Forever Summer - Melody Grace Page 0,13

“Even if you don’t have time for the work, maybe you could let her know what she should be asking.”

“Sure,” Cooper said. “But you know, I might find the time for a job like that, after all. If I moved a couple of things around …”

Noah grinned. Cooper was a sucker for a historic renovation, and in Sweetbriar Cove you didn’t get more historic than the inn.

“Thanks,” he said. “Buy you a drink sometime?”

“No need.” Cooper said. “A job like that, drinks will be on me.”

Noah said his goodbyes and headed out. There. He’d done his neighborly duty. Cooper and his crew would see to the Beachcomber renovations, and he wouldn’t have to waste another moment thinking about it.

Or her.

Noah set thoughts of Evie aside and drove on to his parents’ place, a ramshackle old farmhouse on the outskirts of town. When he pulled up and stepped through the front door, he found it in a state of chaos.

As usual.

“Mom? Dad?” he called over the din of Buster the dog barking and a radio playing loudly, he could just make out the sound of his aunt Linny shaking with laughter. He followed the noise and found her out on the back patio with his mom, drinking rosé and enjoying the last of the evening sun.

“There you are.” He kissed both women on the cheek and stole a handful of cheese straws from the dish on the table. “Happy hour is well underway, I see.”

“We were just talking about you,” his mom said.

“And all the scandalous rumors about your love life,” Linny added.

“Which is my cue to keep walking,” Noah said.

Their laughter followed him out to the barn, where his father, Jeff, was deep in concentration, carving a tiny replica armoire out of wood.

“You should have warned me Aunt Linny was coming over,” Noah said, stepping into the dusty, cluttered space. “You know what she and mom are like once they get on their rosé.”

“Why do you think I’m out here?” his dad said. “Hold this, would you?”

Noah took the clamp and watched as Jeff painstakingly added detailing to the front of the chest.

“French reproduction,” Jeff explained. “A woman out in Schenectady needs a complete set for her dollhouse.”

Noah nodded. He still didn’t quite understand his father’s newfound passion for miniature furniture, but it kept him busy, out there in the barn, and apparently, he was in high demand. “Any interesting callouts?” his dad asked, squinting at the wood. “At least, interesting for Sweetbriar Cove.”

Noah smiled. “Nothing big, just a stray cat hiding out in an attic. And the new owner of the Beachcomber Inn got stuck on the roof,” he added casually, doing his best not to picture Evie’s pink cheeks.

And other assets.

Jeff chuckled. “Sure you’re not missing big-city life? You signed up for drama and excitement, not this.”

“Drama is overrated,” Noah said. “I like ‘boring’ just fine.”

“Is that so? Seems like there’s nothing boring about your personal life,” his dad said meaningfully.

Noah groaned. “You sound like mom.”

“Just curious, that’s all.” His dad set down his tools and fixed Noah with a knowing look. “I’d just like to know if there’s a future daughter-in-law on the horizon … or who to avoid in line at the grocery store. I was cornered the other day by a very insistent brunette. She wanted to know your favorite meals and seemed convinced you were half starved without any home cooking.”

“I’m perfectly capable of throwing a steak on the grill,” Noah protested.

“Tell that to her,” his father said. “Or better yet, don’t—and send me the leftovers. You know what your mother’s cooking is like.”

“I heard that.” Gayle appeared in the doorway and gave Jeff a good-natured glare. “Does this mean you’ll be eating elsewhere tonight?”

“Never.” Jeff grinned back. “You know I like my food crispy on the way to charred.”

“Hmm.” Gayle snorted, and turned to Noah. “Can I borrow you for a minute?”

“What do you need me to move?” Noah asked, already rolling up his sleeves.

Gayle looked indignant. “What if I just want some quality time with my favorite son?”

“Your only son,” Noah corrected her. “And somehow, your quality time seems to always require heavy lifting.”

“Well, now that you mention it, there is a cabinet that needs moving …”

Noah laughed.

“She’s been saving up a list of chores,” his dad confided. “Don’t let her get you started on the leaky faucet in the bathroom!”

“Hush you.” Gayle scolded him, before her phone buzzed in its bejeweled case hanging around her neck. She checked the screen and