Chapter 27: He Fell In Love

Nathan prepared himself as best he could to introduce Brooke to an Elder of Sweetgrass Island, as he led her to the restaurant kitchen where the staff busied themselves filling orders. He then walked past the kitchen to a back room where an old man, plump and joyful, sat at a desk looking over paperwork. Franklin Reese, an elder of his father’s, maybe in his early sixties.

As they entered the room, Frank slammed the paperwork down dramatically and leaped from his chair, and came round to dramatically face Nathan.

“Why you ain’t called ta tell me you was comin’ dis way?”

He pulled Nathan into an embrace and clapped him on the back with the same force he imagined a lumberjack used to chop down trees. But, Nathan laughed and hugged him fiercely, barely feeling the impact. Frank stepped back and held Nathan at the shoulders between his palms. He could feel Brooke watching as the two men stood at eye level and tears glistened the old man’s eyes.