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Ryan nodded. “Let’s say no later than seven, and I’ll send you his practice schedule so you’ll know which days he can’t be there.”
“Whenever he can come is fine.” It saved me the cost of hiring a handyman to paint.
“I really appreciate you giving him a chance. I know his attorney suggested this as a way to make him look good in front of the judge, but I want him to make a change. I want him to connect with something orsomeonehere, even if it’s not me.”
I covered his hand with mine. “You’re a good dad, Ryan.”
Whatever he thought of himself, he was putting Corey first now.
Ryan tipped his head back, then focused on me. “If that were true, why is Corey in trouble with the police? Why does he have a court date? Tell me that.”
“Whatever he’s going through is big and real. He’s processing the situation with his mother, the move here, living with you. It’s a big transition. Give him time.”
Ryan sighed. “I just hope I’m up for the job.”
“I think you’ll surprise yourself.” Ryan was nothing like my mother. He was solid and trustworthy. He wasn’t a dreamer like she was.
Jake popped his head in the doorway. “You guys almost done in here? I want to stop by the shop and run some numbers.”
“You work too much,” I said affectionately.
Jake tipped his head. “You know how difficult it is to start a new business.”
He’d mentioned that most businesses failed in the first few years. I ran Nana’s for her, and we were struggling. It wasn’t easy, but I suspected the issue with my shop was that I wasn’t passionate about it, not like she’d been.
Jake didn’t have that problem. Opening the garage was his lifelong dream.
Ryan clasped his shoulder. “We’ve got this.”
Working with Corey meant being around Ryan more. In the past, Jake had always been the perfect buffer, and I knew nothing could come from my childhood crush. He wasn’t my type, or at least, he wasn’t anymore.
I needed a nice guy, not one who had tattoos, drove a motorcycle, and had a history of causing trouble. So, no matter how attracted I was to Ryan, I needed to steer clear of him.
ChapterTwo
RYAN
We packed up the donation boxes and bags into the back of Jake’s truck, and I dropped them off at the local donation center.
Visiting Nana’s always held a certain nostalgia. It had become a second home to me over the years. An escape from the expectations of my parents.
On the way to the garage, Jake thrummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “What do you think’s going on?”
I shrugged. “She’s getting older, taking stock of her life. She wants things taken care of before she dies.”
Jake winced at my bluntness.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to suggest—”
He waved me off. “It’s okay. You’re probably right.”
Jake wasn’t one for talking about his feelings or emotions. He was quiet for a few seconds before he glanced over at me. “I’m worried about Hailey.”
Since their father had never been in the picture, and their mother was in and out, Jake had been the unofficial head of the family. He’d taken care of Hailey and Nana. I respected the hell out of him for that. I liked to think I would have been the same if I had a younger sister to protect.
When I lived in Annapolis before, I never thought of Hailey as anything other than Jake’s little sister because she was six years younger than me. But since I’d returned, I’d noticed everything about her. For the first time, I wanted to know more about her. “How so?”
“She doesn’t want anything to change. She wants Nana to stay in that house forever. I suspect she’d move in with her if she needed help.”
