Ethan was already in the second drawer down. “And I think I have some flyers.”

“Things are looking up.”

When Ethan sent her a reassuring smile, her heart tumbled in her chest. Yes, things were definitely looking up. But what would happen when Birdie was home again and Ethan returned to his life in New York?

It was then that her grandmother’s words of wisdom came to mind, Don’t trouble trouble until trouble troubles you. She used to think her grandmother’s sayings were silly but now she was finding comfort in them.

He felt great!

It was amazing what a decent bed could do for one’s outlook on the day.

Monday afternoon, Ethan moved rapidly through his tasks and even when he’d realized he’d picked up the wrong sandpaper that cost him precious time, it hadn’t doused his good mood. He’d merely moved onto the next task on his list. With the restoration work now complete, he was able to work in any part of the bakery.

Ethan noticed Hannah wasn’t around. In fact, he hadn’t seen her once that day. Not that he was anxious for her company. He knew she had a cake to deliver that morning, and she was making a detailed list of what needed to be done for Spring Fling. And then there was the wedding shower for—what was her name? He stopped and thought for a moment because he’d been in Bluestar Island for more than a week and little by little, he was learning to put names to faces. It was something he’d been challenging himself with each day.

He paused from where he’d just finished mudding a wall in the showroom. He knew the name. It was on the tip of his tongue. He struggled to recall the name. It was an easy name.

And he refused to give up. Amy? No. Amber? No. A…

“Amelia!” He smiled at his accomplishment.

“What about Amelia?”

He turned. Hannah stood in the doorway. She looked as beautiful as ever with her long auburn hair pulled back in her customary messy bun. A few strands of hair had worked free and framed her face.

And then he realized he was staring and glanced away. “I was just trying to remember her name is all.”

Hannah arched a brow. “Any particular reason?”

He shrugged, feeling a bit awkward. “I’ve been trying to put names to faces.”

“And Amelia just happened to pop into your mind?”

He shrugged once more. That bit of awkwardness had now morphed into distinct discomfort. “It’s no big deal.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment. Instead, she stood there staring at him as though trying to figure out what was up with him. He was starting to feel the same way.

He cleared his throat. “Thanks for the use of the apartment. I had a good night’s sleep.”

“You’re welcome.”

Trying to lessen the weirdness of the moment, he went back to moving to a new section of the wall. At this point, the new display cases and counters hadn’t been delivered, but they were due to arrive next week, so he wanted to get these walls primed, prepped, and painted before the delivery date.