Page 28 of Return To You

I go to shake his hand, but he pulls me into a back-slapping hug just like Colton had. “Missed you,” he mumbles. Pulling away, he adds, “This is Alexandra.”

“Alek-zandra is Daddy’s girlfriend,” Skye pipes as I shake her hand.

Grace starts to scoot over on the bench. “Why don’t you guys join us?”

“Daddy, you promised I could ride Sunshine,” Skye cuts in, sliding off Grace’s lap and running toward the barn.

“That’s—yup—actually why we came—to get Skye,” Chris says as an apology. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

Haley stands up. “I’ll go saddle her for you.”

I’m not left alone with Grace, not even for a minute. A young woman slides next to her. “Hey, I heard. Sorry.”

What did she hear? What is she sorry about? Is it about her father’s declining health? Grace gives the woman a small smile and a shrug. “Thanks. I’ll figure it out.”

Not her dad, I guess.

“If you need us, just holler. We’re wrapping up at the resort and after that, we could have time for small projects.”

Definitely not her dad.

Grace’s face lights up. “Thanks!”

“There you are.” Lucas, the guy I briefly met during the fair setup, sits next to me, slaps my back, and takes the woman’s hand in his, twining their fingers. “This is the guy I told you about,” he tells her. “Ethan.”

“You’re the carpenter? I’m Thalia.”

Grace frowns, her inquisitive gaze going between the three of us.

“I’m hardly a carpenter,” I tell Thalia. “It’s just a hobby I picked up.”

“In case you want to turn it into more,” Thalia says, pulling out a business card. “We’re looking to hire.” Is it me or does Grace looked panicked right now?

I take the card out of politeness. “I’m leaving in a few days, but thanks. You never know,” I add with a chuckle.

“Ethan is with the Air Force,” Grace volunteers, her cheeks tinting. “He hardly ever comes to Emerald Creek.”

“Oh, sorry,” Thalia chuckles. “I don’t know why I thought—never mind.”

“It’s my fault,” Lucas interrupts. “I’ve been telling her non-stop what a great job you did at the fair and how I could use a guy like you.”

“He’s always been good with his hands,” Grace drops, then blushes as she realizes what she just said. “You know, carving things and stuff,” she adds quickly.

Carving things? A vague childhood memory pops up. Little wooden figurines. I pocket their business card with a smile. “Thanks. Something to fall back on if all else fails.”

Thalia shrugs, “Or if you ever get bored while you’re here. We always have small jobs lined up.”

“Let’s get some food,” Lucas says, maybe reading my eagerness to be alone with Grace, maybe simply hungry. He stands and pulls Thalia to him.

“So… What’s going on with you? What Thalia said,” I ask Grace the minute they’re gone, for now putting aside her comment about me being good with my hands.

She furrows her eyebrows at me, picking at the half-eaten hotdog Skye left on her plate.

“Thalia asked if you were okay. Offered her help.” I know it’s none of my business. But Thalia and Lucas are new in town, he said so himself. Thalia can’t be that close of a friend to Grace. So if she knows something’s bothering Grace, why shouldn’t I? “She said she heard and she was sorry,” I insist. Grace can’t possibly pretend she doesn’t know what I’m talking about now.

“Oh—nothing,” Grace waves her hand. “My uh—my lease. I might lose my lease. For the spa.” She tears a piece of bread from the hotdog and pops it in her mouth.

“Oh, shit. That doesn’t sound good. How come?” I push my plate to the side and prop my arms on the table, leaning closer to Grace.

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