completed the remodel I hired him to do, but there seem to be all kinds of little issues with an old house like this. I think I’ve worn out my welcome by calling him all the time. He suggested I hire a part-time handyman who can be available on short notice. He has too many big projects—paying projects—to keep running over here to fix my old house. I think it was his way of getting me off his back. Of course, I can’t afford to pay much. This old house has cost me more than I ever imagined. The opening is several weeks away, but there’s a long list of repairs that need to be done before then.”
Reid tried to sort through the flood of information she’d given him. She thought her contractor had sent him to be her handyman. The idea took root before he realized it. If he wanted to get the true picture of Tori Montgomery, see if she was the flake he’d been told she was, which right now seemed likely, he’d learn far more from being undercover than telling her outright who he was and what he wanted. He could also get to know his niece. What harm could it do to go along with the error? He was handy, he could help around the old house and maybe find some ammunition to help him secure custody of his brother’s child if necessary.
“What would you like me to do first?”
She picked up her keys and faced him. “Oh, great. So you’ll help me out?”
The hope in her eyes sent a twinge of remorse along his nerves. He was used to undercover positions, but this wasn’t a gang of thugs he was trying to infiltrate. This was a lovely young woman he was deceiving. “Sure.”
She smiled and the cobalt eyes took on a new life, full of sparkle and joy. “Then you can start by replacing the old cabinet door pulls and handles with the new ones. They’re on the counter. I’ll be back soon.”
She started past him, then stopped and looked into his eyes. The connection jolted him again. Odd.
“Thanks for the rescue. There are drinks in the fridge if you want one.”
Reid watched her walk away. The paint-stained cutoff jeans and the oversize shirt did nothing to detract from her feminine figure. The short ponytail bobbed as she moved like a friendly wave. Tori Montgomery wasn’t quite what he’d expected. But she was still a big question mark in the suitable-guardian category.
* * *
Tori Montgomery slid behind the wheel of her small sedan and inserted the key. It was a good thing Reid had shown up when he did, or she’d have been stuck in that corner for hours watching paint dry. How humiliating. She could have called her friend Shelley and had her bring Lily home, but she liked picking up her little girl from school. It was one of the happiest parts of her day, seeing the big smile on the sweet face as she climbed into the car. Besides, she was determined to be the perfect mother, and a mother should pick up her child from school, not expect a friend to fill in for her.
Her gaze drifted to the sunroom extending out from the back of the historic home. Reid wasn’t anything like she’d expected. Floyd had referred to him as a young man. But this guy looked to be midthirties. Then again, Floyd was in his sixties, so he’d likely consider anyone under forty young.
There was something unsettling about her new handyman. He’d plucked her from the board as if she weighed nothing, making her aware of the strength in his arms and the broad, sturdy shoulders. He’d smelled so good she’d wanted to nuzzle closer to his neck and inhale the musky scent. He didn’t smell like any of the other workers who had filled her house these last few months. Instead of the laid-back, jovial attitude she’d come to expect, Reid was controlled, distant and observant.
He didn’t look like them, either. His six-foot frame was sturdy and strong, and perfectly proportioned, like a model from an outdoor catalog. His black-coffee-colored hair had a mind of its own, waving over his ears and falling across his forehead.
But it wasn’t his physical appeal that had rattled her. She’d looked into his eyes and been drawn in, looking beyond the rich brown color with the thick lashes to the darkness beyond. He was a man with secrets and deep pain, but he was also searching. She’d felt a quiver of connection in that moment he’d held her. An odd recognition. Something in common. But before she could explore it, he’d set her down and stepped away. The dark eyes shielded anything he was feeling, leaving her with a need to know what he was hiding. He’d assumed an air of control and command that sent a twinge of concern along her nerves.
Now she was being ridiculous.
Jerking her thoughts back into focus, she started the engine and pulled out of the drive. What did it matter how the man looked or if he had secrets? She needed a handyman to stay on top of all the glitches that popped up in her 150-year-old home, and as long as he could do that she was satisfied.
Surprisingly, Tori arrived at the school in record time. Her thoughts had been distracted by the handyman. Inside she took the left hallway to the kindergarten rooms. Her friend Shelley was also Lily’s teacher. She was hoping to find a few moments after class to talk to her before she headed home. Shelley’s little girl, Emily, was Lily’s best friend, and having them live next door had proved a real blessing. The girls spent hours together. It was really very sweet to watch them. Having a new friend close by had made Lily’s adjustment to moving to Dover easier. Tori thanked the Lord daily for all he’d provided in her new role as guardian and mother.
It was a role she’d accepted at the request of her dying friend, but one she feared she was totally inadequate to handle. She’d never pictured herself as a mother. Never pictured herself as much at all. As the baby girl of the five Montgomery siblings, she’d been spoiled and pampered, but she’d never found her calling. Nothing seemed to hold her attention for long. She’d attempt a new job or a new skill and master it quickly. Then the boredom would set in and she’d go in search of something new to stimulate her mind. Three degrees, six jobs, dozens of crafts and three broken engagements later, she wasn’t any closer to finding her place in the world.
That wasn’t exactly true. Being Lily’s mom had given her more satisfaction, more joy and delight than she’d ever known. It had also filled her with a fear of failure that kept her up nights. What if she made a mistake? What if she wasn’t as good a mother as Lily’s mom would have been?
Tori stopped at the last door on the right. Her daughter’s room.
Daughter. It was still odd to think of the child that way. Peeking in, she saw Lily and Emily at the craft table in the back, putting away the crayons. Shelley spotted her and came forward.
“Hey. How’s it going with the old house?” She glanced at the paint stains on Tori’s faded cutoffs. “Been wielding a paintbrush, huh?”
Tori chuckled. “Yes, and I made a mess of it. Would you believe I actually painted myself into a corner? I was afraid I’d be late picking Lily up.”
Shelley slid a stack of books into the shelves behind her. “I could have brought her home with me.”
“I know, but it’s my job. I shouldn’t pass it off on someone else.”
“Now you know that’s not how it would be. You’re just trying to make a perfect life for Lily, but that’s not possible. No one has that. Stop worrying and enjoy your little girl.”
“She’s not mine. She’s Judy’s little girl.” For the last year and a half, Tori had been living in California with her friend, providing care and support as she battled cancer. With no family, Judy had asked Tori to be Lily’s guardian and raise her the way she would have if she’d lived.
“Wrong. You’re her mother now.”
