Her Handyman Hero. Lorraine Beatty
who has her? Is she unhinged like the neighbor said?”
Reid chose his words carefully. He didn’t want to upset his brother. “She’s energetic and a bit unfocused, but no, I don’t think she’s crazy.”
“Is she good to my girl?”
“As far as I can tell, but I’ve only seen them together for a few minutes.”
“Will she bring my girl to see me?”
“I haven’t asked her yet. It didn’t come up.”
“Why not?”
Reid stared at his hands a moment before responding. “I want to observe things for a while, get a handle on her and her relationship with Lily.”
“Why?”
Reid had never mentioned the possibility of gaining custody of Lily. “In case I need to step in and change things.”
“File for custody, you mean? Is Lily in danger?”
“No, but it wouldn’t hurt to know all the facts before I tell her about you. Besides, shouldn’t Lily be raised by a relative?”
“Maybe, but I won’t be around and you’re a single guy.”
Reid pressed his lips together. A single guy who’d spent most of his adult life with the dregs of humanity, which meant he was devoid of the nurturing abilities a child needed.
Eddie studied him a moment. “What aren’t you telling me?”
He’d forgotten how Eddie could see through him. He was beginning to wonder how he’d ever worked undercover if he was so transparent.
“There was a misunderstanding when I arrived.” He explained his unexpected rescue mission. “If she didn’t plan ahead for something like painting a floor, what if she fails to plan ahead for Lily?”
Eddie shrugged off the concern. “That could happen to anyone. So are you going to see her again?”
Reid nodded. “I’m going to be her handyman for the next few weeks.”
“And she agreed, knowing who you are?”
Reid sat down and clasped his hands together. “Not exactly.” He explained the rest of the mix-up.
“So you let her think you were the handyman her contractor sent?”
“For the time being. This way I can see how they actually interact together and make sure she’s taking good care of Lily. Once I’m confident she is, I’ll explain and she’ll be more likely to agree to let me bring Lily to see you.”
A deep frown creased Eddie’s frail features. “Reid, for a smart guy, you’re being really stupid. You’ve been undercover too long. You see everything as a mission to take down the bad guys. It’s never right to deceive people. It’s one of the first things the Lord taught me when He saved me. Mark my words—your deception will only backfire.” He shook his head. “I want you to promise me you’ll set things straight. Quickly. I don’t have much time left.”
Reid nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.” Eddie might have a point, but the only thing that mattered was making sure Lily was cared for, and if the Montgomery woman wasn’t suitable, then he’d have to step in, which meant he had to have evidence and ammunition. But he’d honor his brother’s request. He’d come clean soon. All he needed was a few days.
* * *
Tori lifted her coffee cup and took a sip, grimacing at the tepid liquid. That was the second cup she’d let get cold this morning. Leaning back in her desk chair, she raked her hair away from her face with a soft groan. She’d been going over the numbers for an hour, and the result was still the same. Her finances were stretched to the max. Every penny had to be accounted for if she was going to open on time.
She’d foolishly assumed her savings and the profit from the sale of her property would be enough to get the B and B up and running. But even with all her calculations, she’d been hit hard by unexpected costs. The plumbing, electric and roof had all needed to be replaced. The discovery and remediation of asbestos and lead paint had further slowed the construction. The remodel of the kitchen in the main house had taken longer than normal because of restoration requirements connected to a historic home. Her contractor had explained that a historic home required special materials at every turn. She couldn’t run to the store and buy new molding. It had to be replicated to match what was there.
The funds she applied for would ease her situation considerably. Unfortunately, she still had to wait for the on-site inspection, which wouldn’t happen for a few weeks yet, and then she’d have to wait several more weeks for the funds to be applied. The only thing keeping her afloat at the moment was her online jewelry-design business, but that covered only food and utilities for her and Lily.
She’d have to tighten her belt a while longer and concentrate on getting the inside of the rooms decorated and arranged for future guests. She had invested everything in this venture. It was her future—and Lily’s. The business would not only provide a living, but would allow her to spend as much time with her little girl as possible. But at this rate, it would never happen, and she would be stuck with a half-done white elephant of a house and be forced to take an eight-to-five job, put Lily in after-school care and miss out on so much of her life. She’d promised Judy she would be a good mother to Lily. The mother Judy would have been, and she intended to keep that promise, no matter what.
“Morning, Aunt Tori.”
Tori’s concerns melted into mist at the sound of the child’s greeting. She spun in her chair and opened her arms. “Good morning. How’s my little sweetie pie this morning?”
“Good.” She climbed into Tori’s lap for a hug and a snuggle. “I dreamed about a big flower that came to play with me in the yard.”
“You did?”
“It was blue and pink. Oh, and I dreamed about a little puppy with floppy ears.”
Tori stifled a giggle. Her little charge had been angling for a pet since they’d arrived in Dover four months ago. She suspected it had something to do with all her new cousins having dogs. “Maybe we can get you a puppy after we get our B and B open.”
“But that’s forever.”
“Not really. Are you ready for breakfast?” Mornings were Tori’s favorite part of the day. Lily generally woke up soft and sweet and cuddly, and they enjoyed breakfast together before leaving for school. But today her thoughts were focused on her bank account.
By the time she had dropped off Lily and returned home, the sorry state of her finances had given her a monster headache. One thing was clear: hiring a handyman now was out of the question. She’d have to learn to make minor repairs herself or rely on her family. Unfortunately, they all had busy lives of their own and weren’t able to drop everything and come running. Besides, she’d received enough help from them. She needed to provide for Lily on her own. Time was running out, and there was still so much to do.
First off, she had to unhire a handyman.
Tori dialed Reid’s number. It went straight to voice mail. She considered leaving a message telling him she wouldn’t need his services after all, but it seemed rude to fire him over the phone. Instead, she simply asked him to come by the house to speak with her.
A small tingle of anticipation skittered along her nerves. Seeing the man again wouldn’t be an unpleasant experience. He was very appealing. His muscular frame, his probing brown eyes and cool mysterious demeanor were right out of a book. Something on the order of Mr. Darcy, or maybe Mr. Rochester. She shook off the idea. Maybe it was a good thing she couldn’t have him as her handyman.
Telling him she couldn’t hire him would be awkward considering how enthusiastic she’d been when she’d offered him the job. She hoped he wouldn’t be upset. She had the impression that Reid was a man capable of fierce emotions, which might explain why he was