Page 95 of Second Chance at Sunshine Inn

She scrubbed one dish and set it on the drainboard. Then she pulled the phone out again. It wasn’t Cade’s business if she wanted to be friends with Trevor, especially since Trevor had been so kind and supportive to her in a time of need.

She began typing:Hi. I’m okay, but we had some damage last night. A tree fell through the sunroom.

Immediately, conversation bubbles began to dance on her phone.

Trevor: Oh no! Do you need help?

Everleigh turned toward Cade’s bedroom door. He’d be furious if she invited Trevor over, but they did need help if they were going to get the area cleaned up and the inn back on the market. And if Cade was angry, so be it.

Everleigh: Thanks, but I’m sure you’re busy.

Trevor: Not busy. I’ll come by later and see what I can do to help.

Everleigh: You sure?

Trevor: That’s what friends are for, right?

Everleigh smiled. That wasexactlywhat friends were for, and it was a shame Cade couldn’t see that.

Everleigh dropped her phone into her pocket. Maybe Cade just needed to see for himself that Trevor didn’t have any ulterior motives. And even if he couldn’t be convinced, he’d just have to accept that Trevor and Everleigh were friends.

Chapter 23

The whirr of chainsaws buzzed through the air later that afternoon as Cade and his father cut up the branches from the old oak tree. They’d been working for more than an hour, and they’d barely made a dent in the debris scattered around the yard. The sky was bright blue and cloudless, showing no sign of the line of storms that had wreaked so much havoc on Coral Cove overnight. The late October air was comfortable, and the last remnants of summer were gone.

Cade’s arms already ached, and his head throbbed too. He was overwhelmed by the destruction but grateful that only the sunroom had been destroyed, aside from minor damage to the roof at the back of the inn. He turned off the chainsaw and began gathering up the branches into a neat pile.

Dad’s chainsaw stopped too, and the murmur of conversations around the yard floated over to Cade. A group of volunteers had come to assist with the cleanup, and he was so grateful Everleigh had called her family and asked them for help. Everleigh’s brother,Landon, and his girlfriend, Amber, along with a few of Amber’s coworkers from the fire department, were up on the roof covering the damage with a tarp. Roger was already busy working on plans for the sunroom rebuild, consulting with a few of his employees on the other side of the yard. And Bryant sat on a nearby fence post supervising everyone’s work.

“We’re getting there, Cade.”

He tented his hand over his eyes and turned toward his father. “I’m not so sure about that.” He took in the monstrous branches that had crushed the sunroom. “We’ve only just begun.”

Dad chuckled. “At least you’ve got some help.” He nodded toward the roof, where Landon, Amber, and the other four firefighters were climbing down the ladder. “And it could’ve been much worse.”

Cade didn’t want to think about what could’ve happened. He turned toward where Everleigh and her parents picked up debris and tossed it into large trash cans her father had brought. She had changed into jeans, boots, and a bright-green hoodie. A chill rippled over him as he recalled how attractive she’d been dressed in his shorts and T-shirt last night. He’d never get that image out of his mind.

Cade tried in vain to stop a yawn from overtaking him. He’d spent a restless night contemplating Everleigh and how it felt to hold her in his arms. Thanks to her, the wall he’d built around his heart was slowly breaking down, and it both thrilled and terrified him. Allowing himself to fall for Everleigh was a dead-end street.

Still, he couldn’t control his feelings anymore. And from the way she reacted when he’d almost kissed her, he knew she felt something for him too. But if he told her how much he cared for her, he risked giving her the power to destroy his heart. He’d sworn he’d never make that same mistake, yet here he was—head over heels, all over again.

And then there was the issue of the inn. He’d been shocked when she took an interest in what he and Alana had envisioned for its future. He’d also been touched by her passion about her nonprofit. For a brief moment, he wondered if they could somehow take the inn to the next levelandstart the nonprofit at the same time. But that plan was impossible without the liquid funds they needed.

But could he convince his heart to give up on her?

Stop making yourself crazy!

He turned his attention back to his father and their task at hand.

“Thanks for coming to help,” Cade told Dad. “I called the insurance company, but they can’t get out here before next week.”

Dad patted his shoulder. “You know I’m always willing to help.” He paused for a moment. “Your mom had to work, but she wanted to be here too.”

Cade glowered and picked up the chainsaw. He didn’t want to talk about her.

“Hold on there, son.” Dad held his hand up, sadness flashing over his face. “Your mom misses you. I’ve tried to encourage her to reach out, but she’s not sure what to say. Maybe you should call her.”

Cade frowned as that familiar grief saturated him. “I know. I’m just so confused.”

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