Wiping her palms down her leggings, she straightened her shoulders, gripped the knob, and pulled the door open—praying that whatever Brent had to say wouldn’t unleash yet another surge of sleep-banishing terror.

3

BASED ON HER BODY LANGUAGE, Eve was prepared for bad news.

That made this a bit easier—but not by much.

“We’re finished.” Brent motioned toward the hall behind her. “May I come in? I’d like to bring you up to speed before I take off.”

“Sure.” She moved back, pulling the door wide. “The living room’s on your right.”

He stepped past her but halted in the arched doorway of a construction zone as he took in the scene.

Big swaths of mudding swirled over the walls, indicating serious drywall patching had been done. The floors were covered with tarps, and a ladder was propped against a built-in bookcase. Most of the furniture had been shoved into the middle of the room, leaving the couch and side chairs inaccessible.

“Oh. Sorry.” She stopped beside him. “I forgot there’s no place to sit in here. Let’s try the kitchen.”

She headed toward the back of the house.

He followed, skirting around a spattered paint pan that contained two used rollers and brushes of varying sizes.

“Looks like you’re doing big-time remodeling.”

“A fair amount. I bought the house at a bargain price—but that was because the older couple who called it home for fifty years hadn’t updated anything. However, it has solid bones and great potential. The kitchen and my bedroom are finished, and the living room is up next. That’s my weekend project for the foreseeable future.”

He followed her through another doorway, stopping on the threshold to survey the bright, airy, contemporary space.

“Not what you expect in a mid-century Cape Cod, is it?” She leaned back against the granite-topped island, crossed her arms, and grinned.

That was putting it mildly.

“No.”

He gave the room a slow sweep. Evening sun spilled through a skylight in the vaulted ceiling above the dining nook, spotlighting a round bar-height table and four matching stools with backs. Stainless steel appliances and a light-colored oak floor contributed to the open feeling. Beyond the dining nook, a comfortable seating area featured a gray-and-white patterned L-shaped sofa in front of a fireplace with a raised hearth.

“There used to be two walls back here.” Eve swept a hand around the cheery space. “The kitchen was a cubbyhole, with a door that led to a tiny breakfast room, which in turn led to a small den. Ripping out walls was my top priority. And would you believe there was indoor/outdoor carpeting on top of this hardwood floor? The glue was a mess to get off.”

“Did you do all this yourself?” He could handle basic home handyman chores, but tearing down walls? Refinishing floors? Out of his league.