They had guests arriving this weekend—a full house. Two more days of painting and almost a full day to air out the house. He thought they just might make it.
The insurance check had been deposited, and they even had a bit left over, since they’d employed so many volunteers. They’d use the extra money to pay down his credit cards. It would leave enough wiggle room for small emergencies.
Next on the agenda was phase two of his marketing plan. They couldn’t afford to implement it this year, but hopefully they’d make enough during the rest of the season to kick it off next spring. That was wishful thinking, since they also had to make it through winter. He’d share his concerns at the next Moan and Groan because he’d promised himself—and his sisters—that he wasn’t going to carry this burden alone anymore.
He had to admit, sharing the load had relieved a lot of stress. Funny how that worked. And even though he’d told his sisters many times that they were headaches, the truth was they were actually helping to alleviate them. He was keeping that information to himself though.
The girls had been all atwitter since Molly’s engagement a little over a week ago. She and Adam were more inseparable than ever. Even though Levi still ached for Mia, it did his heart good to see love going right for his sister. The wedding was going to be next summer sometime, and Grace was already whining about the dress she’d have to wear as maid of honor.
Speaking of Grace, she was making progress on her business. She’d had business cards printed and was designing her own website in her spare time—though there hadn’t been much of that. She’d promised to keep her hours at the inn and focus on her business on the side for the time being. She needed time and money to buy equipment.
Now that the flood damage was almost repaired and his sisters’ lives were, well, his sisters’, Levi realized he might’ve acted in haste where Mia was concerned. Hours spent wielding a paintbrush and roller had given him too much time to think about her.
The memories were his constant companion, both a blessing and a curse. He missed those big green eyes staring up at him with affection. He missed the gentle curve of her waist, just the right size for his hands. He missed everything about her, all the time. He hadn’t known it would be this hard.
And, in retrospect, he even felt a little jilted. Maybe he’d been the one to end things, but she hadn’t exactly fought him on it. And she hadn’t contacted him once—even about the necklace. It was all he needed to confirm her feelings were just as he’d suspected. He’d only been a stopgap. A romance to while away the summer.
She was Mia Emerson, after all. She could have any man she wanted.
He scratched his nose, the paint fumes filling his nostrils even though all the windows were open. The sucking sounds of rollers carried from the other rooms along with the idle chatter of Adam and Molly, Grace and her friend Sarah.
The door in the lobby downstairs opened, and footsteps sounded below. Fresh air flowed up the stairwell. Since no one called up and they weren’t expecting more painters tonight, Levi climbed down from the ladder.
“Be right with you,” he called.
He set his roller in the pan. Even with their No Vacancy sign lit, people still stopped in to inquire now and then. He made his way down the steps. With his paint-splotched shirt and jeans he didn’t look much like an innkeeper, but that couldn’t be helped.
As he rounded the turn, he caught sight of the lower half of a woman, standing near the door. “Sorry to say, we’re closed for renovations at the—”
He caught sight of her face. His feet stuttered along with his tongue. He blinked. Wondered if the paint fumes were messing with his mind. Because he could swear Mia Emerson was standing in his lobby, clutching her purse with both hands. Staring back at him with those beautiful green eyes.
“Mia.”
Her smile wobbled uncertainly. “Surprise.”
He thought he could trust his feet to function again, so he descended the remaining stairs. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in Ireland?” Then his face heated because he only knew she’d gotten the role back from stalking her online.
“I’m kind of headed that way now.” Noises came from overhead, and her eyes followed the sounds. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“Not at all. I was just...” He looked at his clothes. “Painting. Obviously.”
“How’s the inn coming along?”
“We’re almost finished. We’ll be open this weekend, in fact. Our neighbors descended on us and...” He shrugged. “They’re getting the job done.”
What was she doing here? And why were they talking about mundane things like renovations when all he wanted to do was sweep her into his arms?
“Wow, that’s so great. Good old Bluebell.”
There were a hundred things Levi wanted to tell her about. Molly’s engagement, Grace’s business, every monotonous restoration detail. He wanted to ask her about her upcoming role and if she was excited about Ireland and if the paparazzi were still hounding her.
But most of all he wanted to tell her he’d missed her more than he’d ever dreamed possible. And he wanted to know... Did she miss him too?
***
Even in his paint-spattered clothes Levi was the most beautiful man Mia had ever seen. Her heart tugged at the sight of him. At the streak of beige paint on his nose and the speckles scattered throughout his dark hair. She loved that he was a hard worker. That he was steady and dependable. Traits that might be overlooked as boring, but to a girl from a chaotic childhood, they were everything.
She shifted her purse to her shoulder, fingers twitching in the awkward silence. He was wondering why she was here. She could see the question in the tilt of his head, the pinch of his brows.
