“Nothing typical about your daughter.” As soon as it was out, Brody winced. “Sorry.”

“I took that as a compliment. My impression is the two of you bruised each other’s feelings, maybe each other’s pride. An insider tip? Kate’s usual response to bruised feelings or pride is temper, followed by ice.”

Brody dug out the hooks to be used in the pantry. He should leave that job for a laborer, he thought. But he needed to do something simple with his hands. “She made herself pretty clear. She called me a jerk—then something in Russian. Ukrainian. Whatever.”

“She spit at you in Ukrainian?” Spence struggled to conceal his amusement. “She’d have to have been pretty worked up for that.”

Brody’s eyes narrowed as he hefted his screwdriver. “I don’t know what it meant, but I didn’t like the sound of it.”

“It might have been something about you roasting on a spit over Hell fire. Her mother likes to use that one. Brody, do you have feelings for my daughter?”

Brody’s palms went instantly damp. “Mr. Kimball—”

“Spence. I know it’s not a simple question, or an easy one. But I’d like an answer.”

“Would you mind stepping away from the toolbox first? There are a lot of sharp implements in there.”

Spencer slid his hands into his pockets. “You have my word I won’t challenge you to a duel with screwdrivers.”

“Okay. I have feelings for Kate. They’re kind of murky and unsettled, but I have them. I didn’t intend to get involved with her. I’m not in a position to.”

“Can I ask why?”

“That’s pretty obvious—I’m a single father. I’m putting together a decent life for my son, but it’s nothing like what Kate’s used to, or what she can have.”

Spencer rocked back on his heels. “They gave you a bad time, didn’t they?”

“Excuse me?”

“Unlike some families, ours can be nosy, interfering, protective and irritating. But you’ll also find we respect and support each other’s choices and feelings. Brody, it’s a mistake to judge one situation by the dynamics of another.” Spencer paused for a moment, then continued, “But putting that aside for the moment, since you care about Kate, let me give you some unsolicited advice. Whether you want to take it or not is up to you. Deal with the problem. Deal with her. If you didn’t matter to her, she’d have ended things gently, or worse, politely.”

Deciding he’d given Brody enough to think about, Spencer turned to take a survey of the total construction chaos of the kitchen. “So this is what I’ve got to look forward to.” He shot Brody a miserable look. “And you think you have problems.”

When Spencer left him alone, Brody stood, tapping the screwdriver on his palm. The man was advising him to fight with his daughter. What kind of a screwy family was that?

His own parents never fought. Of course, that was because his father set the rules, and those rules were followed. Or at least it seemed that way.