Page 63 of Second Chance at Sunshine Inn

“Yeah.” She curled her lips up into a smile. “Sorry about that.”

Trevor watched her. “Is Cade all right?”

“Uh-huh.” She took a sip of Diet Coke. “He has a family situation he’s working through, but he’s going to be just fine.” She sat up taller on the stool. “You were telling me about the time you tried water-skiing and wound up drinking more water than you meant to.”

He chuckled. “Right. I was surprised to find out I’m not a very good water-skier.”

Everleigh tried to focus on Trevor’s story, but her thoughts were stuck on Cade. She longed to ask Trevor to leave so she could pound on Cade’s apartment door until he invited her in and poured out his feelings.

But she knew she’d be wasting her time and her breath. Cade Witherspoon was the most stubborn man she’d ever known. He kept his feelings locked up tight, and she would have to figure out how to locate the key.

“So,” Trevor began after they’d finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen, “should we put another coat of paint on the sunroom before I head out?”

“I’m down if you are.”

He rubbed his hands together. “Then let’s do it.”

They spent the next couple of hours repainting the sunroom, and Everleigh continued to struggle with her worries over Cade.

“So you’ve gotten some offers on this place but haven’t acceptedthem?” Trevor asked while he stood on a ladder and painted the top part of the far wall.

Everleigh worked on the trim around the door leading to the outside. “Only one from a developer.”

“What did they offer?”

She swiped the back of her hand over her forehead. Even with the row of ceiling fans humming above them, the room was stifling. “A generous price—more than we’re asking—but they want to knock down the inn and build luxury condos.”

Trevor was silent for a few moments while he painted. “So that’s why you turned them down.”

“Exactly. Cade and I agree we don’t want the inn demolished.” She gave a little laugh. “It may be theonlything we agree on.”

“Interesting.”

She spun to face him. “What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, nothing. It just seems like you and Cade are close.” He finished where he was painting, climbed down the ladder, and moved farther down the wall.

She shook her head. “We’re acquaintances. Maybe we’re friends?” She shrugged. “I don’t know what we are, but we’re definitely business partners—at least for now.”

She glimpsed out the window toward the detached garage, where the lights still glowed in Cade’s apartment. Once again she felt an invisible force pulling her to him.

“So you and Cade are just looking for a buyer who’ll keep the inn going?” Trevor asked, swishing his paint roller back and forth.

“That’s right.”

“Well, I hope you find them.”

She smiled. “I’m sure the right buyer is out there. We just have to be patient.”

They finished the second coat, then Trevor helped her clean upthe painting supplies. When it was getting dark, she walked him out to his black late-model Toyota pickup truck.

“Thanks for your help tonight,” she told him.

He grinned. “It was fun.”

“You and I have different ideas about what’s fun,” she said, laughing. “Painting is more work than fun.”

“Nah. Just spending time with you is fun.” He reached out and brushed his finger over her shoulder. “You have some paint there.”

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