Page 30 of Second Chance at Sunshine Inn

Take a risk and open another restaurant? Probably not. He had no desire to repeat that disaster.

He crossed to his workbench and studied his latest project—a shelf for his shop. He sanded the pieces while he pondered Everleigh. It blew his mind that she was so passionate about her patients—the babies she cared for—and their parents. In fact, he’d been enthralled as she shared how much her job meant to her. He felt her drawing him in when she talked about those newborns, but he was stumped that she couldn’t see how selfish she was being about selling the inn out from under him. Had she even considered how it would affect him or what Alana would think about it? She was complicated and confusing, and being unable to understand her was driving him crazy.

His fury sparked. Cade pulled out a hammer and nails and then lined up two pieces of wood. He pulled the hammer back and swung it—and completely missed the nail.

He growled as pain radiated through his thumb and up his arm. He shook his hand and danced around, furious at himself.

The cat hopped up on the workbench and walked back and forth, chirping sympathetically.

“Thanks, buddy.” Cade sat on the bench and rested his throbbing hand on the cat.

His annoyance cooled, and he took a deep breath. He couldn’t allow Everleigh to get to him. Most likely she’d be out of his life soon, whether the inn sold or not, and the plan was for her to leave. He couldn’t wait for the day he would load her one-ton suitcase into the back of her car and say goodbye to her.

After the pain subsided, Cade returned to the shelf in progress. Bryant stayed on the workbench and took a bath.

“Cade?”

He craned his neck over his shoulder and saw Everleigh standing beside his motorcycle. Bryant hopped down from the workbench and ran over to her.

Traitor.

Everleigh bent down and moved her hand over the cat’s head. “I’m going to make the listing live today.” She rattled off the social media pages and the real estate market websites where she planned to post it.

He swiped the back of his arm over his forehead.

Tension hung in the air between them.

“What are you working on?” she finally asked.

“A new shelf.”

“So you build things too? You’re a talented guy, Cade.”

He remained silent and turned back toward the workbench, hoping she’d take the hint and leave.

“You know,” she began, “Alana would be okay with this. She was excited about the nonprofit and how it could help families in need, and I’m sure she wanted me to make this dream come true.” She paused for a moment. “There’s a reason why she left each of us half of everything. This could be a second chance for you too.”

He turned slightly to face her. “A second chance?”

She nodded. “Is there something you shared with Alana that you’ve always wanted to do?”

“Like what?” he asked.

“You know.” She brushed her fingers over his bike’s handlebar. “Some dream she knew about that you always wanted to make a reality?”

He stared at her. What on earth was she talking about?

“Alana wants us to live our dreams, Cade. I’m sure of it.”

He shook his head and returned to his work. “You keep telling yourself that.”

Then he heard her leave, his traitorous cat hurrying along at her side.

***

“I had to pull over Old Man Burns for driving too slowly down Potter Road again yesterday,” Landon announced the following evening. “He thinks it’s safe when he’s going twenty in a thirty-five, even though I’ve tried to explain to him that it’s actually more hazardous to the other drivers.”

Dad held up his hand. “I had to do that too.” He studied Landon. “Tell me you didn’t give him a ticket.”

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