“That’s mine.”
Oh shit, I momentarily forgot I had stolen it from his toolbox.
“I’m sorry, I would have returned it...” When I remembered I had it. Probably when I went for a shower and saw it in the mirror. God, I forgot it was even still there.
He chuckles.
“Any excuse to cross the boundary fence, neighbor.” He adds a wink, and my face twists in shock.
Ah! Whatever, you ass.Where is the kind-hearted guy who took care of my confused father while I painted for the last three hours?
I find said father and usher him to the parking lot. When I have him bundled up in the truck, I round the front and climb into the driver’s seat. I drop my head to the steering wheel as I replay the last moment I spent with Quinton MacKelvie. And to be honest, my father is not the only one confused in this truck.
Just when I thought he was tolerable, maybe even a nice guy, he goes and says something stupid.
Groaning, I fire up the truck.
“Where are we going?” Dad asks, snapping me back to reality.
“Home.”
“Sure, sweetheart, let’s go home.”
Huh. A sliver of hope sparkles to life like the sunlight shimmering on the snow outside.
I’ll take it.
Chapter
Ten
QUINTON
“You coming to the tree lighting in the square?” Caleb asks, shutting down the sander in his hand. It scuffs along the hardwood as it dies out.
“When?” I ask, slipping my dust mask up over my face.
“Tomorrow night.”
“The school play is the week after. There’s also sleigh rides. Is there any Christmas event this town doesn’t do?”
Caleb chuckles. “Nope, not one.”
I groan and start up a small palm sander. But who am I kidding, Maise is going to love this town. Christmas is her favorite holiday. She absolutely gets into every Christmas event or tradition she can. This afternoon, we have to hang decorations over the house. This weekend, she has penciled in hanging the lights on the porch and in the yard. And after the last three years of doing this, we have accumulated a good amount of oversized Christmas-themed light-up yard decorations.
Hope the fuses hold out with all the extra power being pulled on the old house’s system. Or the whole thing will be over before we can even light the first row of string lights.
We make short work of the last railing in the dining area of the inn before cleaning up the mess of fine dust and starting the wood treatment. A dark stain and varnish are what the owners wanted. So that’s what they are getting. And even with the first coat, it looks stellar.
Caleb and I finish in an hour with the railing, moving onto the wainscoting installation. A new addition to the space, and frankly I think it makes the room. Success is in the details when it comes to a build, and it’s another great choice. The room’s facelift is looking incredible already, and we’re only just past the halfway mark. We still have the rest of the column details to complete, and corbels in every doorway will add the finishing touches that make it shine.
Just in time for Christmas.
“So, you coming?” Caleb asks, pulling his mask down, his dark hair ruffled, his brown eyes homed in on me.
“Yeah, guessing so.”
“Bringing CC?”
