Her mind ran over the endless to-do list. “What about the guest bathroom in back, the one with the leak—”
“Stella came by and tightened up the pipes,” Cooper interrupted. “And my guys worked overtime this week to get the final coat of paint on the exterior. You’re all set. I promise. I just came by to drop off our final invoice—and to wish you good luck,” he added with a grin.
Evie took the envelope, still in a state of disbelief. After a solid month of hammering and sawing and tripping over buckets of paint, she couldn’t believe the work was finally over.
“Thank you,” she managed. “I … thanks!”
“You’re welcome.” Cooper looked up at the house, now grand as a wedding cake with white painted siding and a crisp, sky blue trim. “It’s a great house. And I’m sure you’ll do great things.”
“Will I see you at the firehouse later?” she asked, walking him back to the front door.
“Absolutely. You think I’d miss it?” Cooper said, grinning. “I bet Aunt June’s already got a wad of dollar bills to throw around.”
“It’s a car wash, not a Chippendales show!” Evie protested, and he laughed.
“You tell that to June.”
He headed out, leaving Evie alone in the inn for what felt like the very first time—since her arrival in Sweetbriar Cove, at least. Wandering the halls, she could hardly believe this was the same house as the dilapidated, musty old home that had driven her to the edge of a wine-fueled hysterical breakdown.
Now, the floors gleamed deep and rich in the morning sun, and every room was freshly painted, airy and bright. She walked through the welcoming foyer, past her front office nook, and through to the cozy library with its deep-teal-painted bookcases and classic William Morris–style wallpaper. The room looked as if it had been designed that way for a hundred years, and Evie could just see herself curling up here with a good book. Just beyond, the lounge and dining room waited for their furniture, windows flung open to let in the sea breeze. Outside on the porch, the railings had been restored and the rotten planks mended; all it needed now were some comfy wicker chairs for guests to sit in while they enjoyed the beach views. The bedrooms were all sunny and serene, and even the awkward L-shaped annex on the side of the house that Evie had decided to adopt as her owner’s suite was now so inviting that any guest would be happy to stay there.
A little TLC will bring it back to life …
That’s what the ad had said, and it was right.
The same went for Evie’s heart, too.
She marveled, not quite believing how much had changed since that evening she’d bounced up the sandy shore road and found her future waiting. To think, she’d almost turned tail and run. But if she hadn’t stuck around, she never would have seen her dream come to fruition.
And she never would have met Noah.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was him.
Help! Need you running interference.
She laughed. No doubt all his fans—and Aunt June—were clamoring for attention.
It’s tough being so in demand, she typed back. I’ll be there in 5.
She grabbed her purse and hopped in her car. As she drove up through town she noticed that it seemed quiet out—there were none of the usual crowds in the square—but when she turned down the street to the firehouse and heard the first snatches of music and laughter, it was clear where everybody had gone.
This was the place to be.
The fundraiser was already well underway, the fine men and women of the fire department soaping up the line of dirty cars that snaked around the block. One of the fire trucks was parked out front for kids to clambered over, and there were picnic tables and shade canopies set out for the guests who were enjoying the delicious dishes being grilled up at the food stations.
“Great showing, isn’t it?” Poppy asked, greeting Evie as she got out of her car. Poppy’s daughter Emma was next to her, gripping her one hand, bouncing excitedly in her fireman’s costume.
“Something for everyone,” Evie agreed, eyeing the line of hunky guys.
Poppy laughed. “True enough. Personally, I can’t wait to sink my teeth into one of Declan’s famous burgers. And this little one has her eye on a ride in the cab, isn’t that right?”
Emma took one look at Evie and hid, shy, behind her mother’s legs.
Evie smiled. “How old is she?”
“Coming up on three,” Poppy said with an affectionate smile. “And believe me, I won’t be sad to see an end to her terrible twos.”
“Cooper said something about that,” Evie said. “She’s got a set of lungs on her, huh?”
“A future singer in the making,” Poppy agreed. “Or an army captain, bellowing orders. Anyway, it looks like you’re needed,” she said, nodding to where Noah was waving in their direction.
From the middle of a crowd of women.
Evie took in his desperate expression and laughed. “It is just me or is there just a hint of justice going on over there?” she asked. “Flirt with fire, you’re going to get burned.”
Poppy smirked. “How long do you want to leave him hanging?”
“I’ll go rescue him,” she decided. “Besides, I want a snack!”
Evie made her way over to the picnic area. “There you are, pumpkin!” she cooed loudly, ducking through the crowd and planting herself firmly beside Noah. “I missed you.”
“You too, babe,” he said, looking relieved. Evie reached up and planted a long, slow kiss on his mouth. She wasn’t usually the kind of woman to mark her territory so publicly, but a part of her was happy to make it clear: Noah Montgomery was off the market.
Besides, it wasn’t exactly a chore to lean into him, losing herself in his touch. Savoring the feel of his mouth on hers: all at once familiar and thrillingly new. Evie gave herself up to the kiss, and by the time they came up for air, the crowd of eager bachelorettes had dispersed—and her head was spinning.
“You took your time,” Noah said, smiling down at her. “I thought they were going to start hosing me down.”
Evie laughed. “Not without a camera running,” she said playfully. “Remember, you’re trying to raise money here.”
“Shh,” he said, glancing around. “You’ll give them ideas.”
She kissed him again, and not just for show, either. This time it was because he looked so handsome in his uniform.
And because she could.
“Hey, Montgomery!” Jake’s voice interrupted them, calling over from the car-wash line. “How about you come take a turn?”
“No thanks!” Noah called back. “The perk of organizing this thing: I don’t have to get wet.”
“Aww,” Evie teased. “Now, that’s no fun. I was looking forward to seeing you in action.”
Noah gave a playful groan. “Not you, too!”
She laughed. “Go on, give the people what they want. And by ‘people’ I mean me. After all, it’s for a good cause …,” she added.
He sighed. “OK, OK. I’ll do my duty.”
“And I’ll go get the video camera,” she joked.
He headed over to join the rest of the crew with the squeegees, and Evie strolled to go grab a cold drink. Along with the guys grilling up burgers and hot dogs, there was a lemonade stand, cold beers, and even a cart from the local ice cream place. Evie paused. She could never resist a strawberry cone.