Oliver shouted, wrapping his arms around Finn’s waist and giving him a tight bear hug. Finn felt certain no one had ever showered him with such enthusiasm in his entire life.
Maggie shook her head as Finn received the hug of a lifetime. Finn could see the relief etched on her face. It made him feel like a million dollars to have been able to do something to soothe Oliver and to provide comfort to Maggie. It troubled him a little bit. Never in his life had he felt this way before. And he didn’t quite understand it. Why did it mean so much to him to be there for Maggie and Oliver?
He related to Oliver because of his own experience with grief as a child. In some way he felt as if he was uniquely qualified to help the boy navigate his way through his terrible loss and the newness of their life in Alaska. If things had been different, it would have been a privilege to be Oliver’s father.
He would have to settle for being Oliver’s best friend and ally.
* * *
Pink and purple streaks of color stretched across the horizon. The rugged mountains popped out at her, making Maggie feel as if she could simply reach out her hands and touch them. If Maggie was a painter this would be her muse—the magnificent Alaskan landscape.
“Oh, it’s a beautiful Alaskan morning,” Maggie said as she gazed out of her bedroom window. “God sure did create a masterpiece when He made Alaska,” she gushed. With each and every day, Maggie fell more in love with her surroundings.
Last night had been a pleasant evening in Hank’s company. Although he had been a true gentleman, Maggie knew they could never be more than friends. Hank was looking for a wife and she didn’t want to waste any more of his time. It wouldn’t be fair to allow him to pursue her when she knew how she felt.
She heard Oliver rumbling around in his bedroom. Although they were due at church service in an hour, Maggie suspected Oliver had arisen early due to his excitement over meeting Boomer today at Finn’s place. He had talked her ear off about it all afternoon and into the evening. She was fairly certain he had dreamed about it last night, she thought with a grin. That’s how it should be for little boys. Dogs and trains and pilots with sparkling green eyes and infectious smiles.
Her bedroom door burst open and Oliver stood in the doorway. “Is it time to go to Finn’s house yet?”
“Not yet. We have church service first,” Maggie reminded him. “Don’t you remember? I’m singing with the choral group.”
“Aw,” Oliver said in a loud voice.
Maggie didn’t say a word. She sent her son a look full of reproach.
“Okay, I’m going to go get dressed for church,” Oliver said in a chirpy voice. “I can’t wait to hear you sing.”
By the time they left the house half an hour later, both were dressed to impress. Maggie was wearing a cranberry-colored dress she had recently bought here in town. She had some high-heeled nude shoes she was going to slip on once they’d made it to the church. Navigating the snowy Alaskan weather dictated the use of boots. Oliver had put on his best pair of slacks and a dark blue sweater. She couldn’t get over how mature he looked all of a sudden. He’d grown by leaps and bounds during the last year.
Maggie enjoyed singing with the choir at church. Oliver sat in the front pew and clapped along to the music. Although they were invited to stick around after the service for a pancake breakfast, Oliver practically dragged her out of the church.
“Oliver, we need to go change out of our church clothes,” Maggie said.
“Why can’t we just wear what we have on?” he asked with a groan.
“You can’t play with Boomer in your Sunday best.”
Oliver grumbled all the way back to the house, then practically vaulted out of the car when they reached home. Maggie was certain she’d never seen her son move so fast. It was as if his feet were on fire. She quickly changed into a pair of jeans and an oatmeal-colored sweater. Oliver was waiting impatiently for her at the door, wearing a sweatshirt and a pair of dark jeans.
Maggie drove the truck to town, navigating the snow-packed roads with a measure of confidence she hadn’t felt when she’d first arrived in town. At moments like this Maggie wondered what Uncle Tobias might think of what she was doing. Hopefully, he would feel proud of his niece and the steps she had taken toward rebuilding her life.
As soon as the small, log-cabin house came into view on Swan Hollow Road, Maggie let out an admiring sigh. Finn’s house was lovely. It was rustic and cozy. The house was nestled in a wooded area with a clear view of Kachemak Bay. It seemed like the perfect setting for Finn.
Right after they drove up, Finn walked outside, accompanied by a sweet-faced dog with black-and-white fur. He had a fancy red collar around his neck with rhinestones on it. Maggie thought he looked adorable.
“Boomer!” Oliver called out as he jumped out of the truck. The medium-sized dog ran toward Oliver and jumped up on him, knocking him to the snow.
“Down, Boomer!” Finn ordered. “Sorry about that. He tends to wear his heart on his sleeve.”
“It’s okay. He’s just being friendly,” Oliver said. “I don’t mind.”
Boomer’s tail was wagging ferociously. Oliver threw his arms around Boomer and hugged him. He began to pat him in a loving manner. Maggie had the feeling Oliver would once again be asking for a dog of his own.
“We got a present for you, Boomer.” Oliver looked at Maggie. “Do you have it, Mom?”
“Sure thing,” Maggie said, digging in her purse. “Here it is. Make sure it’s okay with Finn to give it to him.” She handed Oliver a bone wrapped up in a big red bow.
“Thanks, guys. He’ll love it.” He waved them toward the house. �
�Why don’t we go inside and you can give Boomer the bone?”
Finn ushered Maggie and Oliver inside his home. The smell of pine wafted in the air. Another smell assailed her senses. It smelled like freshly baked cookies.
“Your house is lovely, Finn,” Maggie remarked, looking around her at the sparsely decorated home.
“Thanks. I’m renting it, but I’m hoping to buy it from the owner. I’m crossing my fingers it all works out when I become co-owner of O’Rourke Charters. I’ll be making a full-time income then and I can qualify for a mortgage.”
Maggie’s heart warmed at the possibility of Finn finally staking roots in Love. For so long he had been running away from making his hometown his permanent home. Surely this was a sign of growth and change, Maggie thought.
“Excellent,” she said. “Inheriting Uncle Tobias’s house has allowed us to own our first home. We were always renters. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Finn clapped his hands together. “Hey, can I offer either of you something to drink? Hot chocolate? Tea? Cider? I have some cookies in the kitchen. They just came out of the oven.”
“Mmm. They smell good,” Oliver said, following Finn toward the kitchen.
“Aren’t you full of surprises?” Maggie murmured as she spotted several racks of cookies sitting on the stove.
“I like baking,” Finn said with a shrug. “Especially Christmas cookies. Most of these are for the winter carnival tomorrow night. Help yourselves though. I made more than enough.”
Maggie reached over and grabbed a gingerbread cookie dusted with sprinkles. She took a bite and let out a sound of appreciation. “Hey, you’re good at this, O’Rourke. This is delicious.”
“Finn is good at everything,” Oliver crowed, biting into a cookie.
Finn tousled his head and said, “Thanks, buddy.”
“I guess I better pick up some snow pants for us so we can go to the winter carnival,” Maggie said, thankful Finn had mentioned the event. With everything going on with the shop, Maggie had completely forgotten all about it.
As Maggie sipped a cup of green tea and watched the interplay between Oliver, Finn and Boomer, she couldn’t help but wonder about Finn’s determination to stay single and unattached. This house seemed perfect for a family. It was way too big for one person, and Finn seemed to enjoy being with people. He wasn’t exactly a loner.
Finn O’Rourke was an enigma. The more she thought she knew the man, the more she realized there were many aspects of him she might never be able to fully understand.
* * *
Having company over at his house wasn’t something Finn was used to. He hadn’t lived here very long, but lately the place had begun to feel like home. Inspired by Maggie and Oliver’s Christmas tree, he’d even put up one of his own—a lovely balsam fir that towered over him. He still needed to buy a few more pieces of furniture. At the moment his style was minimalist. But, considering where he’d been little more than a year ago, his current situation represented major progress.
There was something so comfortable about having Maggie and Oliver hanging out with him at his house. It felt like family had stopped by. Conversation flowed easily. Finn didn’t feel he had to do anything special to entertain them. Oliver was enamored with Boomer. And Boomer seemed to have fallen in love with Oliver as soon as he gave him the juicy bone.
“I think it’s time I took Boomer for a walk. Want to come along, Oliver?” Finn asked.
“Sure thing,” Oliver said, jumping up from his seat.
Finn hoped Maggie wouldn’t offer to come along on the walk. Although he always enjoyed being around her, there were some things he needed to set straight with Oliver. And he thought it might be best if she wasn’t around.
“I think I’ll stay here and read the paper. Grace has an interesting article in here about making an Alaska bucket list,” Maggie said, her nose buried in the local gazette.
Finn led Oliver out through the back door. He handed him Boomer’s leash and began walking toward the woods.
In his excitement, Boomer was pulling at his leash.
“Don’t let him lead you, Oliver. Just tug sharply on the leash to get him to walk beside you. If you let him get away with it, he’ll try to do it every time he’s taken for a walk.”
Oliver listened intently and followed Finn’s instructions. Within a matter of minutes, he’d gotten Boomer under control.
“Hey, buddy. I think we need to talk,” Finn said, trying to make his voice sound casual.
Oliver looked up at him with big eyes. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No, little man. I think I might have done something wrong. Yesterday when we had our flying adventure you were upset about your mom going out on a date.”
“It’s okay, Finn. It doesn’t matter. She went anyway,” Oliver said with a shrug. Finn’s lips twitched.
“You said something that surprised me. About wanting me to be your father.”
“It’s true. I do.”
Finn felt as if his heart might crack wide-open. Oliver’s little voice was filled with sincerity. It was amazing, Finn realized, how open and honest kids were. They laid it all out there, risking getting their hearts broken and their hopes dashed. Oliver’s wide-open heart gutted Finn.
Finn reached out and clasped Oliver by the shoulder. “Oliver, that’s the biggest and best compliment anyone has ever bestowed on me.” He smiled at Oliver. “Life isn’t as simple as we’d like it to be. Matter-of-fact, it’s pretty complicated.”
Oliver looked down and focused on Boomer. “So you don’t want to be my dad, huh? I kind of figured.”
“Hey, that’s not it. I imagine being your dad would be the most awesome thing in the world.”
Oliver looked at him, tears shimmering in his eyes. “Really?”
“Yes, really. But you can’t just snap your fingers and pick a dad, Oliver. Your mom has a say in who your father’s going to be. That’s the way it works. And it’s best when the mother and father are in love,” Finn said, fighting past a lump in his throat. “Because a home filled with love is the best home of all.”
“My dad used to say all the time that I was the best thing he’d ever done,” Oliver said. He swiped away tears from his cheeks. “Sometimes I miss him so much it feels like I’m going to burst. I’ve been thinking if I found a new dad it wouldn’t hurt as much.”
“I know what it feels like to lose a parent. When my mom died it felt like the sun had been extinguished. For a long time, it seemed as if there was nothing good anywhere in this world.”
Oliver nodded. “I felt the same way. It’s been better since we moved here. I don’t cry myself to sleep every night like I used to.”
“Oliver, when we lose someone special there’s an ache on our souls. It lessens over time but it never completely goes away. If you find a dad here in Love, that will be terrific. But it won’t necessarily stop you from feeling sad about your dad.”
“I guess you’re right,” Oliver said. “My mom cries sometimes. She says it’s like a rushing river when you lose someone.”
“Your mom is one smart woman,” Finn said with a nod of his head. Maggie was right. Grief was like a rushing river. It hit you when least expected. It could be wild and out of control. Unpredictable.
“I want to make sure you understand this one huge thing. You deserve an outstanding father because you’re an incredible, loving, amazing boy. And if I had to guess, I’d say you’re going to get your wish one of these days. Be patient.”
“It’s okay if you can’t be my dad, Finn. ’Cause you’re already my best friend.”
Finn cleared his throat. Words eluded him. He wanted to grab Oliver and hug him for all he was worth. His best friend. Finn would accept that title with honor. And if he wasn’t so afraid of messing up Oliver’s life, Finn would fight to earn the t
itle of father.
Chapter Ten
As soon as Maggie and Oliver arrived at the winter carnival on the town square, it felt to Maggie as if the entire town of Love embraced her. People approached her and introduced themselves, extending condolences to her about Uncle Tobias and welcoming her to town. Many expressed their enthusiasm about the grand opening of Keepsakes. It was nice to see all of the Prescott brothers—Cameron, Liam and Boone—happily settled down with their other halves. Their younger sister, Honor, who had been a toddler when Maggie had last seen her, was now a lovely young woman.
“Maggie Richards!” Maggie spun around at the sound of her name being called.
Dwight Lewis hadn’t changed in two decades. He looked remarkably similar to the bespectacled, bow tie–wearing boy who had preferred math equations to chasing frogs in the Nottingham Woods. Seeing him after all these years served as a blast from the past.
“Dwight!” Maggie greeted him. He pulled her into a friendly hug. Maggie felt a groundswell of emotion. Even though she and Finn had joked about Dwight the other day, it felt wonderful to see another childhood friend. She felt a little bad about hiding from him, although Keepsakes hadn’t been ready for prying eyes.
A thin, dark-haired woman stood beside him. Dwight reached for the woman’s hand and laced it with his own. “Maggie, I’d like to introduce you to Marta Svenson, my fiancée. Marta, this is my childhood pal Maggie Richards. She’s come back to Love after a long absence.”
Dwight was beaming with happiness. It bounced off him in waves. Maggie felt overjoyed for him and Marta. Finding love was truly a wonderful thing.
It felt nice to be in the thick of things. For too long she had burrowed herself in the shop and neglected making the acquaintances of the townsfolk. Many remembered her from her childhood visits to town. It was very humbling. And heartwarming.
Seeing the square lit up with holiday lights was a spectacular experience. Oliver’s eyes were lit up with joy. As far as the eye could see were Christmas lights—colored lights, white lights, sparkling lights. They extended throughout the downtown area. Jarvis Street was lit up in spectacular fashion. It was a breathtaking sight to behold. The Free Library of Love was decked out in red and green flashing lights.
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