She took a step back, desperately needing space between them. “Okay.” Something inside her called out, Forgive me, please. I’m so sorry. But the words didn’t come.

“What would we do?” He seemed to be simultaneously loathing and considering this idea.

“Start asking questions, I guess. Dig around for answers. See who’s still here that knew your dad.”

“What would I do?”

“Grunt work,” she said. “Get me coffee. Make me sandwiches. That sort of thing.”

She couldn’t be sure, but she thought for the faintest moment a smile played at the corner of his gorgeous mouth. And then it was gone.

“Fine,” he said.

“Yeah?”

“I guess.”

“Okay, when do we start?”

“Tonight?”

She frowned. “Really?”

He shrugged.

“Okay. I can come to you or we can meet somewhere.”

“I have one chair,” he said. “Can we meet at your place?”

“One chair?”

“I’m just one guy,” he said.

In a flash, sadness washed over her at the thought of how lonely his life must be. How did a single guy make any temporary housing feel like a home?

“Louisa?”

She looked up at him, embarrassed by her sudden and overwhelming emotion, and righted herself. “Tonight then. My place. I’ll even feed you.”

“No, I’ll bring dinner. Can you write up an estimate for your fee?”

“Cody, this isn’t work. I would never charge you.”

“It is work, Louisa. I’m paying or we don’t have a deal.”

She tried not to read into that, but all she could think was that this man didn’t want anything between them to be confused. Business dealings only.

“So?”

She stammered something even she didn’t recognize, but she must’ve been nodding because he said, “Great, see you tonight then,” and began to walk away.

Helping him with the Coast Guard was great and all, but helping him with something personal—that was actual penance. A way to make things right. A way to make up for her mistakes.

Will you forgive me now?

“Cody,” she said to his back.

He turned.

“We might find something you don’t like.”

His expression didn’t change. “We might find something we both don’t like.”

“What do you mean?”

He looked away. “Forget it.”

As if she could. “You’re sure you want to start digging around in the past?”

“Yep.”

He didn’t wait for her to say anything else, and honestly, what would she have said? She watched him walk away, and once she got over the initial shock of their conversation, she took a moment to admire the man who used to be the boy who’d won her heart all those years ago.

She said a silent prayer that maybe one day she’d actually do something to earn his forgiveness once and for all.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN