“Need any help?” James offered suddenly. Everyone looked at him in surprise. “What? I can hold a hammer.”
“Since when?” Tom asked.
“Since... recently.” James's voice carried an odd desperation. “I've been thinking about working with my hands more. Youknow, tangible results instead of...” He trailed off, but Kate heard what he didn't say. Instead of whatever was falling apart in California.
Ben glanced at Kate, then nodded slowly. “Sure. I could use an extra pair of hands. You got work clothes?”
“I'll find something,” James said, seeming relieved to have an excuse to escape whatever interrogation was building.
After they left, Kate watched through the window as they climbed to the roof. Ben was patient, showing James how to position the ladder, how to distribute his weight on the old roof. James was eager, almost desperately so, like physical labor might solve whatever he was running from.
“He's taking you to dinner tonight?” Dani said, appearing at her elbow.
“It's not a big deal.”
“The way you two look at each other says otherwise.”
“We don't look at each other in any particular way,” Kate protested, but she could feel heat rising in her cheeks.
“Right. That's why you're blushing just thinking about it.”
“I'm not...” Kate touched her face, which was indeed warm. “Shut up.”
Tom had returned to his laptop, but Kate noticed he kept glancing at his turned-off phone like it might bite him. Whatever was happening in Boston, it was bad enough that he'd rather face family chaos than deal with it.
They were saved from further discussion by Lillian's arrival. She swept in through the front door without knocking, a habit that set Kate's teeth on edge. She was dressed impeccably as always, though Kate noticed she moved more carefully than she had even a week ago, one hand trailing along the wall for support she'd never admit to needing.
Lillian stopped when she saw Tom at the table, his legal fortress of papers and technology spreading across the surface.
“Thomas.” Her voice was carefully neutral, decades of breeding keeping any surprise from showing. “I didn't expect to see you.”
“Lillian.” Tom stood, formal as always with their grandmother. “Dani suggested we should be more involved with the transition. James and I agreed.”
“I see.” Lillian's sharp eyes took in the excess luggage visible in the hallway, Tom's defensive posture, the way he kept his phone turned off like he was hiding from something. “How wonderful to have the family together. Though I'm surprised your firm could spare you.”
Something flickered across Tom's face, gone before Kate could identify it. “The senior partners understood this was a family matter requiring attention.”
It was lawyer-speak, Kate realized. Technically true but deliberately vague. She wondered what Tom wasn't saying. Had he been fired? Forced to take leave? The Tom she knew would never voluntarily step away from his career, not unless something had gone catastrophically wrong.
“And James? The tech world is so demanding.”
“Working remotely for now, although right now he’s outside, working with the contractor,” Tom answered for his brother, another sign something was off. James always spoke for himself, usually at length about his work.
“How nice,” Lillian murmured, and Kate heard the skepticism in her tone.
Lillian moved to the coffee pot with studied casualness, but Kate caught her slight stumble, the way she gripped the counter for a moment. “Well, since you're here, we should discuss the designer's proposals. Martin has wonderful ideas for the guest rooms.”
“Actually,” Dani said, producing fabric samples from seemingly nowhere, “that's why I thought we should all be here.I thought it would be nice for our brothers to have a say. These decisions affect our family legacy.”
As they moved to the dining room to discuss renovations, Kate found her attention drifting. Through the window, she could see Ben and James standing by the truck, talking. Ben was teaching James how to lay shingles, their movements synchronized despite James's obvious inexperience. There was something soothing about watching Ben work, the steady competence of it, the way he made everything look fixable.
Tonight. Dinner. Just the two of them.
The thought made her stomach flutter again, a sensation she hadn't felt in so long she'd forgotten what it meant. Anticipation. Maybe even excitement. When was the last time she'd looked forward to something that was just for her?
“Katherine?” Lillian's sharp voice cut through her thoughts. “Did you hear what I said?”
“Sorry, what?”
