It was a simple statement, but she had said it with such an incongruous mixture of joy and wistfulness that Dave felt his throat close. He stole a glance at her and reached for her hand, taking it in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. A part of him envied her success. She’d found her niche, found something she excelled at and enjoyed. But another part of him wondered about making lifelong choices during childhood. It wouldn’t have been for him.

He double-parked the truck in front of Kate’s house and watched the men pile out behind them. “You order the pizza, and I’ll get the furniture squared away.”

Kate gave him a thumbs-up sign. “I’m going to put Elsie in the guest bedroom on the second floor until I get the roof and ceiling fixed.”

“Sounds good.”

Half an hour later the Potatoes had installed a double bed and small dresser for Elsie, and had removed the debris from Kate’s room and set up her new queen-size bed. She stood with a stack of linens in her arms while the men trooped out her door, over to Dave’s house.

“We have to do men’s stuff now,” Dave told her. “We have to go over to my place and watch a hockey game on the tube and drink beer and bore the hell out of one another.”

“If it’s so boring, why do you do it?”

“It’s traditional. Only married guys get excused from having this much fun.” He thought about it a minute. “Want to get married?”

“I’d sooner get boiled in oil. Nothing personal.”

“And after everything I’ve done for you, you won’t do this one small favor for me. Okay, so you won’t marry me. How about taking me to the concert.”

She looked skeptical. “You really want to go to the concert?”

“With all my heart. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than go to your concert.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Actually, it’s my second choice,” he admitted. “I didn’t think you’d go for the first.”

Kate rolled her eyes and turned to leave, but he took her arm. “Wait! I swear, I really want to go to the concert.” It was the truth. He needed to know more about her. He was besotted! He wasn’t even sure he’d been joking when he’d asked her to marry him. “I love cello concerts,” he told her earnestly. “How many celli will be playing?”

“It’s a chamber music group, and I’m the only cellist.”

“That’s even better. I love chamber music.”