and honor—and a wonderful sense of humor—who had become his family, and his friends, and now his partners.
His uncle Kyle was working their other mill today, once owned by his wife’s father, Tom Drake. Although Kyle split his time between the two mills, he had spent many hours teaching Adam the sawmill business, and Adam was looking forward to working with him again.
“Come on, fellas, we’re falling behind, and we have a big order of quartersawn oak to fill this week,” Radford said. He gestured to a pile of timber a good distance across the mill yard. “I’ll be feeding the saw with that pile today, so if any of you work in that area of the yard, keep your head up and your eyes open.”
“Yes, sir,” Adam said, acknowledging Radford’s warning.
Duke gave a half-nod as he walked away, his attention already focused on two men stacking lumber across the yard.
“Wait a few minutes and I’ll give you a hand,” Boyd said.
“We don’t have time to wait. The saw is hungry and we’re two days behind on this order. I’ll be working fast over there, so give me plenty of warning when you head my way.”
“You should wait, Radford. If that pile shifts in your direction, you’re going to need some warning to get the team and your stubborn self out of the way.”
“I’ll be fine,” he said, then grinned and patted Boyd’s shoulder. “But I’m glad you’re worried about me.”
Boyd’s lips pursed and his eye-roll made Adam laugh. “It wasn’t you I was worried about. Belle and Buck are my favorite horses.” Without so much as a by-your-leave, Boyd walked away.
It was just another day at the mill, another opportunity to heckle each other, and Adam loved being smack in the middle of it all.
“Why don’t you join us for supper this evening,” Radford said. “I’m sure Rebecca would like that. And I’m eager to hear more about your apprenticeship at Crane and Grayson.”
“Thank you, sir. I have a lot to share with you.”
“All right then. See you tonight. Now get to work,” Radford ordered, and then he headed off to the pile of timber, wearing a grin on his face.
Adam smiled, enjoying the playful taunt from a man he deeply admired. He had never looked at Radford as an uncle because he’d always thought of him as Rebecca’s father—a man who would someday become his father-in-law. That day would be soon, perhaps today. To even consider having a man like Radford Grayson as his father-in-law was an honor Adam couldn’t have imagined a few years ago.
How could he compromise all of this by being hasty? He had made a commitment to these men. He owed Rebecca more than hurried nuptials that they would remember the rest of their lives.
But the thought of being without her another day tortured him.
He gazed around, lost in thought, as the mill came to life. Horses snorted and harnesses jangled, wagons rattled and the boiler in the mill building gasped and spit. Shouts from the crew filled the yard as they welcomed Adam home and barked orders to each other. After years away, standing in the middle of the organized chaos with his Grayson family was one of the best moments of Adam’s life.
Now that he was here, he didn’t want to leave.
But he couldn’t ask his bride to spend the first month of their marriage sitting on flour barrels at a plank table or sleeping on a pallet on the floor. She deserved a comfortable home and a holiday away from her work—and they deserved a few weeks together after years of infrequent and too-short visits. He would explain this to Rebecca this evening, and they could decide together what to do.
For now, he would immerse himself elbow-deep in his work and enjoy being at the mill, however brief it might be.
Sunlight flooded the mill, raising the temperature to a sweaty seventy-six degrees before mid-day. Adam had taken off his long-sleeved shirt and was debarking a thick hickory timber when he noticed a commotion from the corner of his eye.
Managing a