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Disconnecting the call, he pulled into his driveway a few minutes later, still in a daze. His website. What was she talking about? She’d gotten his cell phone number right, so she must have found it somewhere. But he’d never gotten around to making a website. Always thought it unnecessary.
Going inside the house, he sat at Carmen’s desk in the quiet, empty kitchen. He opened a search engine and typed inSharrun’s Construction.
A new website loaded with the name of his company on top. First website listed on the search, and not in the shady sponsored-ads section. He scanned the site, and there was no question that it was meant for his company, complete with photos of the B&B renovation.
Holy shit. It looked professional. Not like the one-page, poorly designed one he used to have through some free local business site before the free trial expired.
He scrolled through the pages and clicked on the About Us page… A picture of him and Marissa loaded onto the screen. One taken a few months ago on the beach. One of his favorites.
A local company with heart, Sharrun Construction can accommodate all your construction needs big and small… Specializing in B&B rebuilds… Our motto is “Don’t tear it down, save it”…
Wes’s chest tightened the more he read, and a lump formed in his throat as he scrolled past the list of past projects and quotes from locals he’d done work for, praising his skill and craftsmanship. Someone must have contacted all these people to get these quotes.
Not someone. Marissa.
This had to be the surprise she’d been working on.
Getting up from the desk, he headed down the hallway toward her bedroom. Clearing his throat, he knocked on the door with a shaky hand. “Hey, it’s me.”
“I know, Dad; I’m coming!” she called through the door. “I’m just trying to find my cleats.”
He opened it slowly. “Actually, I was thinking maybe we’d skip soccer today.” He’d call Dustin and ask his assistant coach to fill in for him at practice. His daughter deserved a special day together, and she also deserved the option of quitting the team.
He scanned the room, stunned to see that it was clean. Was she applying for a daughter of the year award? Because there wouldn’t be any contest.
“Skip soccer?” she said slowly. “You okay?”
His laugh was a strangled sound. “More than okay. I’m actually the luckiest dad on earth.”
She frowned, studying him. “Okay, now you’re scaring me.”
“I just got a call to quote a job about an hour down the coast… The lady said she found my info online on my website.”
Marissa’s eyes widened even more. “Don’t be mad. I was going to tell you. Actually, Sarah and I were going to show you together, but…”
But he’d made a mess of things. Right. All of this was his fault, and he wasn’t the only one suffering for it. Marissa hadn’t said much the last few days, but he could sense her disappointment over not seeing Sarah. “Mad? What are you talking about?” He moved closer and wrapped her in a hug. “I am so proud of you.” He pulled away and looked at her. “That website was fantastic.”
“Sarah helped,” she said with a huge smile.
Sarah. Another kick to the gut. He needed to find a way to make it up to her.
“We wanted to surprise you… Guess the marketing worked too well, huh?”
He hugged her tighter. “Just well enough.” This new job opportunity with Melendez Cottages might be the one he needed to get his company…his life back on track, and he wouldn’t have it if it weren’t for his genius daughter and the woman he was in love with.
He cleared his throat. “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to have an app that could help me go back in time and stop myself from doing something stupid, would you?”
Marissa raised an eyebrow as she looked up at him. “Nope. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to make it up to Sarah the old-fashioned way—by groveling.”
Groveling. Right.
…
The ceremony of life on the beach was the perfect send-off for Mr. Harrison. All the local business vendors along the boardwalk had closed early that evening to say a final farewell to a man who’d meant a lot to all of them. One by one, they’d helped spread his ashes into the ocean and shared a memory of the man they’d gotten to know over the years.
Sarah had only recently gotten the chance to know him, but he’d always hold a special place in her heart. She hoped he’d finally found peace.
As the sun set on the ocean, everyone slowly dispersed, leaving Sarah alone on the beach. She stared out into the waves and fought to calm her conflicted emotions. Her grandmother and Mr. Harrison had never gotten their second chance, despite the love they had for each other.
