Chapter Six
The smell of baked chicken hit Max fully in the nostrils as he walked through the door, followed quickly by the impact of two rugrats wrapping themselves around his knees. “Uncle Max!” both Gemma and Bronson shouted. “You’re home!”
“Hey, you two!” He bent down to tousle Bronson’s blond hair and pat Gemma on the shoulder. Before moving in with his sister’s family only a week ago, he’d only seen them on holidays and the occasional birthday party when he could pull himself away from the paper long enough to make it into town, but it had taken no time at all for the five- and six-year-old to attach themselves to him—both figuratively, and in this case, literally—and he was always happy to spend some time with them.
“You’re late,” Gemma scolded, letting go of him and crossing her
