“We’re going to whip this place into shape.” Dad hugged her as the others admired the store. When they parted he slipped her an envelope. “My first installment.”

Sophie smiled. “Thanks, Dad.”

Seth brushed past Sophie, giving her a wry grin. “You know tears make me uncomfortable.”

Sophie rolled her eyes, edging around the walker to embrace her grandmother. “Thanks so much for coming, Granny.”

“I’m sorry I had to miss your grand opening, but I’m dying to have a look around. You’ll have to give me the grand tour.” Granny released Sophie and gave three sharp claps. “All right, soldiers, carry this stuff upstairs and get to work.” She gave Sophie a wink. “I just came to supervise. It’s what I do best.”

Eight hours later her apartment was sparkling clean. Sophie and Jenna rolled a coat of Dove Gray onto her living room walls. The other rooms were already finished.

Seth and their dad worked together to replace the shower/tub enclosure and install a new commode. Things seemed better between the two of them. Seth had told Sophie a few days ago that Dad had apologized for leaving them, and Seth was working on forgiving him. At the very least they seemed to have reached some kind of truce.

Sophie also had a little more work to do in that department. Forgiveness was a good thing. But their dad didn’t always act in healthy ways, so they would all need to keep boundaries in place with him.

For now, she was just enjoying the moment. They’d all come together to help her—that was a start. And her apartment was coming along quickly.

Earlier Jenna had located cheap, secondhand cabinets on Craigslist, and the men had gone to pick them up. Sophie would need a plumber before she could have them installed, but she was one step closer to an operable kitchen.

A few hours after they started their project, Granny took Pippa back to the beach house. The dog was no doubt happier there, and the others could work in peace without Granny May peering over their shoulders.

The smell of paint fumes mingled with the scent of pine cleaner, the open windows diffusing both. The slurping sound of their rollers accompanied the tunes coming from Jenna’s iPhone.

Sophie set down her roller and pulled out her phone. She’d checked it compulsively all day long. But no matter how many times she looked, Aiden’s response didn’t appear.

She had to face facts. He wasn’t going to answer her text. Her apology had come too late. The ache inside spread, tightening her chest. She hadn’t felt heartbreak in so many years she’d forgotten how much it hurt. It was worse than last time somehow.

“What do you think?” Jenna asked. “You like the color?”