Almost A Family. Roxanne Rustand

moment later, the narrow lane ended at a small, one-and-a-half-story log home shaded by a trio of towering pines, and beyond, a meadow strewn with a late summer rainbow of rosy fireweed, blue vervain and goldenrod. Only the distant rat-a-tat of a woodpecker broke the silence.

      “So, guys—what do you think?” Erin pulled to a stop in front of the little house and held her breath, hoping for a positive reaction.

      The past few months had been hectic, thanks to Sam’s insistence that their house be sold as soon as possible. Perhaps he’d been right in wanting to list it before the winter slowdown in real estate, but the abrupt change had been just one more painful chapter in a fast divorce she hadn’t expected.

      Luckily, she’d finished her degree in hospital administration the semester before, and had found the job in Blackberry Hill. The interview and house hunt had involved a quick trip north—this place had been the only decent rental in her price range. There hadn’t been a single weekend free to bring the kids to see their new home.

      She’d expected them to launch out of the van like missiles, excited about seeing the place. Instead, all three remained still and silent, their expressions wary.

      Erin unbuckled her seat belt and twisted around to look at them. “Just a couple of rules, okay? No fighting over bedrooms, because we’ll get it all figured out. And everyone helps until we’re done today. Any questions?”

      “How far are we from town?” Drew asked, his voice heavy with suspicion. “Like, can I bike there?”

      Erin shook her head. “It’s almost a mile down to the road, and after that there’s another couple miles of busy highway into town. I don’t think that would be safe.”

      His eyes widened in horror. “I’m going to be stuck out here?”

      “Monday’s the Labor Day holiday, but after that you’ll be in town five days a week for school,” Erin said firmly. “I’m sure we’ll also be running lots of errands while we’re settling in, so you aren’t going to be ‘stuck’ out here. What do you two think? Lily? Tyler?”

      Lily stared out of the front window of the car, her hands knotted in her lap. “A-are there any other kids out here?”

      “I’m not sure, sweetheart. We’ll find out.”

      “What about a dog? Can we get a dog?” Tyler piped up after a long silence. “We’d have room for a dog!”

      “Yeah—what about a dog? Something big,” Drew suggested with obvious relish. “Like Angelo’s dog that knew how to attack. Not some sissy dog.”

      Erin could well imagine the sort of guard dog Drew meant. Their mother and her last boyfriend, Angelo, had lived in a rough inner-city area, and both of them were now serving twenty-five years of federal time for multiple drug offenses.

      “I’d never buy a dog that might be dangerous,” Erin warned them. “It’s not worth the risk to us, or anyone who visits.”

      “But you’d get a nice one?” Tyler whooped with joy. “Really?” He bounced on the seat. “When? Can we go today?”

      Back in Wausau, she’d never been able to get them a dog or cat because Sam had been allergic to both. “Look, guys,” she said. “I know it sounds like a great idea. But first, we’re going to give this town a try. If things work out—if my job goes well and if the school system is good—then we’ll look into buying a house of our own. Until then, a dog just isn’t possible.”

      “Why not?” Drew demanded. “We’d take care of it.”

      “This is a rental. I didn’t check the lease, but I’m sure the landlord wouldn’t let us.”

      “Please,” Lily pleaded. “Can you ask? Please?”

      “Well…” Erin found herself confronted by three desperately hopeful faces. “Okay. Once we get moved in, I’ll ask the Realtor, but if she says no, then we have to abide by that. And if—if—we can have a dog here, I’ll expect you all to help look after it. Deal?”

      All three kids nodded, their eyes sparkling with excitement, and she knew she had to do everything in her power to make it happen.

      They’d each faced the loss of one home after another, and they’d learned to avoid attachments to people and places. Maybe they weren’t excited about this cabin, but having a dog to love would be wonderful therapy for them all.

      From behind her car she heard the rumble of a truck creeping up the steep, rocky lane, and minutes later a small moving van lumbered into view.

      “Okay, so here’s the plan. The guys I hired will help us get everything into the house and put the big pieces where they belong. The rest of it is up to us.” She grinned at them, her own excitement rising, as she handed Drew one of the house keys. “The sooner we get settled, the sooner we can have some fun. Let’s go inside and figure out who gets which bedroom.”

      At that, the van doors flew open and the kids ran for the house, with Lily lagging behind as always, because of her weak left foot. At the porch, though, the boys waited for her to catch up.

      Watching them, Erin’s heart filled with such deep love and pride that her eyes burned.

      Sam had betrayed their family, but he’d thrown away something very precious and he’d been too self-centered to even realize it.

      A good job, a good town, and these children were all she needed from now on. And if a puppy could help with this latest upheaval in their lives, then so be it.

      After conferring with the two men she’d hired to move her furniture, she jogged up to the house while they backed the truck to the front door.

      The wide porch, with its log posts and railing, looked out over a small meadow rimmed by a narrow stream on the northern boundary. Stepping inside the double screen doors, she sighed with pleasure. The entryway opened onto a great room with a stone fireplace dominating one wall, an exposed staircase to the loft another. On the left, an archway led into the kitchen.

      Lily appeared in the doorway straight ahead, which led to a hallway, two bedrooms and the bathroom. “We figure you should have the big bedroom back here,” she said shyly. “I really like the other one, if that’s okay. It’s real pretty.”

      “Of course it’s okay.” Erin cocked her head, listening to the footsteps thundering overhead. “Sounds like the boys found the loft—did you see it?”

      Lily shuddered. “Yeah, but I wouldn’t want to stay up there if they did.”

      “This is cool!” Drew shouted.

      Erin looked up at the balcony, relieved to see the broad smile on his face.

      She’d figured the boys would like the loft, with its built-in bunk beds and steeply slanted ceiling. There was a little cupola on the roof, too—a steep ladder on one wall led up into a small lookout tower, glass on all sides, and she could well imagine them up there, playing all sorts of games involving adventure and fantasy.

      “Drew!” Tyler shouted. “Quick!”

      At the hint of panic in his voice, Erin rushed up the stairs and into the loft bedroom.

      She could see just his Nikes and the hem of his jeans up in the cupola, then Drew scurried up the ladder and crowded him to one side. “What is it?” she called out.

      The boys were silent for a long moment, then they scrambled down the ladder, Tyler’s face pale and Drew’s alight with excitement. “We saw a wolf,” he exclaimed. “It was huge! Right out there next to the trees.”

      One of the movers knocked sharply at the front, then the screen door squealed open. “Ma’am—where do you want this couch?”

      “I’ve got to get back downstairs,” Erin said. “I don’t think you could’ve seen a wolf, though. Not here. But just in case, I want you kids to stay within sight of the cabin, hear?