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I sighed.
Steeling myself, I rang the doorbell. To my surprise, Stephanie didn't answer.
Instead, I was greeted by a tall, handsome guy in his late twenties. He sported Ray-Bans and a Henley with the top three buttons undone. His face was as smooth as a party balloon.
He grinned. "Cole? Bryce." His smile was perfect. The friendliness was genuine. I wanted to puke. "Great to finally meet you, man."
I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes. "Likewise," I replied tersely, trying my best to be polite. "Are the girls good to go?"
"Almost," he said, stepping aside to let me in. "Steph's just getting their bags all packed."
"I'll wait in the car."
"Nah, man, come on in for a sec. Coffee? Tea? Brewski?"
"I'm good."
"How's the building work going? You're a contractor, right?"
"It's fine. Busy."
"I've been meaning to reach out. I snagged a sweet parcel of land out by Kennebunkport. Couple of acres. Been looking for an on-the-level contractor to work with an architect out there. Bring my dreams to life."
I ground my teeth. "Sounds interesting, but I've got a long lead time. You'd be better off looking elsewhere."
"No rush. Steph's shown me some of your handiwork around Bluehaven. You and your pops have done an incredible job revitalizing the town.”
“Yeah, well. I work locally. Kennebunkport is a little far.”
“I’ll pay well,” he said with a wink. “It's worth it for family."
It took all of my effort not to punch him in the face. He wasn’t my family. My girls weren’t his family. His family was his rich mom and dad who’d set up his trust fund account. "I'll think about it."
"Great! I'll have my architect email you."
"Fine."
His eyes narrowed, and he spoke a little more quietly. "Say, Steph told me about the leak at your place."
The mere mention of the leak set my teeth on edge. "Did she now?"
"You get that all squared away yet?"
"Working on it," I snapped, icier than intended. I reminded myself that keeping the peace was more important than letting my emotions get the better of me.
"Great," Bryce replied, seemingly unfazed by my tone. "You know how Stephy can get about stuff like that.”
Ugh. Stephy.
“Don't want her nagging you,” he continued, squeezing my shoulder, his infuriatingly handsome face grinning wider than ever. "Plus, we all want what's best for the kids, right?"
"Of course," I muttered through gritted teeth, forcing a tight smile. "So, how's your boat?"
"Which one?"
The girls' arrival was a welcome distraction, and their excitement at seeing me cheered me up. Stephanie didn't mention the leak, instead giving me the lowdown on the girls’ school week and recent meals.
On the drive home, chatter and laughter filled the car, and I did my best to push thoughts of Elara, Bryce, and that damn leak to the back of my mind.
