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“Then she has to go to Silver Springs.”
“Which, in spite of its proximity to Spruce Lake, is an inconvenience.”
“You could always set up practice here,” Jack suggested.
“I’m a pediatrician,” she said. “Not an OB/GYN.” Grace wandered into the kitchen and turned back to him. “If you want to do your estimate, I can swing by the pharmacy and get your cream.”
“Sounds good. But first you’d better tell me what you want done with the place.”
“We’ll get to that in a moment, but since you’re insisting I stay in town, I’d like to live here while you do the renovations.”
“Hoo, boy.”
“You seem to think that’s a bad idea.”
“Do you realize how much dust’ll be involved?”
“No.”
“That was a rhetorical question. Trust me, you’d be better off renting somewhere during the reno.”
“Since I won’t be earning an income while the renovations are going on, I don’t want to waste money on rent.”
“Yet you were about to embark on an expensive trip through Europe for a couple of months?”
“I seem to remember foolishly offering to pay you double your estimate to get the work done,” she said with a shrug.
Jack grinned. “Yeah, there is that.”
Grace flashed him one of her brilliant smiles and he said, “I wasn’t going to take you up on that, so go find somewhere else to live. People post ads at the supermarket all the time.”
“Great idea.”
“So how is it you came to inherit the house and not your father?” he ventured.
“I didn’t inherit it—I bought it from Aunt Missy years ago. You might remember we lived here rent-free in exchange for my dad taking care of the place.” She grimaced and Jack understood what Grace meant by it. The house could’ve been better looked after. Things had come to a head—there’d been accusations of money going missing and Grace’s parents had moved on. Grace had stayed to finish high school.
“I was the only person in the family who kept in touch with her. A couple of years after I graduated from med school she wrote and offered me a deal—I buy the house at a reduced rate and she could then afford to move into the Twilight Years. She wanted the house kept in the family. Aunt Missy knew full well that if she willed it to my father, he’d sell it and fritter the money away, so she came up with a plan. Since she was asset-rich but didn’t have a lot of savings after my parents fleeced her, and I’d started working and had enough for a down payment, I took out a mortgage and bought the place from Aunt Missy. It was a pretty sneaky way of keeping my father’s hands off both the house and the profit he’d make by selling it, but it’s what Missy wanted and I was happy to help her out. Aunt Missy moved into the Twilight Years and I rented out the house to help with the mortgage payments. When Missy died, my father flipped out because there was nothing for him in her will and he tried to get me to sign the house over to him. Forget it!”
Jack said, “You and Aunt Missy were sure cut from the same cloth. Smart as whips. And your relationship with your parents?”
“Not good. Not that it ever was. I worked hard to win that scholarship to a college so far away partly because I wanted to get away from them.”
* * *
IMMEDIATELY AFTER SHE’D said it, Grace wanted to take the words back. Jack would think she wanted to get away from him, too. But that was far from the truth.
She wished, for one fleeting moment, that when she’d discovered she was pregnant with Jack’s baby, they could have married, kept their child. But after weighing the pros and cons, she’d decided that if they followed that path, there was no way she’d be able to stay in college and keep up her grades. They’d have struggled financially for the rest of their lives. Grace had been there, done that with her parents and she had no intention of repeating their mistakes.
Her lip curled as she thought, Yet here you are, a dozen years later, with a rewarding career, a lot of money and no one to love. That’s some definition of success.
“I’m sorry your relationship never resolved itself, Grace. I couldn’t imagine not being part of a close family,” he said. “I love everyone in my family. And I love that all my brothers are married now and have wives and children. It’s the cycle of life.”
Grace smiled. “That is such a nice compliment to them. They’re very lucky to have someone like you in their lives.” If only I had someone who truly cared about me.
* * *
HER HEARTFELT WORDS filled Jack with warmth. He was about to ask her more about her family when Grace turned and headed toward the stairs.
“Now, what needs to be done up here?” she asked, heading to the second floor.
Jack caught her seconds before she put her foot though a broken board. “For a start, I replace some of these treads. I’ll show you which ones to avoid.”
“I’m impressed you can pick them out. They all look the same to me.”
Ignoring her compliment, he said, “I can put through an order for some oak tomorrow.”
Grace smiled. “You can really start that soon?”
“Provided you’re happy with my estimate, I can start on this first thing in the morning. At least make it safe to climb the stairs without breaking your neck.”
Grace frowned and said, “I guess I should talk about stress management. I don’t want you to work so hard you’ll end up feeling too stressed to finish the job.”
Deep in his heart, Jack knew he couldn’t walk out on Grace, couldn’t leave her and this magnificent house in the hands of another contractor. “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “It’ll be an honor to work on a place like this.”
They took the last step onto the top landing. “Keep away from the railing. It’s loose,” he warned before they made their way toward the master bedroom.
* * *
GRACE STEPPED INTO her parents’ old bedroom but wasn’t prepared for the memories that assailed her. Aunt Missy had given up her beautiful bedroom with the view of the town for Grace’s parents to use. And they’d rewarded her by duping her out of her money. She turned away.
“You’ll want to talk to an interior designer,” he suggested.
“You don’t do that yourself?”
He shook his head. “No, I only perform miracles on the house itself. I know how I’d decorate, but I recommend consulting a professional.”
Grace nodded, impressed with Jack’s professionalism and attention to detail as she watched him make notes in a booklet.
“Now, the roof,” he said. “The insulation—what’s left of it—should be replaced. And although the slates seem to be in pretty good condition, I noticed stains on the ceiling, which means water’s getting in. I’ll have a roofing contractor take a look.”
He made another note in the booklet, tore out the page and handed it to her. “This is the number of an interior designer I’ve worked with before. Get her out here as soon as you can. Feel free to use my name if you have to.”
Grace took the proffered paper. “I’ll see if she can meet me here tomorrow morning.”
“That might be pushing it, but I’ll mark the loose steps as we go out, in case she comes when I’m not here.”
“Thank you. That’s very thoughtful.” She followed him down the hallway and paused at the top of the stairs while Jack bent and marked each unsafe step with a piece of chalk.
“Careful,” he cautioned as he reached to take her hand. “It’s darker than when we came in. I’ll get the power connected tomorrow.”
He glanced at his watch. “How about if you go to the pharmacy while I finish measuring?”
“I’m on my way.”
* * *
GRACE RETURNED TO the house thirty minutes later. Jack was sitting on the front porch, once more scribbling in his notebook. The way he bent his head, the book resting on his forearm, brought back memories of him at school, struggling to read a passage in class.
She knew he hated having to read out loud or do oral presentations. Some of the kids had laughed at him when he stumbled over the words. She’d guessed he was dyslexic and felt some of his pain. Grace knew what it was like to be different. She’d hush the other kids, turning to glare at them, surprised when they’d complied. After that, she’d volunteered for peer tutoring.
Jack got up and walked over to meet her as she climbed out of her rental. She handed him the pharmacy bag, saying, “The instructions for use are on the package. Stop the orange juice and I’ll check your progress in the morning.”
Jack pulled out his wallet, but she stopped him. “It’s on me. Consider it gratitude for agreeing to this project on such short notice.”
Jack glanced at his watch again, leaving Grace with the uncomfortable feeling that he had better things to do than spend time with her. “I’ve got a dinner engagement, so I should go,” he said. “If there’s nothing more you need to discuss tonight, I’ll head out.”
Sorry he had a date and miffed that he hadn’t asked her out instead—although why should he, given their history?—Grace shuddered at the sense of melancholy she felt. She hated this time of day between dusk and dark. She didn’t like being alone then.
After the divorce, the friends she thought she could count on were more faithful to Edward than to her. Understandable since most of them had been his friends first. He’d kept her so isolated, she’d had little chance to cultivate true friendships for herself. She knew no one outside the medical world apart from her hairdresser and Pilates instructor. How pathetic is that? she thought.
“You okay?” he asked, his eyes reflecting his concern.
Grace forced a smile. “Just tired. It’s been a hell of a week. I need to check into my hotel in Silver Springs, take a long, hot shower and crawl into bed.”
“I’ll get that window repaired and new locks put on all the doors tomorrow, too.”
“Thank you for agreeing to renovate this house, Jack,” she said. “I really appreciate that you made room for me in your schedule.”
“I aim to please.” He began to walk to his truck, then paused and turned back. “If you don’t have any plans, would you like to come to dinner at the ranch tonight? Mom won’t mind another mouth to feed. I’m sure my folks would love to see you.”
Taken aback by the unexpected invitation, and the implication that there was neither wife nor girlfriend in the picture, Grace could only stumble over her words. “Er, no, not tonight, Jack, thanks.” She covered an exaggerated yawn. “As I said, I’ve got some sleep to catch up on, and calls to make.” She held up the slip of paper he’d given her.
“See you tomorrow, then,” he said. “And don’t forget, come dressed to work, not to party.”
He gave Grace a long look that took in her too-short dress and left those welcome tingles racing up and down her spine.
* * *
“DUMB, JACK, DUMB!” He hit the wheel and berated himself as he drove down Lincoln and turned onto Main. What was he thinking, inviting Grace to dinner with the family? Now she’d know there wasn’t a girlfriend in the picture. He almost wished he did have a significant other in his life, just to show Grace he’d moved on, forgotten about her. But that would be a complete lie.
He wondered what had really brought her back to Spruce Lake, since she’d made her career such an important part of her life. So important that she’d left Spruce Lake—and him—without a backward glance.
But most of all, he wondered why she was no longer married.
Chapter Four
When Jack arrived at Two Elk, the family ranch, that evening, the front yard was already crowded with his brothers’ vehicles.
The babies and toddlers would all be tucked into beds and travel cots, in a first-floor bedroom. The older kids would be watching TV or playing games somewhere in the big house.
Inside he found Will and Becky’s son, Nick, and Carly and Adam’s boys playing a video game in the living room. “Hi, guys,” he greeted them, and got grunts in return. They were all enthralled with their game and allowing themselves to be sidetracked would mean they could lose.
“Hi, Uncle Jack!” Luke’s daughter Daisy called as she breezed through the room, followed by the clatter of feet on the stairs as her sister Celeste raced down to greet him.
“We’ve been waitin’ ages ’n’ ages for you!” Celeste told him. “Daddy says you’ve got a girlfriend.”
Hoo, boy! The O’Malley telegraph was fully operational. He could picture it now—his parents and all his brothers and their wives lying in wait for him around the kitchen table.
He pushed open the kitchen door and saw that the situation was exactly as he’d suspected. Conversation ceased and eleven pairs of eyes swiveled in his direction. Even his nephew, Cody—who at seventeen was old enough to join the adults—was staring at him.
His mom looked at him expectantly. She leaned sideways a little as if to see whether anyone was following him.
“Hi, Mom. Sorry I’m late,” he said as he crossed the room and bent to kiss her cheek. He should have brought flowers; they might have distracted her for a whole millisecond.
“Pop.” He shook his father’s hand, then made the rounds, exchanging kisses and handshakes.
They all sat down and looked at Jack.
After a full five seconds of silence, Will asked, “So where’s Grace?”
“At her hotel.” Jack glared at Adam. No secret was safe with an O’Malley.
“You should’ve invited her to dinner, dear,” Sarah said, her voice filled with disappointment. “I made extra.”
“Mom. Everybody,” he said, looking at each relative in turn. “As you’re no doubt aware, Grace is back in town. I’ve agreed to renovate the house she bought from her aunt Missy. End of conversation.” He snatched up a bread roll and tore it in two. “I’m starving, Mom. What’s for dinner?”
“That’s it?” Sarah said as she placed bowls of fluffy mashed potatoes on the table, along with a huge salad. His father got up to carve a roast. Pop loved roast.
Sarah took her seat at the other end of the table. “That’s it?” she asked again. “You’re not going to pick up where you two left off?”
“Mom! Please.” He softened his tone, seeing the hurt in his mother’s eyes. “She just got back here. I need to come to terms with that.” He passed a plate loaded with slices of roast beef down the table.
“He’s got a point,” Matt, who was the county sheriff, said. “Grace Saunders broke my little brother’s heart. I might go arrest her and throw her in jail until she makes a full confession of her sins.”
“You just made a joke,” Will observed. “A pathetic one, but it’s not bad for you, big brother.”
Everyone knew that Matt took life way too seriously, in free-spirited Will’s opinion. “So where’s she staying?” Will asked. “I’ll ride shotgun.”
“This is not the Wild West anymore,” Will’s wife, Becky, admonished. “But, if you’d like, I could beat her to a pulp with my interrogation tactics. Find out why she left a great guy like you. And why she really came back to Spruce Lake.”
Jack smiled at Becky. She wasn’t known for joking, either. “I appreciate your loyalty, but the truth is, she really has come back to renovate Missy Saunders’s Victorian.”
“And then she’s going to flip it,” Adam said with conviction as he piled mashed potatoes onto his plate.
“Grace is renovating it to save it from further ruin. She won’t be selling it. The house has to stay in the family.”
He turned his gaze back to Adam. “Have you remembered who Mike is yet?” he asked, then muttered, “Traitor,” under his breath.
