the invites always included Garrett, Zoey almost felt like Amber was playing matchmaker, but if so, Zoey enjoyed her efforts. It had given her a chance to see Garrett with his family, how he played with the animals, helped out in the kitchen, thanked his sister for a burger, carried Nadine a drink.
So attentive—to everyone.
She’d also run in to Garrett at the hardware store when she bought a grill and needed supplies to fix up the house she’d bought. He’d chatted with her, lingering, making her self-conscious over her paint-stained T-shirt and ragged jeans—not that he’d been anything but pleasant.
The owner of the hardware store had slid many suspicious glances her way, but after Garrett came in, he spent his time bragging about Garrett’s handyman skills, claiming he’d learned from his uncle Gabe. The owner’s wife smiled at him as if he were her own son. They’d talked for maybe twenty minutes, and every minute or so someone new greeted him, including several women. But he hadn’t been drawn away. She figured that was likely why the women gave her dirty looks, and not the incident from her youth.
So far, she’d run in to him at the grocery, at the ice-cream shop, the gas station and Amber’s bookstore. She’d even seen him during one of her many visits to the hospital. Her mother was doing better, but on top of the broken ribs her blood pressure was high and the pneumonia really left her exhausted. Zoey did her best to make her more comfortable, telling her over and over how much fun they’d have once she was well again.
Somehow, she’d make it so.
Garrett was there checking on an older woman who’d almost set her house on fire when she forgot her dinner in the oven. She’d inhaled a lot of smoke, but would be fine.
Such a great guy—and tonight she’d have him all alone, with the opportunity to talk beyond polite pleasantries.
Maybe he’d give her some tips on fixing up her old house, given the amazing job he’d done to his own.
Thanks to a recommendation from Amber, she’d bought the furnished two-story “fixer-upper” sight unseen. And she had no regrets. The second she’d walked across the squeaky wood floors, touched the crystal doorknobs, admired the stained-glass window in the stairwell, she’d fallen madly in love.
The aged, scarred and worn furniture still had charm. Everything—the house and the furnishings—needed a ton of work to spruce it up, and she looked forward to tackling it all. On top of pleasing her aesthetically, it also had a huge sunroom in the back that led to a fenced yard, making it practical for her animal-grooming business.
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