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She took it as a fine cohed dramatically “And yet here you still are”

His lips twitched at her obvious set-down “You’re somethin’, Miss Foster”

She felt slightly guilty at her sharp tone—after all, he’d been quite friendly once he’d begun showing her the inside of the house, and he’d given her information about her relatives Still, she couldn’t let a cheeky smile and a pair of bedroom eyes distract her “I assure you, Mr Arseneault, when I want help, I will ask for it”

“No need to be so prickly,” he co his hands in his pockets He withdrew

a business card and held it out, waited until she took it before he spoke again “Give it soht No matter what you do with this house, it needs work I promise you I’m the best contractor for the job”

“And why is that, exactly?”

“Because I’ll take the time and care to preserve the very best of it, and keep as inal workmanship as I can Not everyone would, you know And because there’s no one on the mid-coast with a better hand for finish work Ask around”

To look before he nodded “Now I’ll show myself out I can see I’ve taken up too much of your time”

She heard his boots cloroan as the door opened Then another crack and a loud curse Abby stifled a laugh in the silence that followed

Then he was gone and she was left alone once ely quiet again

Waiting She just wished she knew for what

CHAPTER 4

Tom endured dinner as best he could His older brother, Bryce, had married four years earlier and he and Mary had an adorable baby girl as just beginning to crawl Their whole life was a contrast to Tom’s Simply put, it was full of love and fae out past Fiddler’s Rock and his workshop Dinners with Bryce and his perfect fahted what Tom didn’t have

Nights like tonight, watching his brother gaze into his wife’s eyes with such affection, or seeing Mary touch baby Alice with unconscious, ever-present love,for himself

“Best blueberry buckle in town,” he said, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his full belly, trying to chase away the hts “Thanks for dinner, Mary”