went on to explain several more problems that he’d either ignored or hadn’t even been aware of. “We can fix all of it with a few tweaks and some sweat equity.”
“I wish it could be a home again,” he replied. “I’ll write you a check for the renovations.”
“I’m sorry for what you’ve had to deal with,” she said on a low tone.
His radar went up and the trust stirring between them disappeared. “What have you heard?”
Davina’s soft green gaze held his, strong and steady. “Enough,” she said. “But I don’t gossip and I don’t judge. I’m just sorry for your loss and everything you and Rikki have been through. She told me a little but...it seemed hard for her to talk about so I didn’t pressure her.”
Santo exhaled a breath. No, he didn’t like to talk about this and furthermore she was an outsider who had no reason to be involved in the horror of his past. But maybe he could trust her.
“I lost more than my wife,” he admitted. “Getting out of this house seems like the right thing to do. To start a new phase of my life with my children. I tried to make it work but instead of getting better, things are getting worse. It’s not healthy. They need a different kind of home now.” He leaned against the counter. “And I need to be away from this place.”
“Well, that’s where I come in,” Davina replied, her tone thankfully neutral. “I’ll fix this one up to sell and then we’ll tackle the one you bought on the lake. Now that is going to be a charmer.”
He wanted to tell her she was a charmer. She made him smile and Santo had forgotten how to do that. But he couldn’t go on just a smile. He needed her to get this done so they could all get on with their lives. “I suppose it will be worth giving my children something new and hopeful to focus on. I’ll cover the expenses. So do whatever you need to do. Just do it fast.”
“It might take as long as three weeks here and at least that many months on the lake house. So my crew and I will be around for a while.”
Santo wasn’t sure he wanted to hear that, either. Strangers moving through his home at all hours. “Okay. I’ll make arrangements to keep the kids out of your hair.”
“I’ll coordinate that with Mrs. Brownlee,” she said. “I’ll bring in a couple of crew members and we’ll work around your routine.”
Santo realized he was letting other people control his life these days but he didn’t know how to get it back on track without a little help. His sister, Rikki, had taken over a lot of the responsibilities around here. Santo needed to get himself together so Rikki could enjoy her married life.
“Whatever you have to do to make this quick and painless, I’d appreciate,” he said to Davina. “I’ll be at work most of the time but I’ll check in on things.”
She stood across the counter, her gaze danced over him and then back to what remained her of the once-giant cupcake. “Okay, now we can work out the details about who gets the rest of that cupcake.”
Santo laughed in spite of the heaviness that had burdened him for months now. “You’ve been eyeing that thing the whole time, haven’t you?”
“I sure have,” she said, grabbing the cupcake holder. Then she launched back into her grand plan for his house.
Santo listened, watching as she nibbled on the cupcake without losing a crumb. In awe, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this relaxed, money and remodeling aside.
When she whirled around to face him, they almost crashed together but he caught her and then stood back, the second of contact jolting through him like an electric shock.
But Davina didn’t miss a beat even if her eyes did widen. “And wait until you hear what I have in mind for the lake house. We’ll have a whole cake to soften that blow when I go over the details.”
Santo decided he could handle that. Davina was smart and talented and determined. And she loved her work. His sister had put him in good hands. But then, Rikki knew him so well and she’d been through this awful ordeal, too. He was glad she’d moved back here and he had grudgingly accepted her husband, Blain Kent, as a trusted friend. They’d both been a comfort to Santo over these last long months and truth be told, they’d suffered just as much as he had. Blain still had nightmares about having to shoot Santo’s wife in order to save Rikki. But they had each other and Blain loved Rikki. Santo wished he and Althea could have had that kind of solid foundation.
Maybe this house had been built on sinking sand.
He had no one, and his children, while a joy, weren’t old enough to understand what he was dealing with. Not yet, but Lucia had asked a lot of questions.
He’d have to make good on his side of this bargain, Santo decided. He’d have to invest some sweat equity of his own.
And watching Davina now with anticipation lighting up her pretty face, he didn’t think that would be such a hardship. She’d breathed new life into this house.
Maybe being around her could bring him back to life, too.
Two days later, Davina stood in the galley kitchen of the garage apartment Rikki had suggested she rent for the spring. Since she’d be here in Millbrook Lake for months, Davina had readily agreed after seeing the neat little one-bedroom apartment located on the church grounds. It had a massive picture window with a great view of the lake, and she could walk to church and just about anywhere else. She loved walking around the lake every evening. Tonight would be a good time. Lovely, warm and with a gentle breeze.
But her cell rang before she could go put on her sneakers.
Mom.
“Hello,” Davina said, waiting for the usual questions of “How are you? Are you working too hard? Are you seeing anyone?”
She got those and more, but she only told her mom what she wanted her to know. Coming from a big, noisy and nosy family had shaped Davina’s entire personality. She liked being independent and out on her own, even if she did miss her family all the time. But she wasn’t about to tell her mother about Santo Alvanetti.
“When are you gonna settle down?” Nancy asked each time she went home to Bayou Fontaine.
“I’m settled, Ma,” Davina would always reply. “Settled into my work. I love what I do and one day, I’ll finally get our house back the way it should be.”
Ma always laughed and kissed her on the cheek. “Look at you, worrying about this old money trap when you need to be having babies and cooking meals.”
She didn’t want babies and meals. She wanted rooms to paint and trim and she wanted walls to tear down and rebuild. Her daddy had once been in charge of a growing construction company but his bad health and some equally bad decisions during the lean housing market had caused him to almost lose everything. She and Darren had done what they could, but Da was still working part-time and still struggling.
He’d forced Davina to leave the nest, telling her she had a lot of talent that she shouldn’t waste following him around.
