“So, you still live in the area?”
“Never left,” Luke said, realizing how provincial that sounded. “I went to college but came home to start my own business.”
“Guess what he does?” Brad interrupted enthusiastically. “Luke is acarpenter.”
Leah nodded. “That’s great.”
“Isn’t it? He came by to offer us his help.”
“Oh.” As if a switch had flipped, Leah crossed her arms. “That’s very kind, Luke but we don’t need any help.”
“We don’t?” Brad said flatly.
“We don’t,” Leah confirmed. She looked around uneasily. “There are a few things left to do, but we’re getting to them.”
“Thesteps,” Brad reminded her.
“Sure, the steps are kind of wonky.”
“Rotten,” Luke said, gently. “Rotten right through, in some spots.” He pressed the toe of his work boot against a board. They all watched the corner of it crumple like dirt.
“True,” Leah admitted, “but that’s a quick fix with a new board.”
She ignored Brad’s look of disbelief.
“And the railing,” Luke added, wiggling it gently. The whole thing rocked back and forth before separating. The three of them watched a spindle drop off and roll into the sidewalk.
“Like I said,” Leah said, “there are still some things I need to get to.”
“What about the soffit?” Luke asked, pointing to the ceiling overhead.
All three heads turned skyward. “What about it?” Leah said grimly.
“It’s coming away from the siding, see that?” Luke gestured to a section of wood that appeared water-stained. “The good news is it looks superficial. Wouldn’t know for sure though, until I looked beneath it.”
“Right.” Leah jammed her hands in her pockets. “I’ll add that to the list.”
Luke held her gaze. She looked good. And she looked just as stubborn as he remembered her, like when she’d argue with James about sharing the car or refuse to let them tag along at a beach bonfire party. Aside from swapping out her high school ponytail, Leah Powell had not changed one bit. And she did not want his help, no matter how badly she seemed to need it. “Well, as long as you’ve got a list, I guess you’ve got it under control,” he said, finally.
“Good to see you,” she said. There was that smile again. “Maybe we’ll bump into each other.”
“Maybe.” Luke shook Brad’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Brad. Leah, good luck with the store. I’ll have to come by when it opens.”
He was halfway to his truck when Brad cried out in exasperation. “Oh come on!” When he turned, Brad was pleading with Leah. “There is no way we can fix these steps. Or that railing. Or that soffit thing!”
“But…”
“But nothing!” Brad went on. “This is your old friend. Who showed up out of the blue.Who just happens to be a builder. This is what we call serendipity.”
Luke held his breath, eyes on Leah. It was her call.
“I don’t have much left in the budget,” she admitted. Her voice was small, but he knew the admission was not. So that was the problem.
“I’m sure we can work something out,” Luke said. It was a terrible idea. But there it was.
“There’s more,” she added, turning glumly toward the door. Luke had the sense she wanted him to follow, so he did. “Even worse than the rotten entryway.” When they stepped inside the house she looked about ready to cry.
“Actually, it’s not so bad in here,” Luke said, strolling through the room. He ran a hand along the doorframes, looked beneath the paper on the floorboards, checked the window seals. “It’s an old house, but the interior seems remarkably tight.”
