Asking for forgiveness is the hardest part...

She once trusted him with her heart...

but will she ever trust him with the truth?

With only two weeks to renovate her family’s Colorado B and B, struggling single mom Addie Ricci can’t turn away help. Especially not when it’s her handsome high school sweetheart, Evan Hawke, who’s offering to pitch in. As they repair the B and B, Addie and Evan also begin rebuilding their relationship...until a secret from their past threatens to bring it all crashing down.

JILL LYNN pens stories filled with humor, faith and happily-ever-afters. She’s an ACFW Carol Award–winning author and has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Bethel University. An avid fan of thrift stores, summer and coffee, she lives in Colorado with her husband and two children, who make her laugh on a daily basis. Connect with her at jill-lynn.com.

Also By Jill Lynn

Colorado Grooms

The Rancher’s Surprise Daughter

The Rancher’s Unexpected Baby

The Bull Rider’s Secret

Her Hidden Hope

Falling for Texas

Her Texas Family

Her Texas Cowboy

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Her Hidden Hope

Jill Lynn

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-0-008-90707-5

HER HIDDEN HOPE

© 2020 Jill Buteyn

Published in Great Britain 2020

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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“Would you stop encouraging him?”

Addie leaned closer.

“What?” Evan whispered back. “What am I doing? I’m just sitting here. I can’t help it if the little guy likes me more than you.”

He’d meant to be teasing, but based on the angry heat billowing in his direction, Addie hadn’t taken it that way. She was definitely about to blow.

“Mommy, I don’t be here.” Sawyer’s voice had dropped from the level ten he’d been operating at, but it was still enough to cause laughter from the people sitting closest.

Pink rushed Addie’s cheeks, and sympathy flooded Evan. In an attempt to defuse, Evan opened his arms to Sawyer, who came right to him. The tyke was good for his ego. He tugged the stubborn guy up on his lap, and Sawyer sank back against Evan’s chest like he was a safe place.

His heart gave a heavy thump that sounded oddly like a warning alarm.

While he might have plenty of reasons and determination not to fall for Addie all over again, Evan was way too close to the edge of that cliff when it came to her kid.

Dear Reader,

Thank you for continuing to visit Westbend, Colorado, with me. Originally, this series was three books that centered around Wilder Ranch. But once Evan Hawke became part of his brother’s story in book three, I wanted him to have his own. I loved who he’d become after the trauma he’d been through. Of course, each of us has our issues, just like Addie and Evan, and we’re all works in progress. I’m so thankful we have a God whose love isn’t dependent on our actions.

A book is a joint effort. These pages wouldn’t exist without God, friends who help brainstorm, my family, my editor and you. Thank you for reading and supporting Christian fiction. As always, any mistakes in research are all mine.

I’d love to connect with you. I’m online at https://www.facebook.com/JillLynnAuthor/ and https://www.instagram.com/jilllynnauthor/, and my current giveaway and newsletter sign-up can be found at http://jill-lynn.com/news/.

Jill

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.

—1 John 3:1

To my girlfriends—thank you for keeping me sane and always supporting me. I don’t deserve you all, but I’m definitely keeping you. Kelley—thank you for being my early reader and for making every book better. I absolutely couldn’t do this without you!

And to my agent, Rachelle, and my editor, Shana—thank you for making my dream of writing books come true.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Epilogue

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Evan Hawke no longer considered a particular place home, but the city of Westbend, Colorado—where he’d spent his childhood—was fighting him on that idea like a boxer with a mean left hook. Everything about the frozen-in-time Main Street and the mighty silhouette of the Rocky Mountains lining the west shouted Familiar, known, welcome back. Everything inside him shouted Don’t get too attached.

He stepped inside Herbert’s Hardware store, momentarily forgetting his golden retriever Belay was attached like a bur to his left pant leg—the one that hid the prosthesis below his knee and allowed him to go through life with a semblance of normalcy.

No doubt Herb preferred no animals inside, and since Belay wasn’t a full-on guide dog, she didn’t count. Some stores didn’t care either way, but Evan didn’t like to push or draw attention. He could walk fine without Belay, had been doing so for years. But he hadn’t known how much he needed the girl until she’d bounded into his world unapologetically after failing her guide-dog training.

“Come on, Bel.” The day was in the mid-fifties and the sun was out. Even with yesterday’s dump of late spring snow, Belay would be fine waiting for him outside. Evan never had to worry about her bothering anyone. The opposite was more often true—people didn’t leave Belay alone. She was too much sunshine wrapped up in one animal—too hard for passing kids and adults to ignore.

Back outside, he found a dry patch for her under the awning. The snow was already turning to rivers, rushing like rapids down the street, splashing under car tires. “Lay.” Belay obeyed but kept her head off the ground, perked, waiting to see if he’d change his mind. He tied her leash to the bike rack, just in case. “I’ll be back in a minute. You’ll be all right.”

Her nose drooped as if she were a beauty queen he’d kicked out of a contest.

Back inside, warmth caused him to unbutton his lined flannel. Evan snagged a cart and scooted through the aisles until he found the tile he’d be installing at his mom’s house. Herbert’s didn’t have an array of colors or shapes or sizes, but Evan was a simple man, and he’d begun fixing up his mom’s place accordingly. He and his brother Jace had agreed to the plan before he’d started patching what could be patched and repairing what needed to be repaired. As long as it was livable and clean and sellable, they’d be good to go.

He was far more of an outdoorsman than indoor, but his mom’s house had been sitting for three months after her death, and he and Jace had decided it was time. Time to renovate. Time to sell. Time to bury another part of their mother.

Deep, dark aching sadness like he’d only experienced once before to that level filled his throat, and the tiles swirled and changed shapes in front of him. He’d made it back to see his mom twice before she passed. At the end, when the doctor had told Evan to get home, that she was failing quickly, he’d done exactly that, but it had been too late to say goodbye.

It was hard not to regret that now. Hard not to regret a lot of things.

Jace was busy training to be an EMT. It had taken his brother some time to figure out what he wanted to do after retiring from bull riding, and Evan was just glad he’d picked another low-key profession. Insert eye roll. Not that he could blame his brother for needing the tick-tick of a kicked-up heart rate or the surge of adrenaline.

They both experienced that same tug.

Which explained why Evan climbed mountains and led groups of trauma victims past the edge of reason and into uncharted waters. There was something healing about doing what you couldn’t or shouldn’t do.

What didn’t make sense to anyone else.

His mom, somehow, had understood that. Another reason he missed her.

Jace and his wife, Mackenzie, had already done enough getting rid of things and purging, cleaning out Mom’s place. It was Evan’s turn to step up.

He hefted the boxes he needed into his cart, then added a container of grout and some spacers. Footsteps pitter-pattered down his aisle, and a little boy—toddler aged—stopped next to him.

“Hi.” He shoved the roll of blue painting tape in his hand up to Evan like he was offering a gift to a king.

“Hi.” Evan smiled. The kid had chocolate hair that sloped across his forehead and matching eyes filled with curiosity. His golden russet skin made Evan’s barely-able-to-hold-a-tan ruddy complexion pale in comparison.

“Thanks, but you keep the tape.” Evan raised a palm to encourage the boy to hold on to his find, but the kid thrust the item at him again. Not sure what to do, he flipped his hand over. The boy dropped the tape into his palm and then scooted a few steps down the aisle. Removing a mixing paddle from its hook, he trotted back to Evan and placed that in his hand too. Before he could protest, the boy quickly added knee pads and a foam sponge to his loot.

Did this kid have a mom or dad nearby? A scan of the aisle didn’t reveal anyone. Should he go up front and tell the person behind the counter? If someone wasn’t looking for the boy now, they surely would be any minute.

While the tyke occupied himself by destroying any organization on the shelf near his level, Evan stealthily set down the items he’d been gifted and continued filling his cart with the supplies he needed. He wouldn’t leave the store without saying anything, but at the same time, he had work to get back to.

When the little boy took a step into the main, larger aisle along the back of the store, a woman called out. “Sawyer! There you are. Remember you can’t leave Mommy. You have to stay right by me in the store.” There was something so familiar about the woman’s voice...or maybe Evan just recognized that concerned mom/stressed wobble he’d heard her stifle. But she had managed to keep herself calm and not rage at the kid for disappearing. Evan respected that. His mom had been calm too. She’d had a lot to deal with, especially with Dad, but she’d always been good to her sons.

Dad, on the other hand, had been pretty worthless before getting himself killed in a bar brawl. Perhaps that was one of the reasons it wasn’t easy for Evan to come home. Jaded memories like that didn’t leave a kid when you asked nicely and said please. They stuck around for the long haul. Made it hard to remember that he and Jace had made something of themselves that their dad didn’t deserve one ounce of credit for.

The boy, sensing he was about to be caught, made a break for it down the aisle Evan still occupied. Should he get out of the way? Block?

Instinct had him slowly easing his cart so that it fit the whole space. The toddler had to pause to devise a new escape plan, and it gave his mom enough time to catch up to him. She swung him up into her arms.

“Sawyer, you have to stay by Mommy.” Her eyes flashed to Evan’s. “Thanks for the assist.” Shock registered in her slacked jaw, and all five foot three inches of her froze. A whole truckload of Evan’s past rammed into him in the form of the lithe woman with waterfall black hair and honey-brown skin, compliments of her Filipino American heritage.

“Addie.” Her name croaked out of him.

“I didn’t know you were in town.”

They said the exact same thing at the exact same time.

“Hi.” The boy—Sawyer—obviously hadn’t had any lessons about uncomfortable situations, because he squirmed to be let down while greeting Evan once again. Or maybe the little tyke knew just what he was doing cracking the ice that had quickly formed.

“Hi.” Evan’s response seemed to placate him, because he lifted his hand to wave, then studied his own little fingers.

She put him down on the ground, and he snatched up the blue tape, holding it in Addie’s direction. “I want tape, Mommy. Bue tape.”

“You can get your bue tape, but I need you to stay in this aisle for me, okay?”

“Okay, Mommy.” Sawyer began stacking and knocking over the items he’d previously removed from the bins and hooks.

“So you’re...visiting?” Addie’s question was burdened with so much more than the innocent words, and Evan didn’t blame her. The same curiosity pressed down on him.

“Yeah. I live in Chattanooga, Tennessee.” Though most of the time his apartment was empty while he traveled and led groups across the U.S. “I’m back because my mom died.” That probably wasn’t the best way to make that kind of announcement, but his brain was nowhere near working condition right now. Addie had always had that effect on him. He’d been hooked on her from the first time they’d met after the rodeo one night. He’d been dating Maisy Tilly at the time, but after one conversation with Addie, he’d broken up with Maisy.

He still didn’t think Maisy had forgiven him for that.

“I heard that. I’m so sorry, Evan.”

“Thanks. I miss her.” Again with the randomness coming from his mouth. Evan wasn’t usually the most sensitive or emotional of creatures, but walking smack into his past messed with his vocal cords. And his ability to think, process or move, it seemed, because he was still glued to the same position he’d been in when they’d recognized each other. He peeled his hand from the cart and dropped it to his side, begging the limb to act as if it knew how to function in social situations. “I’m getting her house ready to sell. Jace and Mackenzie—my brother and his wife—did a bunch of the purging work already. And now I’m just here for the final touches.” How many things could Evan spit out that Addie didn’t care to know about him? “What about you?” He managed to stem the onslaught of useless info by changing the direction of the conversation.

“I live here now.” Why did that shock him so much? It almost...hurt. What a strange reaction. “I’m reopening the bed-and-breakfast.”

During the summers in high school, Addie had lived at Little Red Hen Bed & Breakfast with her mom’s cousin Alice and her husband, Benji, whom she affectionately referred to as Tita and Tito.

But after that last summer, when she’d met Evan and things had gone so incredibly wrong so fast...Evan wasn’t sure she’d ever return.

“Benji and Alice were always good to you.”

Moisture pooled in those eyes that were a bottomless, dark well of things that had been and were no more. They pulled him in and latched on tight.

“They were. That’s why I’m reopening the place. Because it’s what they wanted and what I wanted, and I just had to...” She shrugged. “I had to make that happen.”

“Is that what your supplies are for?” She’d left her cart at the end of the aisle when she’d stopped to capture Sawyer, but it was filled with home-improvement supplies.

Sawyer handed Addie a random assortment of his finds, and she absentmindedly accepted. “Yeah. Tita and Tito sold the B & B about two years ago. Tito had already been sick for a while at that point, and after he passed, Tita didn’t last long. It was as if her heart didn’t have a reason to keep pumping without him. The new owners started fixing up the bed-and-breakfast, but they didn’t get far before running out of money and defaulting on the loan. So I’m finishing the projects they started and trying to freshen things up before I hopefully reopen in time for Old Westbend Weekend.” She winced. “I’ve actually already taken some reservations for that weekend, so I don’t really have a choice. It has to get done.”

Two and a half weeks. Wow. Evan didn’t know exactly what Addie was up against, but he could imagine it would take some elbow grease.

“I assume you’ll have help.”

Her head quirked, questioning. She was married, wasn’t she? The Addie he knew wouldn’t just hook up with someone. Granted, they were a bad example of that, but he’d always known her heart was much more conservative than they’d acted back then. They’d been teenagers—young and in love and stupid and careless. A winning combination. “I mean your husband. He must have some remodeling skills.” Especially if they’d taken on a project of this magnitude.

“Actually, I’m divorced.” The wounding that flashed on her face cut into his chest with a dull butter knife.

Over the years, despite how things had ended, he’d always held a soft spot in his heart for Addie. He’d hoped and prayed for good things for her—especially once he’d gotten over his anger at God and started talking to Him again. But in all his wondering of what had become of her, he’d never imagined this. Never imagined she’d be broken and bruised at twenty-six years old.

His sympathies flared, and that Don’t get attached/don’t get involved mantra he’d been following since he’d arrived in town shot into the red zone. Addie was a once upon a time. A representation of what used to be. He was here for his mom...to get her place ready to sell, to honor her life somehow—whenever he figured out a way to do that—and to keep his existence as it was. With ten degrees of separation and a world to explore.

Addie, though she tugged on his heartstrings, didn’t have anything to do with any of those.

Evan’s face registered with all that Addie Ricci felt over her situation—concern, disappointment, surprise.

She had never planned to end up here. Divorced. Raising a child on her own. A decade of guilt and so much shame strapped to her back as a constant companion. And yet, the school bus of life had driven up, swung open the door and dumped her out on her rear end.

“I’m fixing things up on my own.” The confession, as always, sent fear pulsing through her. What was she thinking? What was she doing taking on a project like this by herself? Believing she could run the B & B when she had no business training? She’d only stayed with Tito and Tita over three summers. Her mom’s older cousin and her husband had loved on Addie like she was a daughter. They’d always talked about her growing up to run the B & B someday. That dream had been planted in Addie from a young age. But with Tito’s sickness, things hadn’t gone as planned.

They’d left Addie a small inheritance, and she’d saved it. The minute there’d been even a whisper of the B & B coming back on the market, Addie had launched her plan into action. She’d used the money for her down payment, and here she was, completely out of her league and determined beyond logic.

Those summers in Colorado had been the best of her life. Addie had loved the small town of Westbend and the opportunity to explore at will. Helping out with guests, answering phones, taking reservations, serving breakfast. Even cleaning rooms had been fun because it had all been a novelty to her.

That last summer in Westbend, she’d been less of a help, no doubt, because she’d been completely infatuated with the boy in front of her. Evan Hawke had been all sorts of temptation. Lean and muscular—he’d been riding bulls at the time, which had only added to his appeal. A bit of a risk taker, but when she’d gotten to know him, completely kind down to the marrow of his bones.

She’d loved him fiercely.

In the last ten years, Evan had changed from a boy into a man. Especially with that close-trimmed chestnut beard. His face, his shoulders, his build had all become more defined. The surge of attraction and interest Addie had experienced as a teenager stirred inside her even though Evan was the most off-limits of all the guys in the world.

“The last time I saw you...” The last time Addie had seen Evan, he’d been laid out in a hospital bed, frightened and lost, enduring excruciating pain. The night Addie had convinced Tita and Tito to let her sleep in the chair next to his hospital bed so that his mom could get some rest had been agonizing. When all of the busyness of the doctors and medical staff and family and friends had faded, Evan had been left with only the agony from his amputation. He’d writhed and cried out, and she hadn’t been able to do anything to make it better except beg the nurses for more medication for him.

Evan rubbed a hand over his whiskered chin, the emotion she experienced at the memories seeming to surface for him too. “Yeah. That was the worst week of my life. And you stayed with me through it.”

“Of course.” Addie had always known that Evan had been distracted the day of his accident because of her. Staying beside him, supporting him—she hadn’t wanted to be anywhere else. And when she’d had to go home to Michigan while Evan was still recovering and in shock...that had ripped a gaping hole in her chest.

The man in front of her now made that time and those memories seem as if they’d only existed in her imagination. His pants and shoe hid the results of the amputation that had taken his foot and lower portion of his leg so well that if she hadn’t been present after his accident, she would never know a prosthesis hid beneath.

But of course it had all happened.

Including the aftermath. Their actions and his accident had contributed to a chain of events that Addie would never have imagined possible.

“And then you had to go home.” Questions brimmed in his eyes, a shade of brown that reminded her of her favorite coconut latte.

“Yes, I did.” And things had spiraled out of control so quickly. Her parents had found out what she and Evan had been up to, and they’d cut off their relationship. Not with a trimmer, but with a sharp shovel, chopping straight at the root.

“But look at you now.” She motioned to him. “All grown up and put together. Successful from what I hear.” Just a few minutes in Evan’s presence and she could sense his quiet self-assurance. He seemed at peace with himself in a way that Addie had been striving for since that time.

Reinstating the B & B was part of her attempt to reclaim her confidence, her life. To start over and leave the sins of her past behind. And yet one had just walked into the same store as her as a blatant reminder.

“Ah, I don’t know about that.” The tops of Evan’s ears pinked endearingly. “So you and the little guy are on your own?” He nodded to Sawyer, who’d copped a seat on the floor. There the man went, changing the topic away from himself. He’d been like that as a teen too. Lots of guys liked to talk about themselves, but Evan had always focused on her, asking her a million questions about her childhood, the Filipino culture that made up her mom’s side of the family, what her dreams were. Where she’d live if she could choose anywhere.

Those last two answers had been running the B & B and this town.

Addie’s dreams might finally be waking up from a deep sleep, but she still had a long haul to actually make them feasible.

“Yep. Sawyer and I are a mom-and-son-superhero-crime-fighting duo.” She paused. “But without the crime-fighting or superhero part.” Her attempt at humor fell flat, ripping open the curtain into her personal torment.

“That has to be hard. I’m sorry, Addie.” She could tell Evan was exactly that by the worried pucker that wedged between his eyebrows and the downward slope of his mouth.

She was sorry too. Sorry for the onslaught of painful, gut-wrenching memories that were choking her during this supposedly small talk conversation. Sorry for the mistakes she’d made that had led up to this moment. Sorry for what Evan didn’t know and how it would most definitely hurt him.

“It’s certainly not what I’d dreamed about or planned for.” She acknowledged Evan’s sympathy and shrugged as if her bad choices didn’t matter, but of course they did. Adding a divorce to her What was I thinking? tally was embarrassing and excruciating. She should never have married Rex in the first place. He’d been a way to escape her parents, and the attempt had bombed, big-time. When she’d found out she was pregnant, their marriage had been over and done in a flash. Rex hadn’t had any interest in becoming a father, or really, in her. “Sometimes life doesn’t go like we expect it to.” That was the understatement of the century.

“Mommy.” Sawyer tugged on her leg. “We go.”

“You’re right, buddy. We do need to go.”

The fact that Sawyer was still in the aisle with her was shocking. Asking any two-year-old boy—especially this one—to sit still or remain in one place for any amount of time was like asking a puppy not to have an accident on the carpet.

Addie’s hands were full with a smattering of items Sawyer had “gifted” to her. She quickly placed them back in the correct spots. No need to destroy Herbert’s while they were there. She was desperate for the people in this town to support her business and send referrals her way, not view her as incompetent.

“It was...good to see you, Evan.” More lies. It was simply painful to see him. When a person had buried something for as long as she had, coming into contact with the initiating factor was like ramming repeatedly into a stone wall at top speeds.

“You too.”

Addie scooped up Sawyer, retrieved her cart and headed for the checkout, her breathing shallow, her heart shredded into a thousand pieces of regret.

How many times had she begged a God she’d barely believed existed for an opportunity to share the truth with Evan? More than she could count. But what was she supposed to do? Blurt everything out in a hardware store? She didn’t see that going well. And while Addie would happily shove off her shame and guilt and be free from the secrets, she couldn’t get sidetracked either.

The B & B would require all of her energy and attention in the next couple of weeks. She could not fail. Her and Sawyer’s livelihood depended on its success. So the fact that Evan Hawke had just walked back into her life was the biggest, most confusing wrench she could have imagined.

And she’d never been very good with mechanics.

Chapter Two

“Did Misty have the baby?” Evan answered his phone over the hands-free device in his Subaru Forester and parked in exactly the same spot outside of Herbert’s Hardware that he’d been in yesterday. The shock of seeing Addie must have messed with his logic, because after she’d taken off with Sawyer, he’d left too. With only half of the supplies he’d needed.

Addie had always been able to fry his mind like that eighties commercial of an egg depicting a brain on drugs. He just hadn’t expected that she’d have the same effect on him after so much time.

“Nope. No signs of labor either.” Christopher’s frustration was evident. Evan’s partner and friend was a trauma therapist who loved to adventure as much as he did. When they took groups out, Christopher was the counselor. The one who kept everyone from losing their minds. Who helped and nudged and listened. Christopher and his wife were due to have a baby three days ago, which was the reason the two of them had scheduled time off. They’d planned around her due date, not sure how else to handle things so that Christopher would most definitely be home when the baby arrived. But Evan was starting to realize babies didn’t go according to schedule.

“We may need to extend our break,” Christopher continued.

“Okay.” Evan did the numbers. “We left ourselves some wiggle room before our first trip. We’ve got time. Don’t stress. We’ll figure things out. And if I have to take a group without you, that’s okay too. I’ve listened in enough over the years. I could probably swing it.” Not that he’d be anywhere near as good as Christopher. But Evan had been through his own trauma losing his leg. He knew the ins and outs of a shock like that. The ways it choked and stifled. The stark fear that followed up like a used-car salesman.

“Thanks, man. I’ll keep you updated when we know more.”

The two signed off.

Surprisingly, work at Evan’s mom’s house was going quickly. Unusual for a home project. Emotionally, it was a struggle for him to be inside those walls without his mom’s chatter or laughter, so maybe that was why he was hurrying through the projects. Mom had developed heart failure after years of emphysema, and things had moved swiftly at the end, taking her down far before any of them had expected it to. They’d thought there was time, but like Addie had said yesterday, life didn’t always go as planned.

Evan maneuvered out of the vehicle, this time leaving Belay in the backseat. The dog had FOMO, big-time, so she gave a pout and whine to let him know about her discontent before he shut the door. Evan shook his head and grinned. He’d left the windows cracked so she’d have plenty of air. The weather had warmed today, and it was supposed to reach sixty-six. Mud season was so sporadic in the mountains. Snowing one second, sun heating the ground the next.

After grabbing what he needed, Evan checked out and then loaded supplies into the back of his vehicle. He rolled down the windows as they drove through town, and Belay traveled from one side of the backseat to the other every few seconds to check things out. When he reached the turn that would take him back to Mom’s house, he paused, stuck in the middle of the road as curiosity over Addie gripped him.

How was the remodel going? Was she buried under a mountain of projects or flying through them?

Ever since Addie had returned to Michigan and her parents at the end of that summer, Evan had wondered about where she’d ended up—about how her life had turned out. They’d kept up communication for about a week, texting or calling each other, but after that, her parents had effectively ended things between them. Addie had sent him a message about how her parents wanted her to concentrate on school, not on him. And that they needed to take a break from talking to each other.

Evan had understood at the time. He’d been a mess anyway, so focusing on getting better was a good idea for him. But when he’d tried to contact Addie in the months after that, just as a friend, just to check in, her number had no longer been in service.

Before Addie had left Colorado—and before his accident—they’d been inseparable. He’d worked some, and so had she, but they’d also played. They’d gone to the hot springs. Kayaked. Spent time swimming and laying out at the pool. She’d watched him compete in the rodeo. Evan often looked back on that time with a sharp ache radiating through him. He’d definitely taken for granted how simple and carefree his life had been before his amputation. All of that had changed the morning of his accident—when Addie had told him she was afraid she might be pregnant. Days later, while he was still in the hospital, she’d said it had been a false alarm—Thank You, God. Evan had plenty of regrets about the behavior that had gotten them to that point. He should have known so much better. Mom had raised him to think before he acted. But all of that was in the past, and he couldn’t go back and change any of it now. God’s grace didn’t pick and choose what it covered.

A horn sounded behind him. Evan gave an apologetic wave before quickly moving to the side to let the car pass.

Go home. You know better than to get involved.

Evan was a wanderer. He didn’t commit, didn’t stay in one place too long, didn’t get attached. Jace had been younger, so maybe he didn’t remember as clearly or painfully the years upon years their dad had chosen alcohol over them. But Evan had learned the lessons imparted by their old man well. Most fathers taught their kids how to fish or do math or ride a bike. Theirs had taught Evan to detach.

He pressed on the gas, and like a disobedient child, his vehicle turned toward Little Red Hen Bed & Breakfast. Everything in Evan said it wasn’t a smart decision, but nothing in him listened. Curiosity won with minimal effort.

The B & B was located on the edge of town—a few blocks west of Main Street—nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It had been built when the town was first founded, so it had historical charm that anything new couldn’t compete with. Evan hoped, for Addie’s sake and that of her little boy, that she could get the place functioning again. Turn a profit. Make a life for the two of them.

Probably exactly what she hoped for too.

He drove by slowly, relieved when she wasn’t outside. The house’s paint wasn’t chipping, but it had seen better days. He heard faint crying and pressed on the brake. Nothing. He must have imagined it.

Waaaaaahaaa. There it came again.

Belay scooted across the backseat and shoved half her body out the window to investigate.

“What is it, girl? Did you hear that too?”

Three barks answered. Evan was pretty sure that was a yes in dog speak.

He eased into the drive, now even more certain that the wailing continued. For all he knew, Sawyer was being disciplined and didn’t like it, and Evan would look nosy and intrusive rolling in to interrupt. But he couldn’t ignore the concern that had skyrocketed at that sound. And Belay was on high alert too, confirming his intuition. He parked, then let Belay out, and the two of them followed the crying to the side of the house. The porch wrapped around the left, and Evan walked that way, Belay nestled against his leg as was her habit.

Sawyer’s face, bright red and sopped with tears, appeared through the slats of the porch railing. Trapped.

“Hey, buddy. Did you get stuck?” Evan kept his voice calm, reassuring, while assessing the situation. Where was Addie? And how had the boy wedged his head through the spindles in the first place? “Remember me? We saw each other yesterday at the hardware store. You had some cool tape in your hand.” Bue tape according to the tot.

Sawyer didn’t acknowledge his comment or him, but he did stop screaming. “Doggie.” He watched Belay, who had settled herself just in front of the boy, below the porch on the ground. If she’d gone around to be next to him, Sawyer would have had to strain his neck to see her. Smart girl.

“My dog’s name is Belay. She’s a golden retriever.” Evan forked over some other random tidbits about Belay to keep Sawyer distracted as he sidled up to the kid and checked out the situation. Based on the redness behind his ears, he’d already tried backing himself out numerous times. “Where’s your mom, Sawyer?”

New tears formed. “Mommy.” His lips wobbled. “I want Mommy.” The last word was barely decipherable, it came out as such a wail.

Evan could kick himself. That had been a stupid thing for him to say. “We’re going to find her in just a second. Right after I get you out of here.” He had some supplies in the back of his vehicle. Would any of those help? “I’ll be right back. I’m going—”

“No-no-no.” Sawyer’s stark fear whapped Evan in the chest. Poor kid was afraid Evan was abandoning him.

“I’m not leaving you, Sawyer. I’m going to come up there right next to you. I’m just going to take the stairs.” Evan had already started moving while he was talking. He hurried over to the steps, then around to the portion of the porch where Sawyer was trapped. “See? I’m right here.” He dropped to the wooden slats next to the boy. “Let’s see what we can figure out.” He tried moving Sawyer’s head this way and that, tilting. Then he pushed and pulled on the wooden spindles to create extra space, but they didn’t give. He could saw one spindle off, get him out that way.

Sawyer pushed back with his hands and head, then cried out.

“Don’t do that, squirt. Just stay still. We’ll figure something out. You’re okay for now. I know it doesn’t feel good, but you’re safe. I’m going to get you out of there.” Somehow.

Belay began barking, spinning in circles and generally causing a ruckus. After a few antics, she’d settle, then go at it again. Sawyer became completely captivated by the dog, and his sniffling slowed. He reached for Belay, turning his shoulder and slipping one hand through the spindle to get to her.

“Good girl, Belay!” Evan maneuvered to standing and hurried to the steps while Sawyer was distracted. In no time at all, he was back on the ground in front of the boy. Sawyer had slid his arm back inside the spindle, but if he could do it once...surely he could do it again. “Reach for Belay. She wants you to pet her. She loves it right behind the ears.” Evan helped Sawyer glide his hand back through, then his shoulder, then turned him so that his hip and leg and the rest of his body could follow. Sure enough, the boy slipped right between the spindles and into Evan’s arms. He was so relieved that he held on to him for a second, and in response, Sawyer laid his cheek against Evan’s chest and gave a hefty shudder. It was the best bit of gratitude Evan had ever experienced—no words needed.

Just as fast, Sawyer squirmed to be let down. “Doggie.”

Evan placed him on the ground, and Belay licked the tears from his face, making him giggle. For the kid, it was as if the whole fiasco had never happened. For Evan, not so much. How long had Sawyer been stuck? And where was Addie? Was she okay? What if she was injured inside the house somewhere?

“Let’s go find your mom.” Evan took a few steps, but the boy didn’t leave the dog. “Belay, heel.” She obeyed, which in turn had Sawyer trucking after her. At the front door, Evan considered leaving Belay outside, but she was doing such a good job of doting on Sawyer that he let it slide. Given the circumstances, he doubted Addie would care about a little dog hair.

The door had been left open, and Evan called out as the three of them tromped inside.

So much for not getting involved.

Addie thought she heard the faint shout of her name, but she had to be imagining things, because the front door to the B & B was locked up tight and no one was in the house but Sawyer. She’d stationed him in front of the TV with his favorite movie no less than fifteen minutes ago, a snack and his sippy cup within reach.

Mother of the year. But she hadn’t wanted him in this nasty bathroom with her while she steam cleaned the tile and grout, hoping that somehow it would be enough to make the bathroom usable again. She didn’t have the money to pay for it to be redone. And the upstairs bedrooms were still in disarray from the last owner, so she didn’t want to park him in one of those either.

Thankfully the interim owner of the B & B had kept most of the furniture from when Tito Benji and Tita Alice had been in full operation, because Addie would never be able to furnish the place herself, and she liked the vintage pieces. She planned to move things around and make use of everything.

Her name sounded again, more clearly this time. She peeked out the window. It wasn’t coming from outside. Addie hurried out of the bathroom that connected to the Moose Room and removed the mask that covered her mouth and nose.

“I’m up here.” Footsteps made the ancient stairs creak, and a jingle of some sort accompanied the movement.

How had someone gotten in the house? What was happening? And was Sawyer okay? She peered over the stair railing to find Evan coming up, followed by a golden retriever, followed by Sawyer. Her son’s cheeks were red and splotchy. Had Evan barreled his way into the B & B and scared Sawyer? What in the world was going on?

Addie rounded the railing as Sawyer beelined for her, passing Evan. She snatched him up as he reached the top of the stairs, cradling him in her arms.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” He just nestled into her neck and hiccupped. Like he did when he’d been crying hard. “Evan, what are you doing here? How did you even get inside? The front door was locked.” If she sounded shrill, sue her. Her heart was thrashing against her rib cage.

“I found Sawyer on the south side of the porch with his head stuck through the spindles, screaming up a storm.”

Addie sank to a seat on the top step at that announcement, keeping Sawyer nestled in her lap. “How is that possible? I locked the front door. And I’ve only been up here for fifteen minutes.” He must have escaped right away. Heat and mortification swirled and swallowed her whole. I’m a horrible mother. She dropped her forehead against Sawyer’s. How could she not have known any of that was going on? The bathroom window had been open, but he’d been on the other side of the house and the tool she’d been using had likely drowned out any chance of her hearing his cries.

She looked careless. Unfit.

The dog nestled against her, nudging into her legs, nosing Sawyer, comforting.

“Belay, no.” Evan reached for the golden’s collar, but Addie waved his hand away.

“She’s fine.” Addie buried fingers in the dog’s soft fur, welcoming the flash of comfort. “Thank you for rescuing him.” She met Evan’s gaze for a millisecond before letting her lids close against the panic.

What if Sawyer hadn’t gotten waylaid on the porch and had wandered farther from the house? Would they have even been able to find him in the wooded area that surrounded the B & B? There were dropping temperatures at night, plus wild animals. Addie shuddered at the horrible scenarios flipping through her mind.

“Sawyer, you can’t go outside without Mommy.” It was hard not to take her embarrassment out on him. Not to bark at him for escaping—especially when he could have seriously injured himself. Or worse. Panic turned her pulse into butterfly wings. “When I tell you to stay watching a movie, you need to do that. It’s disobeying to go outside. And now you’re going to lose your tablet time for later because you didn’t listen to Mommy.”

Fat tears slid down his cheeks as those big eyes implored her for grace. “I sorry, Mommy. I sorry.”

“I know, bug. And I forgive you, but you still have to lose a privilege when you disobey. That also doesn’t change the fact that I love you. Always. No matter what.”

“I don’t wanna lose a pribilege.”

Addie either. Sawyer wasn’t the only one who paid the price when he lost electronic time. It was a punishment for her too. That was the only part of the day she had to deal with paperwork for the bed-and-breakfast. And—as if she didn’t have enough on her plate to worry about—now her son was turning into an escape artist. The kid was too adventurous for his own good. Reminded her of another male she knew. The one still standing in front of them. The one who led expeditions for a living and risked his life more often than she ever wanted to know about. Despite the fact that Addie had no right to think or care about Evan ever, she still broke that rule on occasion.

She wasn’t the best at praying, but she’d asked for protection for Evan whenever he came to mind. Maybe that was because he was the first boy she’d loved. Or maybe it was because Evan was the father of her first child. The baby she’d held only once. The one who was being raised by adoptive parents. The one Evan didn’t know anything about because Addie’s parents had demanded as much.

What are you doing here, Evan? Is this some sort of opportunity from God to tell you everything? Or have you simply waltzed back into my life to remind me of what all I’ve done wrong?

If the latter was the case, Addie could free him from the job. She didn’t have any problems remembering any of it all on her own.

Chapter Three

At Sawyer’s declaration that he was hungry—he’d obviously gotten over the ordeal already—Addie popped up from her perch on the stair and brushed by Evan, the sweet scent of ripe summer strawberries traveling with her.

He and Belay followed her to the kitchen, that same curiosity that had made him turn toward the B & B causing him to stay put when he could easily let himself out the door.

Addie squeezed Sawyer so tight that he complained and squirmed. “Sorry-not-sorry, mister. You owe Mom lots of hugs for what you just put me through. Even if I did find out about it after the fact.”

Evan paused inside the large square opening that separated the kitchen from the entrance to the house and leaned against the frame. “He must have watched you lock the door before going upstairs while contemplating how to undo what you did.”

Addie shuddered. “Scary on so many levels.” She settled her forehead against Sawyer’s. “Don’t ever, ever, ever do that again. Pease.” Her gaze met Evan’s then, a smile surfacing. “Sawyer’s version of please,” she explained. “He always makes it sound like the vegetable. And since the majority of my conversations are at toddler levels, I tend to speak his language sometimes.”

Addie could be losing her mind right now with Sawyer, or definitely her temper, but she was handling his escape with calm. At least on the outside.

“I think they make childproof locks for doors, don’t they? Otherwise I could help you rig something up.”

“They do. I can order online, or maybe Herbert’s will have something.”

“If you need help, let me know.” Remember you’re not here to reinsert yourself into Addie’s life, Hawke. And yet a quick drive by had turned into a rescue and a continued conversation.

Addie plunked Sawyer onto the bench that lined the breakfast nook. The seat was under the windows at the front of the house.

“Would you like something to drink, Evan?” She opened the fridge. “I have...water. Or milk.” Her mouth tugged to one side and her shoulders inched up. “Sorry. We’re operating at necessity levels around here.”

“No, thanks. I’m good.”

The countertops were missing from the cabinets, leaving the empty lower drawers open on the top. A small metal island cut down the middle of the kitchen, the underneath portion creating extra storage for hanging pots and pans, just like when Evan had visited the B & B with Addie as a teen. Not that much had changed with the place. A quick scan while they’d been upstairs told him that the interim owners hadn’t demolished walls or changed the floor plan. Probably a good thing. Less for Addie to put back together.

“Are you sure? I’d like to reward you with something for saving my son’s life.”

Her curved lips hollowed out his stomach. Addie had been pretty in high school. She was beautiful now. “He wasn’t really in huge danger. Just stuck.”

“But he could have been if he’d gotten any farther.” Her exasperated—likely fear driven—huff filled the kitchen. She gave Sawyer some crackers on a paper towel, half a banana and milk in a cup with a cover. “Not that I’m not grateful, but how did you end up driving by when you did?”

Evan shifted uncomfortably, moving his weight from his transtibial-amputation leg to his right. How to answer that?

“Oh no. Did you hurt yourself helping Sawyer?” Her concern was laser focused on his left leg.

And...that’s what not answering right away got him. “No, no. I’m fine. I was...” Spying. Too curious for my own good. “I’d wanted to check out the place. See how the remodeling was going.”

Addie returned the milk to the refrigerator. “I don’t know that I’d call it a remodel. I’d like to do more, but I’m mostly finishing what the last owners started. And fixing up a few things, I guess.” She leaned back against the cabinets opposite of Evan, facing him. “I’m more giving it a makeover. A facelift. Some Botox here and there.”

Evan had eased farther into the kitchen during their conversation and now inspected the stripped cupboards, which were missing the doors.

“I’m planning to paint those. The last people must have planned the same but didn’t get to it. Nice that they were already stripped down for me.”

“True. That’s a lot of work.”

“I already ordered new countertops. I would have loved granite, but that’s not going to happen on my budget. So laminate it is. I think it’s a viable choice because laminate countertops are so much nicer these days. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.”

Sounded like she was also giving herself a pep talk. “I’m sure it will look great in here, especially with the cupboards freshened up.” Not that Addie could do all of what the place needed in two and a half weeks by herself. “You have someone helping you out? A contractor or handyman?” She’d said she was on her own at the store—as in divorced—but she could be hiring some help.

“No. I don’t have the money for that. I’m planning to do the work myself. I can paint cabinets. I’ve watched enough videos online to figure it out.” A wobble threaded through her attempt at confidence, and Evan’s heart gave a thump of sympathy.

There was absolutely no way Addie could turn this place around in two and a half weeks. Absolutely no way guests could arrive for Old Westbend Weekend and find the B & B intact and ready. The wood floors were scratched and needed refinishing, the countertops had to be installed, the cabinets painted. And that was just what Evan had seen in a few seconds. Certainly Addie had a much longer list.

Seeing how Addie’s life had unfolded, the unexpectedly painful twist she’d been dealt which had landed her and Sawyer on their own...Evan couldn’t just ignore how tough things must be for her. How hard she was working to reopen the B & B and create a life for her and Sawyer in Westbend. Addie had obviously had a rough go of it. Not that Evan knew the details of her marriage and divorce, but he could fill in the blanks.

Then help her.

He wished the thought had come out of nowhere, but Evan knew exactly the source who would have said it if she were present: his mom.

He could hear her as if she were standing next to him. Do what you know you should do, Evan Hawke. Or, more likely, she wouldn’t have even used words. One look and he’d have been done. Signed up. Committed.

Growing up, Evan’s mom had basically been a single parent because their dad hadn’t contributed to the family. Unless consuming alcohol counted as a career. Mom had worked a ton of hours, and she’d been consistent for Jace and him. She’d never complained about the way her life had turned out even though she’d had every right to.

The last time Evan had gotten to see her alive, she’d told him that she didn’t want him or Jace to sit around moping or wasting time after she was gone. Be grateful to be alive, honey. I don’t have any regrets over my life. You don’t need to either. Their mom had been nothing if not tough and strong. A fighter.

Ever since she’d passed, Evan had been looking for opportunities to honor her life and not focus on her death.

Helping Addie could very easily fit that bill.

But was the tug in his gut currently jumping and demanding his attention really about what his mom would have wanted? Or about his long-lost relationship with Addie?

No. They’d been kids. It couldn’t be that old attraction driving this boat. Besides, Evan didn’t do relationships well. Every time he got close to someone, he ended up distancing himself when things got serious. And he would never do that to Addie and her son.

She was off-limits for him.

Which meant he should be able to help her out, pay the single-mom tax and move on.

Evan’s eyes flared with disbelief, as if he wanted to tell her that her plans to get the B & B completed in time for Old Westbend Weekend were impossible. But Addie didn’t have any desire to hear that kind of negativity...or logic. It had to be possible. She didn’t have any other choices.

She’d already taken reservations for the Moose and Fox rooms for Old Westbend Weekend. The other two master suites were still open, but she was hoping to have them filled too. And then during Old Westbend Weekend, she’d start booking up for the rest of the summer. Once people knew Little Red Hen Bed & Breakfast was back in business. It would take time and effort to resurrect the place, but it would be worth it. Addie could build a legacy for Sawyer to inherit in this town. Running the B & B was what she’d always dreamed about doing. Now she just had to turn those dreams into reality.

Sawyer was sneaking Belay, who’d settled near his feet, pieces of his crackers, but Evan didn’t seem to mind, so Addie didn’t say anything either. As long as her son was alive, well and not wandering around lost in the woods outside, she could forgive a small infraction like sharing his snack.

“Addie, it’s physically impossible for you to do all of this in that amount of time without help.”

Sparks grew at Evan’s intrusion, igniting, heating. “I can’t hire anyone, Evan. I’ve used every last cent to move us here from Michigan and to invest in supplies for this place.”

“When do your countertops come in? It would be easier if you had the cabinets painted before then.”

“Supposed to be the end of this week.” Addie sucked in one of those calming breaths that only worked on other people. Between Evan bringing up all she had to do for the B & B and her guilt over the son he didn’t know about, Addie was about to go in search of a brown paper bag and indulge in a panic attack.

“And then I assume you have a list of everything else you need or want done?”

Wants weren’t on the list, but more needs than she knew how to handle were. She held up the sheet currently tossed into a drawer that was open and missing the countertop. She’d scribbled notes to herself all over it of what had to get done. Every time she saw the paper, dread squeezed her windpipe. Numerous things were crossed off but plenty remained.

“I can help you get some projects done around here while I’m in town. I’ll have free time in between stuff at my mom’s, and I don’t have that much left to do there. I’m sticking around while the house gets shown and we see if anyone puts in an offer. Plus Jace is studying and training right now, so it’s not like I can hang out with him as much as I’d like to.”

Addie blinked. Evan was offering to help her out? Why? And how could she accept something like that when he didn’t know she had been pregnant that summer? When he didn’t know about their son?

“That’s very generous of you, but I can’t accept.”

“Is this about me? About the leg? Because I promise to keep it under wraps.”

“Please, Evan.” Is that what not keeping in touch after she’d left town had made him think? Because that was nowhere near the truth. “Of course it’s not about your leg. Never in a million years.” How could he think she cared about something like that? Especially when she’d no doubt been a part of what had caused his run-in with the mower. “Do you ever...blame me for what happened?”

Evan’s forehead quirked. “What? No. Of course not.”

“But if I hadn’t told you that morning...”

The morning of his accident, Addie had told Evan she was afraid she could be pregnant. Maybe she should have kept that information to herself, but she’d been panicking. Big-time. Her parents were so strict. She’d been certain they would lose it if they found out what she’d been up to. That she fancied herself in love with Evan.

She and Evan had both been frightened out of their minds.

He’d been distracted while mowing that day. He hadn’t shut the machine off when he should have. It had rolled...

Addie swallowed the wave of sickness that squeezed her stomach in a fist.

“We were kids, Addie. I should have been paying better attention. And we shouldn’t have been doing what we’d been doing in the first place. I’d never meant to...” Evan shook his head, regret evident. “I’m sorry for my part in that.”

Addie had spent plenty of time dwelling on those misgivings over the years. “Me too.” Neither of them had ever intended for things to go as far as they had, and there was no time machine to go back and change it now.

Just like she couldn’t go back and keep herself from comforting Evan with a protective lie that would forever haunt her.

He’d been in so much pain and shock after the accident. Addie hadn’t known what to do, how to help. He’d been in and out of it from the medication. So angry. Struggling beyond belief. The boy she’d loved had been replaced by one who shuffled through every emotional state minute by minute. Evan could barely function. How could he help her cope with a pregnancy scare?

That’s why, a few days after the accident, when he’d asked her if there’d been any developments, she’d told him she wasn’t pregnant. That it had been a false alarm.

He’d been so relieved that he’d hugged her, wept into her shoulder. Thank You, God, he’d whispered over and over.

The fib had been temporary and not meant to be malicious. Addie had assumed she would get her period. That stress was just holding it captive. She’d been mad at herself for sharing that news with Evan in the first place. Angry that she’d no doubt been part of what had caused his accident.

Even if he was saying differently now.

Telling Evan that she wasn’t pregnant had worked. In the days following, his emotional health had improved greatly. He’d started asking questions about mobility and the future. The dark circles had begun to fade away under his eyes.

When she’d returned to Michigan, there’d still been no sign of Aunt Flo, but Addie had refused to take a test, to confirm her fears.

She’d arrived home absolutely petrified.

At her parents’ house, she’d started throwing up in the mornings. It had taken her mom less than a week to figure out what was going on.

Her parents had come up with a plan and dictated all of her next steps. When she’d said they needed to tell Evan the truth—that he could handle it once he was more removed from the accident—they’d disagreed.

They’d controlled everything: her care, preventing her from having any contact with Evan, homeschooling so that she could keep up with her junior year while pregnant, the adoption paperwork. She still wasn’t sure how they’d managed the adoption without Evan’s permission. Without his signature.

Addie had never asked. She was afraid to find out what they’d said or done in order to make that happen.

“I don’t know what it is with everyone trying to shoulder the blame for my accident. Jace did the same thing, thinking it was his fault. It wasn’t, just like it’s not yours. I’ve long ago dealt with all that happened and my part in it. I can even say that I wouldn’t be who I am today without the accident. Took me a few years to figure things out, but eventually, I did.”

“Your work...” Addie studied him. “The fact that you help other people, that you provide a way for them to embrace life after they’ve been through a trauma...it’s impressive, Evan.”

“Thanks. It just kind of worked out that way.” Now he looked like he wanted to crawl under the breakfast-nook table. He’d never been very good at taking a compliment or being the center of attention. Back when he’d been bull riding, he’d told her that he would block out the crowd when he competed. It had just been him and the bull in that arena for eight seconds. “In the beginning, I was focused on proving I could still do everything with one leg and a prosthesis. Other people got wind of what I was up to and wanted in. Things steamrolled from there. It’s a God thing that I get to do what I love and help people at the same time.”

What Evan had created from his hardship was the thing Addie found most attractive about him.

“All done, Mommy.” Sawyer crawled across the bench seat of the breakfast nook and then curled arms around Addie’s legs. More like he’d run out of snacks to toss to the dog.

Addie scooped him up. “I think Sawyer’s spent from his ordeal.” She ran a hand over his hair and followed it up with the press of her lips. “I should get him down for his nap.”

The two of them were staying in the first-floor bedroom located behind the kitchen. Eventually she’d get the two-bedroom cottage out back livable, and she and Sawyer would occupy it. Addie had considered including it as a rental unit, but she’d done the math, and as long as she ran at full occupancy during mapped-out times of the year, they’d be fine. And she wanted to provide Sawyer with a place that was just theirs, away from guests every moment of the day. She’d add the main-floor bedroom to the rental list once she and Sawyer moved into the cottage, though she wasn’t going to rush that stage or renovations. As Evan had pointed out—and she already knew—she had a lot on her plate.

“I should take off anyway, but I’ll swing by tomorrow afternoon and help you paint the cabinets.”

“There’s no need—”

“Addie.” Evan cut her off, but his soft tone curled around her heart, warm and tempting and absolutely off-limits. “I’ve got extra time and you need help. There’s no denying it.”

She opened her mouth. Closed it. He was right. She couldn’t deny it.

“My mom...she worked so hard.” Evan continued. “She did most everything on her own, despite my dad. But once in a while, someone would give her a leg up. A barely used bike would be handed down for me or Jace. Clothes. Even the occasional meal would get dropped off by someone well-meaning. Jace was younger, so maybe he didn’t notice all of those details. But I did. Every single time.” Evan cleared his throat, moisture glistening in those toffee eyes of his. “I’m not saying we were the poorest of the poor, but we certainly weren’t rich either. We always had something to eat, but I don’t remember things being easy. I was old enough to hear details, to read between the lines. I understood far more than I let on, but I stayed out of it because I didn’t want to upset my mom.”

Addie swallowed the rush of sympathy filling her throat. She’d known enough about Evan when they were teens to piece most of that together but hearing it from him now made it that much more real.

“After my amputation, I went out to the hot springs with some friends wearing my post-op cast. It was too far for me to be going at that point. Stupid, really, but I’d just wanted to feel normal. To be one of the guys again. I ended up reinjuring myself, splitting open some stitches. Recovering from that was awful, and I had to wait longer to get my prosthesis. All because I’d been so determined to do something on my own time and schedule. My own strength.”

He thought she was doing the same—refusing because of some stubborn determination to handle the B & B on her own—but she wasn’t. What was she supposed to say? It wasn’t about not being able to accept help. It was that she had the power to hurt Evan immensely with the information she held. And the power to make the man loathe her for keeping it from him. It was that every moment around him reminded her of what she’d done—what her parents had forced her to do. And yet it all still felt like her fault. Her sin to atone for.

“Evan. I’m sorry.”

“I’m over it now. But I’m just saying...don’t be me. Don’t be stubborn. Let me help you.”

“I can’t give you anything in return.” Her voice hollowed at that admission. She’d risked everything to reopen the B & B. Sawyer’s future and their livelihood hinged on it. Addie didn’t have any money to spare.

“I’m not asking for anything. Just a way to honor my mom. To do what she would have wanted me to do.”

A huff of air escaped from Addie. “You make it hard for a girl to say no, Evan.”

“Then don’t. My partner’s wife is having a baby, so we scheduled out a few weeks without trips. I have the time to help out, and I have no doubt you need it.” Sympathy radiated from him with the last comment, softening the blow.

Of course she did. Anyone could see that. And if Addie kept fighting him, Evan would just grow curious as to why.

If he insisted on helping her at the B & B, then Addie could use the time spent with him to figure out a way to tell him about their son. Maybe Evan offering his assistance was a gift from God. An answer to jilted, broken prayers and a chance to tell him the truth and wipe her slate clean.

Addie would love nothing more.

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