“Not until years later. You were nearly in college by then. None of the women I had dated could tolerate my behavior for long, and I finally opened my mind to the possibility that it was me. I was diagnosed and went on meds, then I found a good church with an OCD support group.”

Kate wasn’t naive. She knew it took two people to nurture a relationship and two people to ruin it. But how had she gotten things so twisted around? Her mom had never set her straight, had never said a bad thing to Kate about her dad, even after they divorced. Instead, her mother drowned her sorrow in alcohol.

“I’m sorry about how I handled my marriage to your mom, Kate. I’m sorry you didn’t have a better childhood.”

Kate’s eyes stung. “I appreciate that, Daddy. I know it’s hard to make a marriage work under the best circumstances.”

“I did love your mom. You know that.”

“I know.” Does he know Mom went to her grave loving him? Mourning him? Sometimes it was better not to know.

“I’m not very good at this stuff,” he said. “But I love you, too, you know.” He squeezed his hands together so tight, the tips of his fingers whitened.

Kate didn’t remember ever hearing those words from her father. She’d known he loved her, but hearing them was a balm to her aching heart.

“I love you too, Daddy.”

Thirty

Thirty

Sometimes there’s nothing you can do but put one foot in front of the other.

—Excerpt from Finding Mr. Right-for-You by Dr. Kate

Lucas dipped the tack cloth in mineral spirits and wiped the sawdust from the oak pie safe. One more coat of polyurethane and it would be ready for Sydney. He was eager to be done with that job. The day before she’d come into the shop to check on his work, even though he’d told her it wouldn’t be ready for two more days. She’d closed the distance between them and caressed the unfinished piece with her slender fingers as if it were a man’s arm instead of a hunk of wood.

“Very nice, Lucas. You have a certain touch.” She smiled slowly.

He put space between them, wiping his hands on the rag. He’d done everything he could to make it clear he wasn’t interested. He tried to show professional courtesy without stepping one inch past that line. For the life of him, he couldn’t see why she continued to pursue him when there were probably a dozen men who’d be willing to buy whatever she was selling.

The phone rang, and Ethan called him. “If you’ll excuse me . . .”

“Well,” Sydney said, “I’ll check back in a couple days then.”