Her Handyman Hero

“But Mrs. Fisher said Mommy went away. Will Mommy be back, too?”

Reid watched the tears flow down Tori’s cheek as she brushed the dark hair from Lily’s face. “No, sweetie. Remember we talked about how sick Mommy was and how her body was too tired to keep working?”

Lily nodded. “She’s in heaven with Jesus and she’s happy.”

“That’s right. And now you’re here with me and I’m very happy to have you and we’ll be a family. Just you and me.”

“And our bee bees?”

Tori smiled. “Yes, and our guests. You’ll be a big help to me. You can help me make them feel very special, and they’ll want to come see us again and again.”

Lily snuggled close to Tori, her little fists hugged up against her chin while Tori stroked her hair.

Reid moved quietly back from the door, his chest twisted into a hot, uncomfortable knot. But the area around his heart felt strangely soft. If he’d had any doubts about Tori taking care of Lily, they were put to rest now. She loved the little girl. Wasn’t that all that mattered?

He rubbed his forehead. He’d tell her today before he left. Before he moved in. Once she knew who he was, he might be fired—again.

“Reid.”

He spun around to see Tori, with Lily in her arms, staring at him, both of their eyes moist and cheeks pink from tears. A rush of protectiveness slammed into him. He cleared his throat. “I was coming to report on the pocket door.” He didn’t want Tori to think he’d been spying on them.

“Can you fix it?”

“Maybe. It’s jammed with insulation, but if the hardware isn’t damaged it should be a simple matter to oil it and get it sliding smoothly again.”

“That’s a relief. It’s a feature guests love.”

Tell her. He stared at her.

“Was there something else?”

“I’d like to talk to you when you have a moment.”

“All right, but it’ll have to be later. I need to spend time with Lily, and I have some paperwork that has to be submitted first thing tomorrow.”

“No problem.”

Tori kissed her child’s cheek before setting her on the floor. “Lily, you go on to your room. I’ll be right there.” She handed him a key. “I meant to give you this earlier. I’m afraid the apartment might be a mess.”

He held up his hand. “For a free room, the least I can do is clean it.”

He took a step toward her. “Is Lily all right? I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard her crying and... Does she get that way often? Missing her mother, I mean.”

Tori rested a hand at her throat. “It’s been a long time since her last spell. Thankfully, they’re becoming fewer and fewer. Her mother and I tried to prepare her for the loss, but she’s so little she doesn’t really understand. How do you explain to a five-year-old that her mom is gone forever? I feel so helpless and inadequate.”

He searched for something to say. He hated to see her so full of doubt, but comforting a distraught woman was out of his comfort zone. “I thought you handled it exactly right.”

She shook her head. “I wish I could do more for her. It’s moments like this that make me wonder if Judy did the right thing in giving me custody.”

Reid impulsively touched her arm, wanting to reassure her. “I think she made a good choice. You’re the perfect guardian for little Lily.”

She looked at him with appreciation in her cobalt eyes, but evidently her self-doubt still lingered. Now was not the time to reveal his identity. “I’d better get back to the pocket doors.”

“Thank you.” She straightened and offered a slight smile. “Oh, would you take a look at the faucet in the upstairs bath in the living quarters tomorrow? The water flow is a trickle. Oh, and Jimmy Ray will be here, too. He’s going to start painting the living quarters.”

“I’ll look at it first thing in the morning. And if it’s all right I’ll move into the apartment this evening.”

“That’s fine. Let me know if you need anything.”

“I’ll do that.”

Reid worked on the door a while longer, until it was obvious he needed something more than his hands to clear out the insulation. He’d have to pick up a hook and rent a Shop-Vac. Beyond that, he had some research to do. And an explanation and an apology to prepare.

Seeing Tori so insecure had been unsettling. Didn’t she see how strong and capable she was? Her love and affection for his niece couldn’t be questioned.

He couldn’t continue this subterfuge. It would hurt all of them.

Because there was something vulnerable about his new boss. Outwardly she took charge like an engineer on a mission, but inside she was filled with doubts. He suspected someone had hurt her deeply. And the last thing he wanted to do was hurt Tori any more.

Chapter Three (#u5b991f4d-9ec9-519e-ad2b-460ecb5e084c)

Reid’s encouraging comment earlier kept replaying in Tori’s mind. He’d felt she’d done a good job in calming Lily and comforting her. She wished she felt as confident. She second-guessed her handling of Lily every moment. Her mom assured her all mothers felt this way, but Tori wasn’t convinced. The women in her family all seemed like supermoms. Linc’s wife, Gemma, raised two children and ran a successful event-planning business. Gil’s wife, Julie, was the mother to three—Gil’s daughter, Abby, and three-month-old twins. Her sister, Beth, owned her own dance studio, raised her stepdaughter and taught classes while pregnant. Even her brother Seth’s new bride worked full-time, studied for her degree and took care of Seth’s son, Jack. Sometimes she wondered if she would ever measure up.

They tried to reassure her that she was doing a fine job, but for some reason, Reid’s encouragement meant more than all the others combined. What was wrong with her that the simple compliment from a stranger held more sway than those from her family?

All she needed to do was focus on getting the business open on time. With Reid close by to handle the long list of repairs, she was free to start concentrating on the details. Decor, menu, schedule and, of course, there was the paperwork and documentation. Things she hadn’t considered when she’d bought the old home.

Opening a bed-and-breakfast wasn’t a simple matter of inviting people to come and stay at your house. The state regulations were overwhelming: business licenses, restaurant license, liquor permit, even if she would only be offering wine. And with each requirement came an inspection. Being listed on the National Register had brought with it another to-do list. She was grateful Floyd was aware of the guidelines and had consulted with Laura Holbrook, a local restoration specialist, to make sure everything was acceptable.

Strange thing was that all her previous jobs were proving to be a blessing. She’d worked in her mother’s Real Estate office as a sales agent, the family Electrical business as an accountant and she’d owned her own flower shop briefly and even tried her hand at interior design. Now, all that experience would give the skills she needed to run the B and B.

Glancing out her bedroom window, she saw the light in the apartment, reminding her she now had a boarder. Reid had moved in this evening. She felt bad she hadn’t been able to clean up the place and figured she could at least provide him with fresh linens.

After a quick check on Lily to make sure she was sleeping soundly, Tori gathered a set of clean sheets and towels and carried them to the apartment. The sweet strains of a Chopin nocturne seeped through the door as she approached. Classical music? Not what she’d expect from a stoic guy like Reid.

He opened the door quickly when she knocked, his dark eyes locking onto hers and sending a quiver down her spine. He wore a faded T-shirt and dark warm-up pants that only emphasized the muscular chest. Her mouth went dry and her palms dampened. Oh, my. What was wrong with her? She’d never had this kind of reaction to a man before. Coming here was a dumb idea. His dark eyes suddenly softened, and his mouth arched on one side. Not exactly a smile, but more of a slight lifting.

“Evening.”

She cleared her throat and thrust the items toward him. “I thought you might need these.”

“Thanks, but that wasn’t necessary.”

She glanced around the small space. He’d removed the dust covers and rearranged a few pieces of furniture. A worn duffel bag and a small satchel were on the bed in the alcove. “I forgot to mention you can have weekends off, unless of course some major catastrophe comes up.”

“Good. I have a standing appointment on Sundays I can’t miss.”

She wanted to ask what it was but resisted. He probably had a girlfriend someplace. “Is there anything else you need?”