“I love you too,” I said, still amazed that I was letting myself say it.

He shut my door, then watched from the porch as I backed out of the driveway and drove away. I indulged myself in a fantasy of coming home to Marco every night. He was the best man I’d ever known, and I knew that I could not only trust him, but he’d fill my life with happiness and fun. I wanted to give him that too.

If the chance wasn’t stolen from us.

Wyatt’s truck was in front of Hank’s house when I pulled up a few minutes after eight. I was halfway surprised Hank hadn’t convinced Wyatt to eat breakfast on the porch…and relieved that he hadn’t. I hurried inside, hearing the murmuring of voices in the kitchen, and dropped my overnight bag and purse in my room. Before I left, I scooped up Letty, who’d been curled up on the comforter, and carried her with me.

The two men were sitting at the kitchen table, and it looked like they were halfway through with their breakfast. Wyatt had made pancakes, and while he hadn’t cooked real bacon, he’d heated up some sausage links.

Hank glanced up at me and grinned from ear to ear, but Wyatt didn’t look happy.

“Sorry I’m late,” I said, standing in the kitchen doorway, rubbing the back of Letty’s head. “I overslept.”

Hank winked, then gestured to the empty chair on his right side, opposite Wyatt. “There’s still some breakfast left and plenty of coffee.”

Wyatt started to stand. “I’ll get you a cup.”

“I can get it,” I said, putting Letty down and heading for the coffee maker.

“I wanted to wait, but Hank said he wasn’t sure when you’d be here.”

“Sorry,” I said again, as I poured coffee into my cup. “I fully intended to be here, but like I said—”

“Don’t you apologize for stayin’ in bed,” Hank said. “Make hay while the sun shines.”

I glanced over my shoulder at him, trying to decide if he’d been become a pod person overnight. I’d never once heard him say something as quaint as “make hay while the sun shines.” The glare on Wyatt’s face suggested he’d never heard it either.

“Well,” I said, plastering a smile on my face, “I’m here now, and the pancakes look delicious.” I grabbed creamer out of the fridge and poured some into my cup, then sat down in the chair next to Hank.

Wyatt served me a couple of pancakes and handed the plate over the table as I sat down.

“Did Ruth hire a new waitress yet?” Wyatt asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

“No, not yet. Max is interviewing Ruth’s friend today.”

“Ruth’s friend?” he asked in surprise. “Who?”

“She didn’t tell me. I guess I’ll find out when I show up to Tutoring Club.” I spread butter over my pancake. “Because we all know the interview is a formality. If Ruth wants her working there, she’ll get the job.”

“Why’s Max hirin’ a new waitress?” Hank asked as he sawed on a sausage link.

I narrowed my eyes. “How many of those have you had?”

“Not enough,” Hank barked. “Now answer my question.”

“He finally fired Molly.”

“’Bout damn time.” Hank had heard plenty of Molly stories.

“How’s the tutoring club goin’?” Wyatt asked. “Max says you’re gettin’ a good turnout.”

“It’s going well. A lot of times kids don’t think learning can be fun, but I try to prove otherwise.” I told him a few stories about the kids and my plan to start a reward system for kids who read books from the library.

“Is Max helpin’ foot the bill for all of this stuff?” Wyatt asked.

“He’s providing the space.”

Wyatt frowned. “He needs to be makin’ a donation. I’ll have a talk with him.”

“Don’t do that,” I said. “This is my project, not his.”

“It’s bringin’ him business, and we both know it,” Wyatt said. “Besides, it’ll look good that he’s supportin’ the community.”

The way he said it made me think about Jim Palmer and all he’d done to support his community. Had it been out of the goodness of his heart, like I’d assumed, or had he been driven by ulterior motives?

In between bites of breakfast, I steered the conversation to Hank’s car, and Wyatt said he’d already ordered the parts and expected them to arrive in a few days. “The gas pedal gets shifted over to the left side to make it more comfortable for your left foot,” he told Hank. “It’ll just take some practice to get the hang of drivin’ that way.”

Hank scowled, looking skeptical.

“You need to learn how to drive again,” Wyatt said. “Truth be told, I should have done this months ago.”

“I ain’t no invalid,” Hank grumped.

“Which is exactly the point,” Wyatt said. “There’s no need for you to be stuck out here and dependent on Carly.”

I finished my pancakes, then we all went outside so Wyatt could check out Hank’s car, the kittens running out with us. Letty ran after the birds while Smoky sat on the porch, keeping her eye on Wyatt as though she didn’t trust him.

Smart kitten.

When he finished checking the gas pedal, he pronounced it would be fairly easy to make the changes. As he spoke, his gaze swept over the house, stopping on the patched roof. “You had some work done on the roof?”

Neither Hank nor I said anything for a beat, then Hank grunted. “There was a leak.”

“Who fixed it?”

“Corey Summers,” Hank said. “Mark’s boy.”

“From the looks of the shitty patch job, I hope he didn’t charge you much for it,” Wyatt said, making a face. “I’ll grab a ladder and take a look before I go.”

Hank shot me a guilty look, and I shook my head. I knew what he was thinking. If he hadn’t kept Wyatt away, he would have fixed it for free.

“I’m going to take a shower,” I said, gesturing toward the front door, then headed inside without waiting for anyone to acknowledge my remark.

I took a long time in the bathroom, washing my hair and shaving, slightly embarrassed when I realized it had been several days since I’d last shaved.

When I got out, I took my time drying my hair and putting on makeup. I put on a robe and went into my room, pulling out one of the few dresses I owned, a pale blue sundress that brought out the blue in my eyes. I put on a pair of white sandals, then emptied my overnight bag and repacked it with work clothes and shorts and a shirt to wear back to Hank’s in the morning.

When I went outside, Hank was in his chair with Smoky on his lap while Letty leapt at any bird that dared to land on the bird feeder.

“Your hellcat’s at it again,” he grumped.

“I’ll grab her.” I glanced over and realized Wyatt’s truck was still to the side of the house. “Wyatt’s still here?”

He pointed up. “He’s on the roof. You look nice. You dressin’ up for a certain man?”

I smiled. “If you’re insinuating it’s for the man on the roof, you’ve got another think coming.”