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After that heated kiss, Patience would also hate to see him go. But she had to quit thinking about him, especially in that way. Dwelling on Kanon would only lead her into trouble.

She pulled into a parking space next to a family who’d just climbed inside a blue minivan and waited for the father to pull out before opening her door.

Kanon straightened when he saw her crossing the lot. “Thought you might be back,” he said and leaned the shovel against the side of the building as he went to his room.

He returned a few seconds later, sans gloves, her bag in one hand and her computer in the other. “I’ll let you put your laptop inside in case you have some love letters or something else in there you don’t want anyone to see,” he said jokingly.

He was wearing a beanie and hadn’t shaved, but she still liked the look of him. His wry grin made him even more handsome. “I don’t think I’ve ever written a love letter. And I’ve certainly never received one. I have no secrets to discover,” she said with a smile and slipped her laptop into the bag to protect it. It’d stopped snowing, but the air was still full of moisture. “Sorry I forgot this. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“If I remember right, you were terrified of being caught staying out all night,” he reminded her.

“Because I didn’t want to set a bad example for my daughter,” she pointed out.

One eyebrow slid up. “And you knew your father wouldn’t approve. You give him a great deal of power in your life.”

She heard the censure in his voice. She was an adult. Even her daughter would be an adult in just four short years. But displeasing Carl made life so miserable it was easier not to cross him. “I could take a stand, but it’s far simpler not to.”

He watched her closely. “Only you can make that choice.”

Was he disappointed in her that she wasn’t doing more to fight for her independence? Because she’d tried when she was married to Jack. All it did was leave her torn between the two men who were most important to her. And the divorce didn’t solve much. It’d been five years since she was with Jack and yet she was still in a difficult situation, one where she felt fenced in on all sides. Not only did she live with her father, she worked with him. If they ever had a falling-out—one that blew up big and really lasted—she’d not only have to move out of the house, she’d have to quit her job. Then what would she do? What if she couldn’t find something else? Where would that leave Ari?

She didn’t want to be forced to crawl home again. It’d been humiliating enough the first time. Besides, she and her father got along fine if there wasn’t another man in her life, and there hadn’t been a man in her life since Jack. Why would she create a rift, one Ari would also have to navigate, especially while Jack and Glenda were getting a divorce? “Your priorities change once you have a child.”

“You don’t think you and Ari can both be happy at the same time?”

“I’m happy!” she protested. She was feeling slightly defensive, but basic honesty forced her to add, “At least, I’m as happy as can be expected. I live in a small town without much opportunity. And I got pregnant at seventeen, so I didn’t have the chance to get a good education. I’m doing pretty well considering those things, don’t you think?”

His eyes narrowed as he studied her. “I think you can have whatever you demand out of life,” he said. “You’re smart, Patience. You could make it on your own. Move away from this place—live your own life—if that’s what you want to do.”

“And take Ari away from her father and the grandfather she loves?” she asked, challenging him to double down on that statement. It wasn’t as easy as he seemed to believe. Yes, her father could be difficult. But at the end of the day, she still loved him. She was grateful to him, too, for giving her somewhere to go.

When Kanon opened his mouth again, she was very curious to hear what he was about to say, but Kelsey must’ve spotted her from the office window, because she came out wearing only a long-sleeved Lucky Day Motor Inn T-shirt, a pair of jeans and rubber boots. “Patience!” she called as she came toward them. “How’s everything going for the festival?”

Patience wanted to tell Kanon her situation was much more complicated than he was making it out to be. But the moment had been lost. Dragging her gaze away from him, she responded to Kelsey. “Kanon put some ads up on Facebook, Instagram and Google. We’re not sure whether they’ll make a difference, but we’re doing what we can.”

A quizzical expression claimed Kelsey’s face as she looked at her stepbrother. “You put up the ads? I had no idea you knew how to do that sort of thing.”

“Wasn’t hard,” he said.

Kelsey looked happier, more well rested, than she had in a long while. Apparently, the heavy burden of running the inn on her own had been wearing on her but having Kanon around was providing the support she needed. Maybe Suzanne had known what she was doing, after all. “He can do absolutely anything,” Kelsey gushed to Patience.

Kanon seemed taken aback by the compliment and even more surprised when Kelsey touched his arm and said, with heartfelt sincerity, “Thank you for everything, including the shoveling. I’ve been out here myself, many times, so I know how cold and hard it is. The service we pay to clear the snow when we get this much rarely comes here first. It’s usually midafternoon before they can get around to the inn—long after our guests have struggled to get out of this lot on their own. It feels so good not to have people coming into the office to yell at me.”

“If anyone starts yelling, send them my way,” he said.

Kelsey’s smile brightened even further as she rubbed her arms against the cold. “Thank you, little brother. I’d better get back inside. It’s freezing out here. And for all I know, the phone’s been ringing.” She started to trudge through the slush that remained of the snow where Kanon had already shoveled but turned back a second later. “Patience, would you like to come in and have a cup of coffee?”

“I’d love to, but I have to go by the bakery to get a few pictures of the cookies we plan to give away at the festival,” Patience said. “And I want to do it while I’ve got good lighting. Another day?”

“Anytime,” she replied.

Patience waited until the door swung shut behind Kelsey. Then she said to Kanon, “I’d better get going,” and turned toward her car. It felt as if an incredible night, one that’d been exciting, had shifted to the negative so quickly.

She was hoping he’d stop her and say something conciliatory.

But he didn’t.

* * *