he’d never find the spot. Never get closure. Never feel okay about what he’d done.
Maybe he needed extensive mental health counseling, or maybe this was just his crutch to bear. But how could he deal? How could he sleep with all the nightmares? How could he maintain his job without sleep? He was so close to his dream job. Hopelessness rose inside him, dark and threatening, like a storm cloud.
Grace touched his arm. “Hey.”
He blinked away his thoughts and focused on her clear blue eyes. On the whisper-soft touch of her hand.
“We’ll find it, Wyatt. You know what you’re looking for, and you’ll know it when you see it.”
“Grace . . . I can’t even be sure it was east of town. I was just a kid, and I was following my mom.”
“But you have a good sense of direction. Trust that. We’re going to find it.”
“I’ve been here a week already.”
“And look, you’ve ruled out this entire area.” She swept her hand over a small region. “We’re making headway. Don’t lose hope.”
He soaked in the confidence behind her words. He was used to teamwork. His job required it. But he’d always carried this particular burden alone. It felt nice to have someone alongside him. It felt good to have Grace alongside him.
She was studying his reaction. “All right?”
She definitely wasn’t the cheerleader type, though she looked the part. But she’d known just what to say to encourage him, and he appreciated that more than he could say. “All right.”
* * *
Grace parted ways with Wyatt and headed back to the inn. Now that there was a showing tomorrow, it was all hands on deck. The grass needed mowing and the public areas needed a thorough cleaning, and that was on top of their regular duties.
When Grace walked into the inn, Levi was at the front desk, and she heard the vacuum running upstairs. “How’s it going?”
“Guests are gone for the time being, and we almost have a full house tonight. It’d be nice to get some of the cleaning done while our guests are out.”
“I’m on it.” Grace gathered the cleaning supplies and went to work in the living room, polishing the furniture.
She and Molly had begged Levi to hire a once-a-week cleaning service, but even though they could afford it now, Levi wasn’t quite reformed from his penny-pinching ways. The only thing that kept Grace from arguing the point was that the money they saved would eventually fall into their pockets—and into Grace’s new business.
The floor needed a good shine, and the drapes needed washing, she noted as she dusted. They were going to get this place so pristine the Farnsworths would make an offer on the spot.
Molly should make sure the couple enjoyed at least one meal in the dining room. Miss Della had already said that if she was needed she’d like to stay on once the inn was sold. Her continued services were a huge selling point. The Farnsworths needed to know what a jewel she was.
In the dining room, the menus, salt and pepper shakers, and condiments needed to be wiped down. The wood tables were starting to show a little wear and tear. Maybe they should buy tablecloths. Class the place up a bit.
The inn’s windows needed to be cleaned, inside and out. It was a little overwhelming. But once Molly was done cleaning the rooms upstairs, they’d make better headway.
Grace was polishing the coffee table legs when Molly trotted down the stairs. “All right, guys, the rooms are cleaned, so I’m off.”
Grace straightened on her knees. “Wait. Aren’t you going to help clean?”
Molly peeked through the open French doors. “I told Adam I’d proofread his chapters. But I have the front desk tonight. Maybe I can get some cleaning done then.”
“There’s a lot to do before tomorrow, Molly. All the windows need cleaning, inside and out.”
“I’m sorry, but they’re not coming till tomorrow afternoon. We still have time.”
“We have to clean rooms in the morning, and Levi has the desk. When will we have time?”
“Grace, the place looks great. The windows aren’t that bad.” Molly cast Levi a glance. “If you really think it needs to be done, we could always hire a service.”
“You know I don’t like to do that.”
“Jeez, Levi,” Grace said. “It won’t kill you to hire it out for once. We need to put our best foot forward here.”
He looked between his sisters. “Fine, but just this once.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Grace walked along the sidewalk in front of the bungalow