time.”
Something he was interested in. Not something she thought he was right for. Not something she might want him for, or offer him. Interesting perspective. She liked that he spoke his mind. “Since Luna told you how things will work, why don’t you ask me any questions you have. We’ll start there.”
“I’ve only got one right now.”
“Which is?”
“Can I see where you’ll be building out for the café?”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
M itch didn’t care about seeing any of the house, only that she loved it and it meant something to her. Her. Kaylie. His daughter. His girl.
God, but she was beautiful. So sweet and so smart and her teeth so straight. He still carried a picture of her, one where she was all smiles, the big gap between her baby teeth making him wonder how her permanent ones would come in.
He’d told himself he wasn’t going to come here. What he’d said to Luna was the truth. He’d lost his baby years ago. This woman was someone else. But he’d known from the moment he’d heard the news that he’d make the trip, if just to see her. He’d been looking for her more than half of his life.
How could he not come to see her?
“Did you live here a long time?” He wanted to know everything, but he was a stranger and had to be cautious in what he asked.
“For eight years. All but the elementary school ones. Those I spent…other places.”
Elementary school. That would put her here at about age ten. Where had she been the years after he’d left for boot camp and she’d been whisked away from Dawn? Where were those
other places
? And why had she takenErnest Flynn’s last name? He’d been their neighbor in Austin. Mitch couldn’t imagine Kaylie remembering him, she’d been so young. But the name change explained why he’d had no luck in finding her. He’d been looking for Kaylie Bridges all this time.
“Guess it’s nice to be back and catch up with old friends.”
“Actually, I haven’t had time to see but one yet, and that by complete accident. I ran into her working at the newspaper office when I placed my help-wanted ad.”
“So I’m getting a jump on the competition, huh?”
“You are. Pays to have friends in high places,” she said as she led him from the kitchen into what he supposed was the original dining room. “I’d planned to gut most of the first floor and convert it to one large eating area, but Ten talked me into a better use of the space.”
“Ten?”
“My contractor, Tennessee Keller,” she said, walking him out of the room into the main hallway, their footsteps echoing in the cavernous space. “He suggested using the two rooms on either side of the dining room”—she pointed to both—“just cutting entrances between them and connecting them that way.”
“A sort of maze, then?”
“In a way, yes.”
“Is it a better use? For you? For your business?” And then he shut his mouth because what she did here with her property was none of his. He wasn’t sounding like a potential employee, but more like…an overly concerned father.
“It is, though I did have to think about it.”
He stopped himself from saying
I’m sorry
before saying, “It’s not my place. I had no right to ask.”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind. If you end up being part of what I do here, I’d like your input. I want this to be a team effort. And I want it to be fun.”
He couldn’t be a part of it. Even wanting to, he couldn’t. He had too much to atone for and she had no reason to give him that chance. He would make the most of today because he could never come here again. The deception was already knotting his gut, and this was only one hour out of one single day. He stepped away from her to look into the two rooms she’d indicated, needing to breathe, to close his eyes for a second and tighten the noose of his control.
He wanted so badly to take her in his arms, to show her the tattered photo he’d had in his wallet for twenty-three years. To tell her how
Something he was interested in. Not something she thought he was right for. Not something she might want him for, or offer him. Interesting perspective. She liked that he spoke his mind. “Since Luna told you how things will work, why don’t you ask me any questions you have. We’ll start there.”
“I’ve only got one right now.”
“Which is?”
“Can I see where you’ll be building out for the café?”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
M itch didn’t care about seeing any of the house, only that she loved it and it meant something to her. Her. Kaylie. His daughter. His girl.
God, but she was beautiful. So sweet and so smart and her teeth so straight. He still carried a picture of her, one where she was all smiles, the big gap between her baby teeth making him wonder how her permanent ones would come in.
He’d told himself he wasn’t going to come here. What he’d said to Luna was the truth. He’d lost his baby years ago. This woman was someone else. But he’d known from the moment he’d heard the news that he’d make the trip, if just to see her. He’d been looking for her more than half of his life.
How could he not come to see her?
“Did you live here a long time?” He wanted to know everything, but he was a stranger and had to be cautious in what he asked.
“For eight years. All but the elementary school ones. Those I spent…other places.”
Elementary school. That would put her here at about age ten. Where had she been the years after he’d left for boot camp and she’d been whisked away from Dawn? Where were those
other places
? And why had she takenErnest Flynn’s last name? He’d been their neighbor in Austin. Mitch couldn’t imagine Kaylie remembering him, she’d been so young. But the name change explained why he’d had no luck in finding her. He’d been looking for Kaylie Bridges all this time.
“Guess it’s nice to be back and catch up with old friends.”
“Actually, I haven’t had time to see but one yet, and that by complete accident. I ran into her working at the newspaper office when I placed my help-wanted ad.”
“So I’m getting a jump on the competition, huh?”
“You are. Pays to have friends in high places,” she said as she led him from the kitchen into what he supposed was the original dining room. “I’d planned to gut most of the first floor and convert it to one large eating area, but Ten talked me into a better use of the space.”
“Ten?”
“My contractor, Tennessee Keller,” she said, walking him out of the room into the main hallway, their footsteps echoing in the cavernous space. “He suggested using the two rooms on either side of the dining room”—she pointed to both—“just cutting entrances between them and connecting them that way.”
“A sort of maze, then?”
“In a way, yes.”
“Is it a better use? For you? For your business?” And then he shut his mouth because what she did here with her property was none of his. He wasn’t sounding like a potential employee, but more like…an overly concerned father.
“It is, though I did have to think about it.”
He stopped himself from saying
I’m sorry
before saying, “It’s not my place. I had no right to ask.”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind. If you end up being part of what I do here, I’d like your input. I want this to be a team effort. And I want it to be fun.”
He couldn’t be a part of it. Even wanting to, he couldn’t. He had too much to atone for and she had no reason to give him that chance. He would make the most of today because he could never come here again. The deception was already knotting his gut, and this was only one hour out of one single day. He stepped away from her to look into the two rooms she’d indicated, needing to breathe, to close his eyes for a second and tighten the noose of his control.
He wanted so badly to take her in his arms, to show her the tattered photo he’d had in his wallet for twenty-three years. To tell her how
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