Page 27 of Love Like Ours

“Did not,” Ethan, her twin, yelled from the kitchen. It was obvious the kids’ mouth was full. No doubt with cookies.

Ellie rolled her eyes. “He left half a cookie,” she whispered.

“Come on into the madhouse.” Parker laughed.

Whenever Palmer hung out with his brother and his family, he realized just how lucky he’d been when things had taken a huge turn in his childhood.

Being abandoned by his folks at his aunt’s place at a very young age had been a hidden blessing. His father’s older sister had two kids around Palmer’s age to deal with, so he’d pretty much been ignored. He’d melted into the background as best as he could. Still, when he’d done one stupid thing, she’d dropped him off at a home for trouble teens, Covenant Home, known by the kids as Jerry, after the guy that had started it. He’d had his own room and bathroom, unlike at his aunt’s place, where he’d had to share with his cousins. The food had been much better and he’d been allowed to come and go as he’d pleased. So it hadn’t been all bad.

Growing up, he’d never believed he’d want a family of his own. Not after dealing with his parents, who had always showed up at his aunt’s place high or drunk and then would trash the place or fight, steal what they could, and then be gone by the next morning. They’d barely said two words to him that he could remember. Now, however, seeing his brother and wife build their own family, with their three kids—twins Ethan and Ellie, who were about the age he’d been when he’d come to live with Parker, and Liam, who had just turned ten—he knew that families could be something amazing. He’d started dreaming about it for himself.

In his mind, Sophia was the other half of his family sandwich, which had him smiling.

“What are you grinning about, Uncle Palmer?” Liam asked. The kid had always been intuitive, taking in everything around him like some sort of super detective.

“I was just thinking how much you’ve grown.” He reached over and messed up the kid’s brown hair. Out of the three kids, Liam looked the most like him. It was funny how genetics worked. Ellie and Ethan took after Sara’s family, the Jordans, but Liam was all Clark genes.

After lunch with his family, he headed back home to do some research and start working up a budget for Max. He uploaded the photos and basic measurements he’d taken of the lighthouse property and used his drawing application to start plans that he’d send to Max.

When Loki barked, he glanced up and realized it had grown dark outside. He stood up and stretched, then grabbed Loki’s leash as the dog danced at the door.

“I know, hang on, buddy,” he said as he hooked his collar. When he threw open the door, he was surprised to see Max standing on his porch, a fist raised, ready to knock on his door.

“Evening,” he said after he recovered.

“Evening.” Max glanced down as Loki tried to push past him.

“Sorry, he’s on a mission,” Palmer said with a chuckle.

“Don’t let me stop you. We can talk and walk.” He stepped aside.

After taking Loki over to the grass area and letting him relieve himself, he unhooked the leash. “I only put it on him to ensure he uses the proper space to do his business. It’s dark and no one wants to step in his business on the beach,” he said as the dog rushed off onto the dark beach, no doubt to find the biggest stick he could.

“What’s up?” he said, turning his full attention to Max.

“I was just on a walk,” Max said. “Sophia mentioned you lived here. I saw your light on and thought I’d stop in since I had a few other ideas to run by you.”

Palmer smiled, leaning against the porch railing as he listened. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore filled the brief silence. “How about a beer?” Max nodded. “I’ll grab a couple.” He motioned to the chairs.

Loki rushed up and dumped a huge stick in Max’s lap. The man’s chuckle had him smiling as he headed inside to grab the drinks.

After he handed Max a bottle, he sat across from him.

“I’m probably just amped from our talk earlier. It’s just... this project feels bigger than I expected.”

Palmer chuckled, crossing his arms. “Well, lucky for you, you came to the right place. Big projects are just a bunch of small ones pieced together. You focus on one task at a time. Like building a pyramid. One block at a time. You start at the bottom and go up from there. Trust me, we’ll get it done, one step at a time.”

Max glanced towards the beach, where Loki had found another stick and was now dragging it triumphantly across the sand. A faint smile tugged at his lips. “You’ve got a good way of putting things in perspective. It’s probably why Sophia thinks so highly of you.”

Palmer’s eyebrows lifted slightly, but he said nothing, letting Max continue.

“She hinted at how you’ve got a knack for turning chaos into something meaningful,” Max added, his tone softening. “That’s exactly what I need for this place.”

Palmer pushed off the railing, his expression thoughtful. “It’s not about turning chaos into something meaningful. It’s about seeing the potential in the mess and knowing how to bring it out. That’s all this lighthouse is—a diamond in the rough. And you’ve already taken the first step by wanting to restore it.”

Max met his gaze, his shoulders relaxing slightly. “You make it sound simple.”

“Not simple,” Palmer corrected with a grin. “Just worth it.”