Page 58 of The Art Of Starting Over

“The plans for the house look great. There shouldn’t be much bedrock here. I think our biggest issue will be tree roots, but we’ll get those taken care of.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it. I’m eager to start building. If all goes well, how long are we looking at?”

“We’ll pour the foundation at the end of the week and start framing next week. Do you still plan to help?”

Hayden nodded. “I do. I need something to do.”

Link told Hayden to follow him to his truck. There, he handed Hayden a hard hat and some protective eyewear. “Always wear these,” Link said. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Safety first.” Hayden put the hat on.

“Once we get the dirt out, we’ll start leveling. We can use extra hands for sure.”

“I’m your guy.” Hayden looked at the bucket loader digging into the ground. Each push was oddly satisfying for him. Hayden figured if he worked on the house every day, it would get done faster. He wanted Conor to have his first Christmas without his mom in their new home. The McKenna men needed a fresh start.

“Link, what do you think about a pool?”

He lifted his shoulder. “If you want one, we can dig the hole while the bucket loader is out here.”

Conor definitely wanted a pool.

He wondered if Devorah and Maren would want one.

The thought jolted him and was completely out of the blue. Hayden stared at the ground as he tried to reconcile why he’d thought about Devy in that way. Sure, they’d had a great date and shared a deep and meaningful kiss, but ...

But what?

Were either of them ready to start something serious?

A smile crept across his lips. He was. He still loved Sofia and always would, but he had fallen in love with Devorah first, and there she was at the forefront of his mind.

“Yeah, let’s do it,” Hayden said. “A pool would be great. I’ll figure out the size and all that.” He reached for Link’s clipboard, took his pencil, and mapped out where the pool would go. Hayden would have to add more decking, but it would be worth it.

Around lunchtime, a truck pulled into the lot. Everyone stopped what they were doing when two women got out and went to the back. Hayden recognized Devy instantly but couldn’t place the driver.

As much as he wanted to walk over to her and see what was up, he stayed with Link and the others. The driver came around the front of the truck, carrying a box. Link’s employees started hooting and hollering.

“Who ordered lunch for everyone?” Link asked, but no one answered him.

Hayden watched as Dev approached carrying another box. He went to her and took it. “This is a nice surprise.”

“I think I’ve been set up by my brother.”

“What do you mean?” Hayden asked, laughing.

“He said Blackburn Construction needed this delivery, but by how excited the guys seem to be about getting food, I’m questioning Colt’s business tactics.”

Hayden owed Colt, big time.

“Well, I’m happy you’re here. Come on, let me show you the house.” Hayden dropped the second box off for the guys to pick through and hoped someone would save him something. He reached for Devy’s hand and took her over to where they were digging.

“I know it’s going to be hard to picture, but bear with me.” He stood behind her.

“A wide farmer’s porch, wrapping around to meet a sizable deck, which will be perfect for entertaining.”

“Party planning already?”

“I’m sure there’s a high school reunion coming up.”

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