Page 116 of Finding Forever

Beth couldn’t move.

A moment later, he climbed inside.

The engine started, and she watched his truck disappear down the road before she slowly closed the door.

The house felt different without Dave in it. Beth rested her forehead against the wood and shut her eyes. Yesterday, she’d believed the hardest part was discovering she could love someone after Jessie.

She’d been wrong.

Loving Dave wasn’t what terrified her.

It was knowing she loved him and was still too afraid to choose a life with him.

Chapter 50

Dave had been holding the same socket wrench for so long that Hank finally reached over and took it from him.

“You planning to use this anytime soon, or are you trying to warm it up?”

Dave looked at his empty hand. “I was thinking.”

“That explains why nothing’s getting fixed.” Hank dropped the wrench onto the workbench and crouched beside the old lawn tractor taking up most of the garage.

It was almost eight o’clock, but the Montana evening was still light. The garage door stood open, letting in the scent of freshly cut grass, and somewhere beyond the house a sprinkler moved steadily across Hank and Rosa’s lawn.

Rosa had gone to a planning meeting for Sapphire Bay’s summer festival. Before leaving, she’d apparently issued strict instructions that the two men weren’t to demolish anything, set anything on fire, or decide that tonight would be a good time to rewire the garage.

Dave had come over because Hank needed help replacing the drive belt on the tractor. At least, that was the reason he’d given himself. The truth was, his own house had been too quiet lately.

Hank slid under the tractor and held out his hand. “Pass me the half-inch socket.”

Dave found it and placed it in his palm.

Hank glanced up at him. “You’ve hardly said a word since you got here.”

“I’ve been quiet before.”

“Not like this.”

Dave leaned back against the workbench. For the last three days, he’d gone to work, answered questions, reviewed schedules, and sorted out a problem with a shipment of exterior siding at Finley Point. As far as anyone there knew, nothing had changed.

Hank slid out from beneath the tractor and sat up. “What’s happened?”

Dave stared through the open garage door. A pickup moved slowly along the road, its tires humming against the pavement. There wasn’t much point avoiding the question. “Beth ended things.”

Hank’s expression changed immediately. The joke that had been hovering around his mouth disappeared. “When?”

“Sunday. The day after the wedding.”

Hank pushed himself to his feet and brushed his hands against his jeans. “I think this calls for a beer.”

“I thought we were fixing the tractor.”

“We’ve been fixing it for an hour, and you’ve contributed one socket.”

“Two.”

Hank considered that. “In that case, you’ve definitely earned a beer.”