He loved it here. This was his home, and these were his people.
Last night, after the guilt had got too much for him, Fin had gone to the lodge to share a meal with his father and family. His father’s family, he amended. It had been strained, but he’d tried for Mallory’s sake. After two hours he’d left, and to his mind, his duty was done. His father, he knew, had other ideas. He wanted to talk, wanted to build a relationship. Fin wanted him gone from Ryker Falls.
He needed to apologize to Maggie. He’d been rude and mean to her, and that wasn’t him. His family made him that way, which wasn’t an excuse for bad behavior, but no one said it was rational.
But one thing Maggie said had started him thinking. His little sister deserved more from him, so he’d try harder for her, but not his father.
Picking up his phone as it buzzed, he said hello.
“Morning, asshole,” Joe said by way of greeting.
“Dickhead.”
“Any news on who the body belongs to?”
“Not yet, but Chief Blake is hoping today if they can get fingerprints it will be quicker; but if not then it could be weeks.”
“I hope it’s the fingerprints then, for Mrs. Linbar’s sake.”
“Me too.”
“You still thinking about getting a puppy?”
“Pondering the possibilities.”
“The place I got Buzz has a new litter, and the owner contacted me, as Pip and Dylan want one. I thought of you.”
“Warms my heart how you do that.”
“What can I say, I’m a good guy who always thinks about others before himself.”
“Just like the other day on the court when I asked for a pass and you threw it at my knees, do you mean?”
“If you were agile, you’d have caught it.”
“Mr. Goldhirsh already told me about the pups. So what’s the deal with you and him wanting me to get a dog?”
“We think that if no woman will have you, at least you’ll have company. Now, I don’t have time to chat, so be at Maggs’s gallery at 4:00 p.m.”
“What? Why the gallery?”
“Maggs is bringing in a shipment, and I’m helping her unload it, so you can too.”
“So what you’re saying is, I’ll do all the work.”
“Exactly. Plus, we’re all going to the lodge tonight. Mom’s got the kids, so heading there to act like real adults, around 8:00 p.m.”
“Okay.”
Joe made a kissing sound then hung up.
Smiling, Fin showered and pulled on his uniform. He had a legitimate reason for seeing Maggs now. He couldn’t get her out of his head. Touching her, kissing her, the feel of her. It was driving him crazy. He had to have that woman and soon. The issue was getting her to agree.
Leaving the cabin, he headed to the station. It was cold today, and a big dump of snow was coming. He just hoped any idiots didn’t decide to go tramping, thereby getting lost and needing him to find them. People, Fin had fast learned when he took this job, could be really dumb.
“Fin,” Ed, his deputy ranger, said when he wandered into the station.
Long and low, it looked like a log cabin and was in keeping to the general theme of buildings in this part of Ryker. Natural and blending.
