Page 6 of Rescued in Maple Bay

She grinned. “The hardware store can wait, then?”

“It can wait,” Trace agreed, and they walked toward the house.

Lilah’s house was a two-story farmhouse, nearly a hundred years old. She and Henry had bought it, the barn, and ten acres from his parents a few years after getting married. It still needed a lot of work, but everything functioned and was comfortable. And that suited Lilah. Even if her kitchen was straight out of the seventies.

The back of the white house faced the barn. Ben and Andy were tossing a football on the lawn. Henry’s parents—Gayle and Randall—sat in rocking chairs on the wooden deck, watching the kids. They lived on an adjoining property and were an absolute Godsend, for both her and the kids, always willing to come help out. Lilah was closer to them than her own parents.

“It looked like Blaze settled down a bit.” Gayle smiled from her chair. She was crocheting a doily. Sofie sat on a blanket at Gayle’s feet, making something that resembled music on her little xylophone.

“Better today than he was yesterday,” Trace said as he and Lilah stepped onto the wooden deck.

“Isn’t that what we all hope for?” Randall asked, going philosophical and then chuckling at his play on words. Gayle smiled at her husband, lovingly. She knew he just couldn’t help himself with the dad jokes.

“Sure is,” Trace agreed.

Lilah smiled and crouched down to kiss her baby girl’s head of blonde curls.

“Momma,” Sofie called, reaching out her chubby arms. Lilah constantly wanted to squeeze them. Instead, she picked Sofie up and set her on her hip.

“I’m going to get the hamburger patties out of the fridge. Trace is going to join us for lunch.” Lilah patted Sofie on the leg as she bounced her.

“Oh, good.” Gayle set her half-finished doily and needles on the table between the rocking chairs. “I made snicker-salad and brought corn to roast on the grill too. It’s all in the kitchen. I’ll help you get lunch together.”

“Sounds amazing,” Trace said but quickly added, “But I’ll help Lilah in the kitchen. You sit and relax.”

Gayle gave him an appreciative look that also told him she didn’t know how to do that. “Only if you let me keep watching my little munchkin.” Gayle raised her arms and Lilah handed over Sofie. The little girl giggled as Gayle placed multiple kisses on her cheek.

Randall rose from the rocking chair. “I’ll get the grill started.”

“Perfect. Thank you,” Lilah said before heading inside. Trace followed her into the kitchen.

“Paper plates?” he asked, knowing the drill. He’d shared countless meals with her—with and without Henry. Lilah figured Trace knew her kitchen as well as she did.

“Yes, please.” Lilah opened the fridge and pulled out the bowl of potato salad she’d made this morning. “So what are you getting at the hardware store?”

Trace took the cold bowl from her and set it on the counter next to the stack of paper plates. “Picking up some special-ordered hinges and handles for the remodel I’ve been working on for the Andersons. Their cabinets are going in on Monday.”

“Are you close to done with that project?” She found the bowl of snicker-salad in the fridge and handed it off to Trace.

“Should be wrapped up in another week. Which is good cause I’m going to be busy with the new construction on the north side of the lake.”

“I bet. You’re working on two homes in that neighborhood, right?”

“Yep. Excavating starts next week, and I’ve got to get the structures built before winter sets in.”

“That’s a tight timeline,” Lilah noted. It was the middle of August now, and winter in northern Minnesota could sneak in as early as October. “But I know you can do it.”

Trace huffed a laugh. “I appreciate the vote of confidence. I’m hoping to have the structures done by end of September, barring any major setbacks with materials or subs.”

“Well, I can’t wait to see the houses. That’s exciting.” Lilah had watched Trace build his contracting business from scratch. Ten years after he began it,T.C. Contractingwas highly sought after in their county. Trace was always busy with projects. She was happy for him, knowing it had taken him time to find his way back into civilian life after his stint in the army. But Trace was extremely handy and disciplined. The contracting business suited him well.

Lilah scanned the open refrigerator door for the ketchup and suddenly remembered Ben had used the last of it the other night. She sighed, knowing Ben wouldn’t touch meat without ketchup. Getting him to eat his hamburger was going to be a battle.

“I think I have another bottle in the pantry.” Lilah tapped her fingers on the door, talking to herself. She turned quickly, hoping she was remembering her pantry correctly. Deep in her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed Trace come up behind her.

“Can you hand me the—” Trace started, but Lilah smacked into him, cutting his sentence short.

“Uh,” Lilah breathed as she bounced off his chest. She stumbled backward, and Trace immediately caught her. His arms surged forward like fighter jets. One hand went to her waist. The other grasped her shoulder.

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