“I think I’ve found the place for you,” Kean said while they were all seated at the kitchen table, enjoying the fish and chips takeout he’d picked up on his way home from work. “Remember Mrs. Tate?”
Adam looked up from his plate and raised his eyebrows, munching on a chip. “Bobby’s grandmother?”
Kean nodded. “She died a couple of weeks ago, and Bobby inherited her cottage. He lives in Seattle, and has no interest in keeping it for the summer, so he’s looking to sell it.”
He took a mouthful of cod and chewed slowly, giving Adam time to think about it. If he remembered right, Mrs. Tate’s house had been a run-down cottage when he was still in high school. Since she’d been in a nursing home in Seattle for the last seven years, he was sure the house would be in an even worse condition.
“I met him in town today, and he told me he wants to sell the cottage as soon as possible,” Kean continued. “He asked if I could look into the renovations and hopefully find him a buyer. He’s busy with his job and doesn’t have time to take care of the sale.” He stared at Adam with a raised eyebrow, no doubt trying to gage his interest. “He’s coming down on the weekend, and we’re meeting for lunch on Saturday. You could meet us at the house afterward and see if you like it, maybe?”
“How much do you think he’d be asking?” Adam wasn’t completely sold, in spite of his brother’s enthusiasm. He didn’t have enough savings, and he hadn’t started working at the Sheriff’s office yet. The money he’d made in the past three years thanks to his wood carving abilities wouldn’t help. He’d have to get a loan, and even though the bank manager was his high-school friend, he wasn’t sure that would help when it came to bank procedures.
“Bobby’s loaded. I don’t think he’d ask for more than its fair market value,” Kean said, staring at the chip he was holding half-way to his mouth. “And seeing as we’ve been friends since forever, you might be able to come to an agreement.”
Bobby Tate had been Kean’s play buddy since kindergarten and when Adam moved to Seattle, they used to hang out a lot. He’d been the first to reach Adam after the robbery. His law office was directly opposite the bank and he’d been walking past on his coffee break when he heard the shooting.
Adam didn’t want anyone’s charity, but it wouldn’t hurt if his friend agreed to a special price in the name of their friendship, especially since Adam was a single parent who needed a house to raise his daughter.
“Well, I guess checking it out wouldn’t hurt.”
Kean nodded. “It’s four hundred yards from the beach, and Beaver Lane is a nice area. Besides, if Bobby doesn’t agree to the renovations, I could ask him to sell it to you as is, at a special price, and we could do the renovations once the house is yours. For free, of course.”
Adam nodded. “Sounds good, thanks.”
“What do you say, Squirrel? Want to live by the beach?” Kean asked Sophie, who was stuffing her face with chips. So much for telling his dad to keep his own plate out of Sophie’s reach, who was right next to him. Finn Cavanagh was putty in his granddaughter’s hands—and apparently she already understood that and gladly took advantage of her status as the only grandchild in the family.
“Can Gwammy and Gwampy come, too?” she asked around a mouthful.
Adam had been thinking about how to break the news to her, and Kean’s direct question hadn’t helped. Sophie had grown up around her grandparents and her uncle; she didn’t know any different. She didn’t really understand that this wasn’t how it was supposed to be, or that a normal family was usually made up of a mom, a dad, and their children. He’d feared she wouldn’t want to leave his parents, and apparently he’d been right.
“We’ll come visit them every day,” Adam said, shooting a sideways glare at his brother, who frowned in a what-have-I-done? way. Sophie scrunched up her nose, pondering his words, then climbed onto his lap.
“Why can’t we stay here, Daddy? I don’t want a new house. I like this one.”
Great. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a steadying breath, planning his speech carefully.
“You and Daddy will have an even nicer house, sweet pea,” his mother piped up, smiling as she tapped her finger on Sophie’s nose. “And you’d be close to the beach, so when Grampy and I come visit you, we can make sandcastles together.”
Sophie scrunched up her nose again, then turned to stare at her uncle. “Can Uncle Kean make sandcastles wif us?”
Kean laughed. “Sure thing, Squirrel. I’ll teach you how to make the biggest sandcastles. Tell you what: we’ll make one so big you’ll be able to walk inside it.”
Sophie clapped her hands and bounced excitedly on Adam’s knee. “Can we make one tomowwow? We can make the bestest sandcastle and Daddy can sit inside wif us.”
Adam cut his brother a glance and gave him a you-asked-for-it grin.
Kean cleared his throat. “Yeah, well… we need a little time to plan everything. We want to make sure the castle doesn’t get washed away by the waves, you know?”
Sophie stole a chip from Adam’s plate and munched slowly, her face scrunched up in concentration as if she were deciding the fate of the world. Adam smiled and placed a kiss on the top of her head. This little girl was his biggest joy.
“Okay,” she said after a moment. Then, stopping only to steal another chip, she climbed off Adam’s lap and back onto her own chair, the one his grandfather had helped him make when she was still barely more than a toddler.
“So, will I tell Bobby you’re interested?” Kean asked once Sophie was settled back in her chair.
Adam looked up from his plate and met his mother’s eyes. Were they glistening, or was he imagining things? Enya looked away and stood up, picking up her husband’s and father-in-law’s empty plates.
“Uh, sure,” he replied. “I’ll meet him on Saturday, and see what he says.” He ate the last chip, picked up his plate as well as his brother’s and walked into the kitchen. His mother was loading the dishwasher and turned her back to him when he walked in.
“Mom, you okay?”
His mother nodded, but he knew she wasn’t okay. He would bet she was crying, and got the confirmation when he put his hands on her shoulders and spun her around.
“Mom, we’re not moving to Canada. You’ll see Sophie every day.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I’m just being silly.” She sniffled and reached for the kitchen paper roll on the counter. She dabbed at her eyes and nose, then smiled. “I know you need to live your life. I guess the house will feel emptier without you all. First Erin goes off to college, then Cayden decides to move out and take his brother and sister with him, and now you’ll be leaving, too. It’ll be just old people in the house now.”
His mother had been more than happy to welcome Cayden and his three siblings when their own mother passed away. With only boys in the house, Enya had been delighted to have Erin and Kacey to spoil. Now that Erin had graduated and recently gone off to college, it had been as if one of her own children had left the nest. Cayden’s decision after that to move out and take Kacey and Ryley with him had been the final nail in Enya’s coffin. And now Adam would be taking Sophie away, too.
Adam chuckled. “Don’t let Gramps hear you say that, or he’ll throw a fit.”
Adam encircled her petite body with his arms and pulled her to his chest. She always smelled of sugar and cookies, a comforting fragrance that brought back happy memories of his childhood.
“I’m pretty sure the twins will be here more often than not, especially when Cay’s at the station. Kean’s an awful cook, so his chair at the table will never be vacant. And I wouldn’t mind stopping by for a warm, homemade meal every now and then. There’s only so much frozen food a man can take.”
His mother half sobbed, half laughed, and he loosened his hug, giving her one last comforting rub on her back. She pulled back and dabbed at her eyes again.
“You’re right. I’m just being a little emotional. I really hope Bobby sells his grandmother’s cottage to you. It’s a nice area, and it would be perfect for Sophie.”
Adam nodded. “So do I. I’ve always dreamed of a house by the beach.”
“When you two are finished with your heart to heart, could we get dessert?” Kean peeked through the kitchen door, sporting a wide grin. “Your daughter’s request, not mine.”
“Yeah, right.” Adam tossed an oven mitt at him, and hit him straight in the face. “No sugar after five: it’s rule number one in the parent survival kit.”
“Ah, come on, brother. A cookie won’t kill her.”
Adam took the tray loaded with the sugar cookies he’d helped Sophie ice and decorate only a couple of hours before. He smirked as he held it out to Kean.
“Go ahead. Give her as many cookies as you like. She’ll be having a sleepover at your place tonight. Have fun.”
Kean’s hand froze in mid-air, only an inch from the tray. He looked at their mother, who let out a chuckle.
“Fine, okay. It was my idea. Give me just a couple, I’ll stuff them in my mouth and won’t tell Sophie.” He snatched three cookies with rainbow sprinkles off the tray and popped one into his mouth.
“Good boy.” Adam put the tray back on the kitchen counter and patted his brother’s back. “You’ll make a great father one day.”
Kean choked on the second cookie he’d just bitten, and Adam laughed as he walked out of the kitchen to get Sophie ready for bed.
He’d miss these family moments once he lived on his own, but deep down, he couldn’t wait to have his own place and prove he could take care of his little girl all by himself. Hannah had trusted he’d make it, and he intended to make her proud of him.
* * *
Hammering sounds and men’s voices woke Ellie on a Monday morning, two weeks after she’d moved to Spring Harbor. She got out of bed and pulled the blue darkening curtains, yawning as she tried to spot the source of the offending noises that had pulled her out of a dream featuring a certain handsome man with dark hair and brown eyes.
When she didn’t see anyone in the back garden, she moved to the spare room that faced the street and pulled the curtains. A red and silver pickup was parked on the front lawn of the house next door. She squinted against the sunlight coming in through the window and noticed that the writing on the truck said, ‘Cavanagh Contracting’, which explained the reason for the hammering. The owners of the place must have hired someone to fix it up—it was in an even worse state than her own.
After a shower and breakfast, she walked out the front door. A tall man wearing a yellow hard hat waved at her from the porch of the house next door.
“Good morning,” he said, his dark eyes settling on her as he slid a hammer into the tool belt around his waist. “Sorry about the noise. I hope we didn’t wake you.”
She shook her head, feeling a little tongue-tied. He was handsome, with cheek-length, curly, dark brown hair tucked behind his ears, a hint of a five o’clock shadow, and chocolate brown eyes. His handsome dark looks reminded her of someone, although she couldn’t remember who.
He stepped off the porch and strode toward her, his swagger the very epitome of confidence. His smile, on the other hand, was the picture of amiability and kindness. Two contrasting features that she was sure had women swooning over him wherever he went. Too bad she wasn’t going to be one of those women, if that was what he hoped.
He removed one of his work gloves and stuck out his hand. “Kean Cavanagh. Cavanagh Contracting. My brother just bought the cottage and needs to move in by the end of the month. I’m afraid we’ll be getting on your nerves a little over the next couple of weeks,” he said with a wink—a wink that didn’t cause anything to flutter in her chest.
“Elise Hawthorne, I’ve just moved here from San Francisco,” she said, taking the big, slightly calloused hand he’d offered. Apart from feeling his strength, she didn’t feel any spark when their hands connected. Unlike the day she’d shaken Adam’s hand.
“That’s a big change. What brings you to Spring?” Kean asked, interrupting her musings.
Ellie pondered how much information she should disclose to this stranger, then decided to go with the short version, the one she’d been feeding—and planned to keep feeding—everyone.
“This is my grandparents’ cottage. My grandmother passed away, and the house is mine and my brother’s inheritance.”
“Who were your grandparents? I’m sure I knew them. Everyone knows everyone in Spring, in case you haven’t noticed yet.” He smiled, but apart from noticing that it was a beautiful and friendly smile, Ellie didn’t feel anything, not even a tiny flutter of wings. Good. She had no time for a man, anyway.
“Roger and Lilian Daugherty. They used to spend the summer months here.”
He smiled again. “Yeah, I remember Lilian. She used to come to my mom’s bakery a lot. I think she gave my mother a couple of her secret recipes, the last summer she was here. Have you settled in fine?”
Ellie nodded. “I’ve been cleaning out stuff since I’ve come here, and I’ve noticed the house is in bad need of renovations. The roof seems just about ready to give in, and I wouldn’t want for it to happen in winter. Would you have time to look at it, while you’re here?”
“Sure. I can have a look now, if you’d like. I can get an idea of the extent of the renovations and come up with a quote by the end of the week.” He stared at Ellie with his head tilted to the side, waiting for her reply.
Those eyes. Why did they look so familiar?
She shook herself from her trance when she realized she’d been gawking at him. “That’d be great, thank you.”
After shouting to his co-workers that he was taking a break, he followed her through the rooms, jotting down notes on his phone as he found things that needed fixing.
Once they were done with the inspection, he walked back out onto the porch with her, and stopped just outside the door to pick up his hard hat from the floor.
“If you decide to go ahead, I think the roof is the most pressing matter. It doesn’t usually snow much around here, but you wouldn’t want it to collapse on your head on a cold winter’s night.” He went down the first step as he spoke. The wooden floor creaked under his weight, and he looked up from his feet to Ellie with a grin. “And I guess the porch is next.”
“I’ll speak to my brother once you give me an estimate of costs, since the house is half his, too. But I think he’ll agree some things need to take priority.”
“No problem.” He looked up at the roof of the house next door, yelled a couple of directions to one of the men, then turned his attention back to Ellie. “I’d better get back to my men, now. Wouldn’t want them to think I’m taking advantage of my status as the boss to slack off. We’ll try not to annoy you too much.”
She shrugged. “I don’t mind a little company. I’m not used to living alone; it can get a little desolate at times.” She’d never lived on her own in all her life, and although she loved her little cottage and felt at home in Spring Harbor, she couldn’t deny that living alone wasn’t as exciting as some people said. Now that she finally had some company, she wanted to enjoy it a little longer. “I’ve just brewed a pot of coffee. Wouldn’t you guys like a cup?”
Kean put his yellow hard hat back on and smiled. “Keep the offer for later, if you don’t mind. I’m sure the guys will love some fresh coffee when it’s time for a break.”
He thanked her and crossed the invisible division between the two gardens. She watched him climb the ladder and waited until he reached the roof, then went inside and out into the back garden. Her plan for the day was to remove all the weeds and start returning it to its original state, just like her grandmother would have wanted.
Bobcat was sprawled on the white Adirondack on the back porch and opened one eye at the sound of footsteps. When he saw it was Ellie, he yawned and went back to sleep.
The gray tabby Siberian had shown up out of the blue a week after Ellie moved in. She’d put a bowl of milk on the back porch, and he kept coming back every day, until one day she found him curled up on one of the kitchen chairs and realized she’d been adopted by the stray furball.
She’d been happy to find a companion, especially since she’d never been allowed to have a pet when she was a child. But Bobcat was either still too skittish or, now that he had free food and a home, he didn’t care too much about impressing his human friend with his best behavior. She shook her head in resignation as she walked past the snoring cat toward the toolshed. Men were all a major disappointment, no matter their species.