Her Handyman Hero

by Lorraine Beatty

  Tori had a hand resting at her throat, her eyes filled with confusion. His throat clenched when he saw fear rise in her dark blue eyes and the pulse in her neck speed up. He knew she was thinking the worst. He wanted to reassure her that he wasn’t going to harm her, but he couldn’t blame her for being wary.

  There was no reason to lie. He could see now how Tori had made her assumption. But how would she feel when she heard his name? “My name is Reid Blackthorn.” He looked at Tori, but she didn’t react. Hadn’t she heard what he’d said? Or maybe she didn’t recognize the name. She’d made it clear Judy never mentioned Lily’s father, and Judy went by her maiden name.

  “That doesn’t answer my question. Who are you and why are you hanging around here?”

  Reid directed his answer to Tori, who was anxiously chewing her bottom lip. He could only imagine what she was thinking. At the very least she’d probably labeled him as some kind of lunatic or an opportunist waiting to take advantage of her or—worse yet—a danger to Lily. He had to reassure her, but he wasn’t ready to tell her the whole truth with Floyd watching. “I told you the truth. I’m a former DEA agent looking for a fresh start. I had stopped to ask directions when I saw the Camellia Tea Room sign, then realized it was closed. That’s when I heard you call for help.” His chest tightened at how easily the lies came to him. Lord forgive me.

  Tori closed her eyes and looked away. Reid had never felt lower in his life.

  * * *

  Tori took a deep breath, trying to calm her quaking nerves before looking at Reid again. How could she have been so gullible, so careless? She’d hired this man on faith alone, not bothering to ask for references or even his last name.

  “Why did you let me think you were Reed? I mean the one Floyd sent?”

  He glanced off before answering. “It occurred to me that working as a handyman would be a good way to try out a new line of work. I’m afraid my undercover instincts took over, and I didn’t consider the repercussions of withholding information.”

  Her internal lie detector screamed. Why hadn’t it gone off earlier when Reid first showed up? Hadn’t she learned her lesson with Will? She was normally so cautious, but somehow Reid had slipped past her sensors.

  Floyd squared his shoulders. “Would you like me to escort this guy off the property?”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to say yes. Get him out of my sight. But another part of her wanted to hear the truth. She needed to understand how she’d been so drawn in. Not to mention redeem some of her self-respect.

  “Thank you, Floyd, but I’ll handle this.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t like leaving you alone with some stranger.”

  “It’s all right. Besides, Seth is only a call away. He’ll be here with sirens blaring if I need him.” She saw Reid flinch. The moment Floyd left she wondered if she’d made another mistake in letting him leave? If Reid was here to rob her or harm her, he’d had plenty of opportunity. But he was guilty of something, and she wanted to know what he was up to.

  Reid was staring at the floor, obviously embarrassed at being found out. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Why didn’t you tell me there’d been a mix-up? I was desperate for help. I probably would have given you a chance.”

  “I realized that, but by then I was making repairs and you were in and out and busy with Lily.” He shrugged.

  Her lie detector vibrated again. “What aren’t you telling me? I can see it in your eyes. You’re hiding something.”

  He took a breath as if preparing himself, and slipped his hands into his jeans pockets. “You didn’t recognize my last name?”

  “No. Why should I?” The look in his brown eyes sent a shiver down her spine. Whatever he was going to say wouldn’t be good.

  “Because I’m Lily’s uncle.”

  It took a moment for his words to register. Lily’s uncle? “That’s not possible. Judy didn’t have any siblings.”

  Reid took a step toward her, and she backed away, confusion and alarm swirling in her head.

  “My brother, Edward Blackthorn, is Lily’s dad.”

  His words refused to register in her mind at first. They were so preposterous. “No. You’re lying again. He walked out on her and no one knows anything about him.”

  He touched his chest. “I know. I tracked Judy down, and from there I found you and Lily. Didn’t Judy ever tell you the father’s name?”

  “No.” Tori rubbed her forehead. “She always referred to him with some derogatory term, never his name. She’d become enraged whenever she talked about him. I quit asking because it made her so upset.” A javelin of fear pierced up through her being. “Is that why you’re here? To try to take Lily? Well, you don’t have a prayer of gaining custody. I’m her legal guardian. Judy wanted me to raise Lily. She’s mine.”

  “And she’s my niece.” Reid inhaled a deep breath before looking at her. “I’m not trying to take her away.”

  “Then what do you want?”

  “I want to take her to meet her father.”

  Tori glared. Was he out of his mind? “No. Never. Judy was adamant about never telling Lily about him. As far as Lily is concerned, she doesn’t have a father.”

  “Is that fair?”

  “Fair? Was it fair for that man to walk out the minute he found out Judy was pregnant? He left her alone to have a baby and raise her without any emotional or financial help. He never contacted her, never asked about the baby. She hated him.”

  “I’m not defending what my brother did.”

  “There is no defending his actions.”

  “Agreed, but the circumstances have changed.”

  “Nothing has changed. Except now I have a traitor in my home. I never would have let you work for me if I’d known.”

  “I know.”

  She spun around, arms hugging her waist protectively. “I think you’d better go.”

  “Tori, let me explain. I have a good reason.”

  “There can’t be a good reason. Judy wanted Lily protected from any knowledge of her father and what he did. I promised to do the same.”

  “Tori, my brother is dying. He only has a short time left. A month, maybe less. All he wants is to see his daughter before he dies. Is that too much to ask?”

  “Yes.”

  Reid ran a hand across the back of his neck. He was obviously getting agitated. She stiffened her resolve.

  “Eddie regrets what he did and he knows he could never make up for it, but all he’s asking is to see her.”

  “Out of the question. There’s no place for him in her life. And there’s no place for you here. I think it’s best if you leave.” She forced herself to ignore the hurt in his brown eyes. That wasn’t her problem.

  “Tori, I’m no threat to you or Lily. I meant it when I said I wasn’t trying to take her away, but she’s my family. I’d like to spend more time with her.”

  “You should have thought about that before you lied to me. I can’t forgive lying. Ever.”

  “All right. For now. But please think about what you’re doing to Lily. She should know who her father is.”

  “No, she’s better off not knowing. I’ll figure out what I owe you and you can come by and pick up the check.”

  “I don’t need the money. Keep it.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t want to be indebted to you in any way.”

  “Fine.”

  She could see he was exasperated. Too bad. The one thing she couldn’t tolerate was being lied to. Yet it kept happening. What did that say about her?

  Reid turned and left. The moment he was out of sight, her knees started to buckle. She sank onto the stool. She hated confrontation, and he’d forced her to stand her ground. But she’d had no choice. Judy’s wishes had to come first. But his brother was dying. She hadn’t expected that. A small swell of sympathy bloomed. She
smothered it with a memory of Judy and her fierce plea to protect Lily at all costs.

  She owed it to her friend. A promise shouldn’t be broken.

  * * *

  Reid didn’t bother to pack his things. He’d come back for them later. He climbed into his truck and headed for Hamilton Haven. He had to tell Eddie about his screw-up. His brother would be so disappointed. Not to mention heartbroken and probably angry. Thanks to him, Eddie might never get to see Lily now. Any hope he had of convincing Tori to relent was gone. She hated them both.

  The drive to Hammond dragged on forever. Reid kicked himself with every mile that rolled over on the odometer. His feet moved like lead as he crossed the parking lot, entered the building and stopped at his brother’s door. Lord, give me the words to say. Help me make this right.

  He tapped lightly on the door before entering. Eddie was propped up in bed and the TV was on. He must be having a good day. If it wasn’t for the IV in his arm and the steady beeping of the monitors he’d look normal, though much older than his thirty-two years. His hard living had taken a massive toll on his system.

  “Reid. Why are you back so soon? I didn’t expect to see you until next weekend.”

  “Yeah, well.”

  “What happened?”

  The worry in his brother’s eyes knotted his stomach. He pulled up a chair next to the bed, searching for the right words. “My cover was blown. The contractor found out I wasn’t the guy he sent, and he told Tori, who was not happy to learn that not only had I lied to her about being the handyman but—” he paused, dreading the words he had to say “—that I’m Lily’s uncle.”

  “And I’m her father. How did she take it?”

  “Not well. She didn’t even know your name.”

  “Oh. I guess Judy hated me more than I thought.” Eddie laid his head back on the pillow, his disappointment obvious.

  Reid rested his hand on his brother’s arm. “I’m sorry, bro. It’s all my fault. I messed up. I should have been honest from the beginning.”

  “No. This is on me. I’m the one who ran out on my wife and child because I was afraid to face the responsibility of a family.”

  “Why didn’t you follow up? Check on them?”

  “Fear. At first I didn’t want to face her anger. Then after a while it seemed easier to ignore them, pretend it never happened and lose myself in chemical oblivion.” He reached out and patted Reid’s hand. “I let you down, too. I messed up my life good.”

  Reid shook his head. “No. I promised Mom I’d look out for you, and instead I ran off to the service and never turned back.”

  “You couldn’t have changed anything. I was bent on a path of self-destruction and no one could have stopped me.”

  “Tori is determined to do what Judy wanted, and that means keeping you out of her life.”

  “Are you going back?”

  “Not sure. She said she’d let me know when my pay is ready. I don’t need it, but I do need to pick up my stuff. I’m sorry, Eddie. I ruined it for you.”

  “The blame’s mine. I can’t expect you to fix a mistake I made years ago. Would you try to do me one favor, though? If you do talk to her again. Ask her if you can take a picture of Lily so I can at least see what she looks like?”

  Reid’s heart sank. Why hadn’t he thought of that before? He’d had ample opportunity to take pictures of Lily, and he felt sure Tori wouldn’t have minded. “Sure. I’ll make it happen.” How, he had no idea.

  * * *

  “What’s wrong with me?” Tori dabbed at her teary eyes with the tissue Shelley had given her. She’d asked her friend to come over as soon as she got home.

  Her friend squeezed her hand. “Nothing.”

  “Then why do men lie to me? Do I have a sign on my forehead that says I’ll believe anything you tell me?”

  “Don’t be silly. Not all men lie to you. Reid did tell you mostly the truth.”

  “But not the most important part. That he’s Lily’s uncle.”

  “If he’d told you, would you have hired him?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Exactly. What if you were in his position, learning you had a niece you never knew about, worrying about your brother who was dying and not sure if she was being cared for? Wouldn’t you want to see for yourself? Check things out?”

  “Whose side are you on?” Her friend had a point, but she didn’t want to acknowledge it.

  “Yours and Lily’s. I mean, I get why Judy was so angry. I would be, too, but denying Lily even has a father is a bit much, don’t you think? And freaking out whenever his name was mentioned?”

  Tori buried her face in her tissue. It hurt to admit that her friend might be right. She hadn’t allowed herself to question Judy’s position on Lily’s dad. She’d always given her the benefit of the doubt, especially since she was in a battle for her life and worried about the future of her only child. But none of that overrode her promise.

  “When I agreed to become Lily’s guardian, I gave Judy my word that I would raise her little girl the way she wanted. I intend to keep my promise.”

  “That sounds very noble. But what if Judy’s way wasn’t best for Lily?”

  “How can it not be? She was her mother.”

  “Every woman has a vision of the kind of mother she will be. The reality of motherhood is very different. Raising kids is hard and scary and confusing, and you never know from moment to moment if you’re doing the right thing or totally messing up your child. You do the best you can. And every child is different, with different needs. Judy might have had dreams of Lily becoming a dancer or a scientist, but that doesn’t mean she would want to be those things.”

  “Are you trying to depress me even more? Because you’re doing a great job.”

  “I’m only saying don’t try to do what you think Judy wanted. Do what you think is right for Lily.”

  Tori met her friend’s gaze. “Honoring her mother’s wishes is best.”

  Shelley nodded. “Okay, but what are you going to do about your handyman? I have a feeling he won’t walk away from his only niece so easily.”

  Tori had the same concern. “I’ll tell him his check is ready. Once he picks it up we’ll be done.” She glanced at her friend, whose skeptical expression called her out. “Truth is, I’ve called everyone I know, every contractor, every professional and part-time handyman in Dover, and none of them can help me. They all expect to be paid.”

  Shelley giggled. “Gee. Imagine that.”

  Tori waved off the sarcasm. “I know. As much as I hate to admit it, I need Reid to help if I’m going to get this place open on time.”

  “Sounds to me like you might have to eat a little crow.”

  Tori dropped her chin into her hands. “I don’t think I have a choice. But if he agrees to return, there will be very clear parameters set. And he’d better not cross them.”

  “If he does you can sic your family on him. I’ve got to go. Let me know what happens, and call if you need to talk again.”

  An hour later, Tori clawed her fingers through her hair and groaned. She was sunk. Until her reimbursement funds arrived, she was living on jewelry money. She was supposed to open in a month, but she still had so much to do, and with so many repairs necessary, she’d never make it.

  Reid was her only option.

  She’d never liked the taste of crow.

  * * *

  The text from Tori had come first thing this morning, two days after she’d asked him to leave. Your check is ready.

  He spent the last few nights in Eddie’s room, and they’d reminisced about the good days before their parents were killed. Eddie reminded him of the childhood dream they’d had of getting a cabin on a lake and fishing their days away. What he wouldn’t give for the opportunity now.

  Eddie had been very forgiving about Reid’s messing
up the situation with Tori, which only spurred him on more to fix things. Somehow, he had to appeal to Tori’s caring nature. She wasn’t a heartless person, just a woman loyal to her friend and determined to grant her requests. But she also loved Lily and genuinely wanted the best for her. Wasn’t knowing her father the right thing?

  Reid parked at the end of the drive at Camellia Hall, a knot of concern forming in his chest. He had no idea what kind of reception he’d get. He wouldn’t put it past her to sock him one. He braced himself for the worst as he took the back porch steps to the door and knocked firmly. It opened, and his breath caught at the sight of her. She was as lovely as he’d remembered. Her light brown hair was hanging to her shoulders, making her eyes look bigger and brighter and framing her delicate features. She wore a pair of slim-fitting slacks and a flowing top that brought out the deep blue of her eyes.

  Cool it, man. He cleared his throat.

  “Hi.” Lame. So lame.

  “Hello. Come in.”

  He stepped into the back hall and followed her to the main kitchen. She picked up an envelope from the counter but didn’t hand it to him. He tried to think up some scenario in which she’d have to hire him back. But making up tales had created this situation. He waited for her to speak.

  “I have a proposition for you.”

  This was promising. “I’m listening.”

  “I find myself in an awkward position. I need to get my business opened on time, and to do that I need to have repairs made. The inspection from the commission is scheduled for next week. If I don’t pass I won’t get my funds, and without those I can’t open. It seems finding a handyman who will work for room and board is more difficult than I expected.”

  Reid’s spirits ballooned. She needed him. And he needed to be here. “You want me to come back on the job?”

  “Yes. But there’s a new stipulation.”

  He didn’t like the sound of that.

  “You are forbidden to speak about Lily’s father, and you have to forget about getting my permission to take her to see him. Is that clear?”

  It would complicate things, but he’d work with it. He still believed, given the right motivation, that he could convince her to let Eddie see his child.