The Single Dad Next Door

by Jessica Keller

  His mom had let herself in through the side door while he and Maggie were bickering over the delivery. She opened the door to the private part of the inn and held it for both Maggie and Kellen. None of the normal smells he’d come to anticipate—baked goods, crisping bacon, fresh-cut flowers—met him in the kitchen. An empty pot sat on the counter beside a few bottles of spices and a wrinkled three-by-five card. Squeezing past the counter island, Kellen made his way to the office and left the box on the floor near the desk. He’d open it later.

  Right now he had a stubborn woman to deal with.

  * * *

  So dizzy.

  Maggie braced her hand on the table and looked down, focusing on the wood grains while she sucked in a sharp breath of air.

  Her head pounded like an overcaffeinated woodpecker and her throat ached. She hadn’t been able to sleep much the night before. Staying up until one in the morning to start packing the dining room more than likely hadn’t helped her situation.

  Footsteps brought her back to attention. Susan Ashby studied her from a few feet away.

  “I’m so sorry.” Maggie forced herself to focus on Susan’s face even though her eyes wanted to close. “You’re both probably hungry. I haven’t even started lunch yet. I was trying—” She stumbled over to the card with her grandmother’s recipe for baked-potato soup. “It shouldn’t take long. I’ll start now.”

  “No, you won’t.” Half-shadowed, Kellen loomed in the hallway with his arms crossed and his eyebrows drawn together.

  “It’s quick. I promise.” She opened the refrigerator and pulled out heavy cream and the secret ingredient, hot sauce. When she turned, Kellen was right behind her. She bumped into him.

  “Maggie.” Kellen took the carton of cream from her slowly and set it on the counter, then did the same with the hot sauce. “Why don’t you lie down and rest?”

  “I can’t. There’s lunch to make and the lobby needs to be packed up and—”

  He held up his hands. “And it’ll all get done. But right now you need to relax.”

  “Don’t you see?” Her voice took on a pleading quality. Didn’t he understand? He’d said she had a job for as long as she wanted it—but that could have been just pity talk in the moment. She had to keep up with her daily tasks. More than that, she had to protect the history inside the West Oaks Inn. Yes, she was learning to let go of her hold on the place, but it was still her only tie to her family. She wanted to make sure her mother’s prized antiques were securely packaged so they wouldn’t break. Besides, she didn’t like being still. “I’ve got things to do.”

  She tried to brush past him, but Kellen hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her snug against him. Maggie’s hands landed on his chest, and her breath caught. He wore his cologne again. Fresh lemon mixed with an after-rain scent.

  His gaze locked with hers. “Let me help you.”

  “I can’t.”

  He let go of her, his shoulders slumped. “Someday, you’ll have to let someone help you. Why not me?”

  She shifted her gaze, studying the cuts on the countertop. “It’s just...I want to make sure it’s done right. There’s a trick to the soup and...”

  “So tell me the trick.” He turned her, guiding her toward the living room.

  Maggie spotted Susan sitting at the table with a book and a smirk. Pretending she couldn’t hear their exchange when she clearly could.

  “But—” Maggie had no argument. She was tired. And it would be so nice to have a day to reenergize. Then again, that meant tomorrow’s workload would be doubled. It never just went away.

  Kellen had his hands on her shoulders, walking behind her as he steered her around the end table to the couch. She sat and pursed her lips. “But I—”

  He held up a hand. “For someone who says that no one ever helps you and that you feel all alone, you sure turn down offers to help left and right.” He grabbed a quilt from the back of a nearby chair.

  “I don’t.”

  “You do.”

  She closed her eyes, absorbing the thought. “Okay. I might be guilty of that.”

  His gentle chuckle washed over her. “Let someone take care of you. Trust me to do that.” He tucked the blanket around her and then pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. “Rest, Maggie.”

  Her eyes shot open, but Kellen’s face remained passive as he left the room. The kiss hadn’t meant anything to him. A sweet gesture. Habit. Something he did when he tucked his daughters in every night. Don’t read into it. But oh, it felt nice to be kissed and worried over.

  Murmurs of conversation carried from the kitchen as well as the occasional spoon clanking against a pot. Bacon frying filled the air with a mouthwatering smell and the pinging sounds of grease dancing. It would taste amazing crumbled over the soup. A breeze from the open window behind the couch made the lace curtains sway.

  Maggie leaned back on the cushions and closed her eyes.

  She had been out only a few minutes when her phone buzzed in her pocket. Groggy, she pulled it out and tried to will her eyes to focus on the text from Paige.

  Read Matthew 10:29-31

  Pushing up from her cocoon, Maggie reached for Ida’s Bible, which sat on the far end of the coffee table where she’d left it a few days ago. Untouched. She flipped it open, her eyes landing on the list of names written inside. She traced the line that she and Kellen shared. Why had Ida put their names together? There had been lines under that she could have used. Was there a reason or was it a mistake?

  Shaking her head, she turned to the book of Matthew and located the verses Paige had told her to read.

  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

  Sparrows, huh? Paige knew her well enough to understand that she wouldn’t be offended by the comparison. A sparrow was as ordinary and uninspiring as a bird could get. Their mousy-colored feathers made them blend in. No one considered them pretty. So unnoticed and small that they were often forgotten about. Yet God cared about every single one of their lives and was aware of what happened to each of them.

  If the God of the universe cared about a little, ugly bird, how much more did He love her? She’d never been alone, had she? No. Not really. Even if it had felt that way at times. As Kellen had pointed out, she’d been stubborn. Even toward God. Trying to manage her life and assuming He wouldn’t want to be a part of her daily struggles. Believing that He didn’t see all she had on her plate.

  God had wanted to help her all along. That she saw now. She’d complained loudly, but she’d never asked for help. The two were very different.

  Forgive me. Don’t let me be a birdbrain about this stuff again.

  In the past two months, the dirt in her heart had been tilled by the girls in her small group, by Susan, but most of all, by Kellen. Buds were poking through the ground. Something new and fresh was happening. Maggie couldn’t quite explain it, but she felt changed.

  Kellen appeared in the doorway. “Feeling any better?”

  “A lot, actually.” She laid down the Bible.

  He set a bowl of soup in front of her and went back to the kitchen for a cup of mint tea. “I realize these two don’t normally pair together, but I was thinking—” His phone started to ring. Kellen fished it out of his pocket, and color drained from his cheeks when he looked at the screen. “I... One second.”

  Turning his back to her, he lowered his voice by a fraction. “Hello?”

  Whoever was on the other line had his full attention. Kellen slowly dropped so he was sitting on the coffee table, facing away from her.

  “Really? No...this is great. Amazing. I’m just surprised.” He hooked his hand around the back of his neck as he
spoke. “I, uh, couldn’t say right now. But...sorry, still in shock. Yes. That sounds fair. Talk to you then.”

  When he hung up, Kellen rested his elbows on his knees and stared at the phone.

  Maggie sat up fully. She moved to put her hand on his back, but then let it drop. “Good news?”

  He glanced at her over his shoulder. “I think so.” His eyebrows were drawn together as he sighed. “I need to go. I have to—” He stood suddenly and paced away. “Don’t worry about the mess in the kitchen. I’ll take care of it later.” He walked toward the kitchen. “Enjoy your soup.”

  Maggie stared at the doorway after he left. If it was good news, why didn’t he seem happy? Construction was set to start on the inn tomorrow... Maybe it was only about that.

  Chapter Thirteen

  He had to go over and check on the remodeling. That was an owner’s job, right?

  Kellen shoved his hands in his pockets and entered the inn.

  Contractors arrived by seven thirty in the morning every day for the past week. They’d blasted through walls and moved plumbing. Today they were updating electric and installing a few new tubs.

  Nika ducked out of the private part of the inn. “Oh, it’s just you.” She’d finally given in to wearing jeans and T-shirts, dressing sensibly like Maggie always did.

  “What are you working on today?” Kellen craned his head to see if he could spot Maggie in the kitchen.

  “Social-media stuff. Do you want to see the banners I designed?”

  “Later. I’m going to walk the house first.” He ran his tongue along the back of his teeth. “Is Maggie around?” It felt as if she’d been avoiding him since the demolition of the rooms began.

  “She was only here for a few minutes after I arrived. I have no clue where she went. Should I call her?”

  “No, it’s fine. I’ll get ahold of her if I need to.”

  A fine layer of sawdust covered the wooden floors. He’d have them polished and refinished at the end. Make the place shine. The inn was morphing into something he could really be proud of. Maybe he’d change the name in the rebranding. A whole new image and new clientele. Finally a dream in his life that he could keep and call his own. One he didn’t have to be ashamed of as he was about his past with the Snaggletooth Lions.

  Holding tightly to the handrail, he took the stairs two at a time.

  The landing was wider now. The hallway, too. But he’d kept the sitting area by the circle of beveled windows. Maggie told him it was her favorite spot, so he’d instructed Sandra to restore the area and fit it into the new design. Seven guest bedrooms had become five, but they were five that would demand a higher fee and stay booked during the high-travel season, which was quickly approaching. Nika would plan a successful grand-opening party and hopefully they’d have a great summer.

  An image of him and Maggie strolling on the beach at sunset while holding hands sprouted in his mind. A great summer indeed.

  Except he wasn’t sure he’d be here in the summer.

  Minor problem.

  Kellen shook his head. He’d probably be here. Right? He’d yet to make up his mind about the offer he’d received from the Christian band Since Grace. Hadn’t even told his mother. He needed to weigh the pros and cons on his own before he spoke to anyone about it. Processing was something he did alone.

  He slowly walked through each room, inspecting new fixtures and imagining what each area would look like. The floor was ripped down to the plywood subfloor. They’d given him an estimate of six weeks to complete all the work and it looked as though they’d need every minute of that time to finish. Kellen would check in with the contractor later, but they were all on a lunch break or back at the hardware store at present.

  Anyway, he hadn’t come for the contractors. Not really.

  He’d crossed the yard to see Maggie. Kellen had avoided her since the day he received the call from Since Grace’s agent. But he missed her.

  The lock that usually hung on the hidden door at the back of the hallway was off. Maggie told him once that the door led to the attic. Had one of the contractors removed it? There was no reason for them to be up there. If he held on to the inn, he might refinish the attic and use it for more rooms. These old Victorians usually enjoyed high ceilings at the top. He might as well see what the space looked like.

  He climbed the ladderlike stairs. Sunlight bathed the crowded area, flooding through four rounded windows. Boxes and trunks were piled throughout the attic. Old belongings. Did anyone know this stuff was up here?

  Someone sniffled.

  “Hello?” He squinted, trying to find the person, but there were too many things blocking the way in the attic.

  “Go away, Kellen.”

  “Maggie?” Stumbling over a few bags, he found her leaning against a pile of trunks with her feet against a wall. The wetness on her face made his stomach twist. He dropped to his knees beside her. “What’s wrong?”

  She rubbed her nose. “I’m so stupid. I thought I was ready to say goodbye, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready.” She dropped her head into her hands, covering her face as more tears came.

  Kellen sat down beside her and placed his hand on her back, rubbing small circles. “Goodbye to who?”

  “Not who.” She sat back suddenly, pinning his arm behind her. “The inn. This house.”

  He winced a bit but didn’t say anything. Best not to upset an already worked-up woman. “The inn will still be here. It’ll just be a little shinier. You’ll see.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “It’ll be different. It already is. I saw them tear down the wall that used to be...” She rocked forward, biting her lip.

  When she moved, he freed his arm. All his fingers started to tingle as blood returned to them. “You’re right. It’ll look different, but it’ll still be a successful inn. I promise.”

  She leaned her head back against the dusty trunk and tipped her face to study the ceiling.

  What was her issue? Why couldn’t she be excited about the remodeling? Be on his team?

  He swallowed hard. “Don’t you trust me?” He might as well have asked her if she loved him. For him, they were one and the same.

  She kept her gaze locked on the sharp nails that dotted the ceiling. “This used to be my home.”

  “It still is.”

  “No. Before it was an inn, it was my home.”

  “You owned the mansion?”

  She let out a long stream of pent-up air. “It’s been in my family for more than a hundred years. My great-great-grandfather built it for his wife. He said the size of the house needed to match how much he loved her. This was the biggest building on the shore for many years. The contractor tore through the wall in their old room today. It was...hard to watch.”

  The home was her final tie to her family and Kellen had torn it to pieces. Told her with a bold face he could do whatever he wanted with it.

  “Maggie...I had no clue.” His voice sounded small. “You should have told me before we started working.”

  “It’s not like you care about the house. But me? It’s been handed down for years. My parents left it to me and I lost it. Everything my ancestors worked for. Everything they left. It’s all gone and it’s my fault.” She finally met his gaze. “You really didn’t know it was my home?”

  Unable to speak, he shook his head.

  “The West Oaks Inn. My last name is West.”

  “I thought because it sat on the west end of town...”

  “We’re south of town. Not west.”

  “If I had known—” Then what? He wouldn’t have handed over the inn. He couldn’t now. The inn was his only source of income, especially if he turned down the other offer...

  “I used to slide down the railing every morning to come to breakfast. Race my sister
down. For a long time, before we converted it to an inn, one of the rooms smelled like my grandmother. After she was gone I’d lie on the floor and just breathe. The rooms upstairs hadn’t changed in the first remodel. They were all I had left of my family. And now...” Fresh tears trailed down her cheeks.

  What had he done?

  He leaned his head back against the trunk. “I’m so sorry. You have no idea how sorry. I must look like a monster to you—tearing apart a place that holds so many memories.”

  “You’re not a monster, just a man making his dreams come true. My dreams just happened to be in the way. You like to push forward and I like to cling to the past. I see that now. I just—” She laid her hand on his arm and pursed her lips together.

  Past versus present. Did it always come down to that with Maggie?

  Kellen took a deep breath and covered her hand with his. “Maybe it doesn’t have to change so much. I’ll show you the plans. We could rework it a bit to make you happy.”

  Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “You reminded me at the bridge that I need to learn to let go and trust what God’s doing in my life. A cloud of grace, right? Maybe with all of this—the house changing and feeling like the last of my past is being ripped away—like you said, God’s not doing something bad, but bringing about change that in the end will be for my good. I’m going to cling to that right now.”

  “But Ida remodeled the house. You were okay about that.”

  “It was a necessary evil then. It was only remodeled slightly so it didn’t lose the house entirely. It still had the rooms I’d grown up in. Now they’re gone—basically only this attic and the front part of the house are the same.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say or how to make this better.”

  She sighed. “I’m going to go for a walk. I’d like to do so alone, if that’s all right.”

  “Of course.” Don’t go.

  Could any of the work be undone? Stopped?

  She left, but she didn’t go alone. Kellen’s heart and his prayers went with her.