as she came back out. “I don’t know why some people come back—at least you hear stories about it. So I can’t know why Clint didn’t. Or maybe he did, and I wasn’t ready or open so I didn’t see him or feel him. But I know he’s gone, and I can’t be angry with him, or you, or . . . whatever is over there. So I’m sorry, and thank you for taking the boys through, for fixing that damn sink, and watching them yesterday so I could start working this out.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Now I really have to go.”
“I want to see you this weekend.”
“I want you to see me this weekend.” She moved into his arms, just held for a moment. “Let me check the schedule.”
“I’ll call you later.”
“Okay.” She went to the door, opened it. “Oh, one more thing. Thanks for the tip.”
He walked to the window, waited so he could watch her cross the street. She did it at a run, skirts flying, legs flashing. When she reached the opposite corner, she looked back, saw him there and waved before hurrying to the back of the building.
He thought about her, about love. What it cost, what it offered. Then he took his take-out box to his office microwave to heat up his very cold calzone.
IT WAS NEAR the end of the workday by the time he made it back to the inn. His mind on other things, he smelled the paint before he saw it.
They’d need another coat, but the quiet straw color already picked up the light, played with the tones in the tile. He heard the grind of the tile saw, the thump of hammers. When he got to the base of the stairs, his mother’s voice carried down to him.
Perfect, he’d get them all at once.
He found his mother and Carolee on two in the Eve and Roarke room.
“Hey. I was hoping I’d catch you.” He crossed back to the bath.
“Look at this!” His mother thrust a cut sheet at him. “It’s the perfect towel warmer for this room.”
“You already—”
“I didn’t order the other one because I wasn’t a hundred percent. This is a hundred percent. Heated glass.”
“It’s kind of—”
“Pricey, I know, but it’s exactly right. It looks futuristic.”
“It is pretty cool.” Studying it, he brought the rest of the room’s features into his head. “It works with the lights, the fixtures we’re putting in here.”
“Good, because I already ordered it. But that’s not the big news.”
“You’re not pregnant, are you?”
She slapped his arm. “Carolee—”
“Carolee’s pregnant?”
“Aren’t you in a good mood? No, and it’s a good thing she’s not, because Carolee is going to be our assistant innkeeper.”
“That is big.” Surprised, he looked at his aunt. “I didn’t know you wanted to work here.”
“I’m dying to.” Carolee’s eyes sparkled with the thought of it. “I love this place, and giving up my part-time job at the outlet won’t hurt my feelings a bit. I’m good with people, and you know how I love to entertain. I wrote up a resume.”
“As if.” Justine bumped her sister with her elbow.
“It’s business, Justine. Family business, but still business.”
“My vote is you’re hired,” Beckett said. “You’ll be terrific.”
“See? That makes it unanimous.”
“I’m so excited! I really love this place. I’ll be able to walk to work instead of driving all the way to—” She stopped, shook her head. “But we have to see how Hope and I get along.” Carolee held up her fingers, crossed them. “Then we’ll make it official.”
“Well, this news blows my news out of the water.”
“Clare’s pregnant.”
Beckett’s mouth dropped open. “Jesus, Mom.”
“Tit for tat, my baby boy. What’s the news?”
“Where’s the rest of us?”
“Upstairs in Hope’s apartment. They went ahead and laid the tile in her kitchen and bath since it’s simple.”
“Let’s get them down here, so we can all do this together.”
He went out, yelled up. “Family meeting, ASAP. Eve and Roarke.”
“What’s this about, Beckett?” Justine asked.
“Something I finished up today. Oh, I need to use the shop for a while, just FYI. I have to build some coffins.”
Not much surprised Justine Montgomery, especially when it came to her boys, but this one had her blinking. “Coffins?”
“For the kids, for action figures who’ve fallen in battle. I’m probably going to head over there when—Okay, here they come.”
“What’s up?” Owen demanded. “We’re just knocking off.”
“And I want a beer,” Ryder added.
D.A. moseyed in behind him, circled the room to sniff everyone hello.
“You can buy me one.” Beckett opened his folder, took out the mock-up