The knot in Wes’s stomach tightened. Marissa was getting attached to Sarah really quickly. Every evening, all he heard was Sarah this, Sarah that… Hell, he was starting to like having her around. Her easy, unassuming confidence; her determination in this venture; and the way she was the complete opposite of his usual type, he already knew he would miss seeing her every day once the renovations were done.

And he had no idea what to do. He certainly didn’t want to get in the way of the connection his daughter was making. The first real one in a long time, but he also didn’t want to see her get hurt…

He didn’t want to get hurt, but he suspected there would already be a void in both their lives once Sarah left town.

…

A week later, Sarah stood staring at the refinished staircase leading to the upstairs guest rooms. They’d preserved as much of the original structure as possible, and with the treated wood finish, it was hard to tell the original planks from the new.

Her grandmother would be proud.

“Don’t worry, we’ve reinforced all the stairs from beneath, so no one…else…will be falling through,” Wes said, wiping his hands on his jeans as he came up behind her in the foyer.

“It looks so great. Thank you, Wes,” Sarah said, wanting to hug him.

And not just because his white T-shirt hugged his muscular chest and biceps. Or because seeing him every day, while he worked relentlessly to help her get the place in decent enough shape to sell, had turned her formerly innocent crush on her friend into something fierce.

Not just for those reasons.

Wes checked his watch. “We should get going. We have dinner plans with my in-laws…former in-laws…” He shrugged. “I’m still figuring out the terminology.” His smile looked pained.

“Marissa’s grandparents,” Sarah said.

“That’s definitely an easier way to put it. Thank you,” Wes said, removing his tool belt and closing his toolbox.

“I really can’t thank you enough for all of this. It means a lot.”

At one time, he’d meant a lot. Sarah hadn’t realized the extent of her teenage feelings for him until those long-repressed emotions had returned with a new maturity. When she’d moved away and he’d married Kelly after high school, she’d firmly closed the door on thoughts of a relationship with him, ignoring the dull ache she’d felt seeing family photos on social media. They’d been so happy together that she hadn’t felt any jealousy or longing. She’d respected their relationship enough not to allow herself to pine for a man she couldn’t have.

Wes had been filed in the off-limits drawer for so long, she couldn’t take him out now. Could she?