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“Wait, what?”
“Your Mr. Clark came by yesterday.”
“My Mr. Clark?”
“The appraiser?”
The alarm bells got louder. “Fuck.” At her glare, he winced. “Sorry, Lily. He wasn’t supposed to be here until next week. I was supposed to have time to talk to her about that.”
“About what? Would it hurt less if you actually manned up and told her you were still serious about selling the Heron out from under us? Maybe.”
Surprised at her venom, he lifted the papers in his hand. “No. I’m not selling.”
Lily stood up. “Then why on earth would you have an appraiser out? What are those, real estate papers?”
“Loan papers. I was going to talk to Kendall about refinancing this place and putting on an addition.” He looked down at his future mother-in-law with her curling coffee-colored hair and Kendall’s dark eyes. “I wanted to talk to her about a place separate from the B and B for us. I want her to have a real bedroom, not a closet.”
“Oh.” Her eyes welled up. “I told her to wait, to try not to jump to conclusions.” Lily stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I knew you wouldn’t break her heart.”
Shane kissed the top of her head. The pretty floral scent that was always a part of Lily calmed a few of his jangling nerves. “I love her.”
“I know you do. Anyone can see it. Well, anyone but Kendall.”
“I’m not really good at saying it.”
“You’re really good at showing it. The rest will catch up. I hate that Kendall has such a tiny place to sleep, but she wanted to use all the bedrooms for rental space.”
“I understand. That’s why I want to build off the barn. Make a separate space for her. Maybe an in-law apartment for you.”
Lily dabbed at her eyes but finally shook her head. “I have a perfect room at the back of the house that I love. But a separate space for you two and maybe room for grandbabies? I’d be all over that.”
The breath in his lungs stalled. A little sunshine-haired girl that looked like Kendall? What a terrifying and amazing thought. “Let’s worry about babies after I convince her I’m not going anywhere.”
“Well, go get her.” Lily went back to the table and ripped a piece of the white craft paper and scribbled on it. “That’s Bells’s address.”
He leaned down and planted a kiss on Lily’s cheek. “Thanks.”
“Be careful out there!”
He waved back at her and rushed through the door only to slip his way into the railing. Taking a steadying breath, he threw out another scoop of rock salt from the fat planter Kendall hid the bucket in.
He peeled down the driveway, fishtailing once before the chains on his tires gripped the icy road. The bend sparkled with fresh ice. Suddenly he spotted her green Outback inching up Heron Way.
Not taking any chances, Shane yanked on his wheel and blocked off the road. He got out and went around, leaned on his truck door, his arms crossed.
She held up her hand against the glare of the sun on snow and slowed to a stop. She opened her door. “Did you get into an accident? Or are you just insane?”
“I was coming after you.”
She skidded over to him, her chin raised; a ridiculous purple knit hat sat slightly crooked on her head. “Why? So you can actually tell me to my face that you want to sell the Heron? I would have appreciated knowing before the appraiser came and made me look like a jerk. I thought—”
“I love you, Kendall.”
“What?”
With his plan shot to hell, all he could focus on was making sure she knew just how wrong she was. “I love you. I don’t want to sell the Heron.”
“You…” Her huge brown eyes were filled with confusion. “How?”
