Grant set Sara on her feet but kept his hands on her hips. “I did what you said and asked my mom for help in the garage. An hour later, she appeared. Dressed, hair combed. We spent a long time talking about Pop. Then I told her about how much I love her, and that I want her to be happy. I explained the hoarding is making it hard for us to have a relationship. I want to visit and bring people to the house. Mom didn’t agree to go to treatment, but she did say she’d think about it. Sara, it was the best conversation we’ve had…well, since Pop died.”
Her heart swelled. “Grant, I’m so happy for you.”
“I’ve been grieving, and she has too, but instead of leaning on each other, we’ve been avoiding the discussion.”
“Maybe you both needed time to get to a place where you could talk about it.”
He nodded. “That’s probably true. After Pop died, things were very raw. They’re still painful now, but it’s not the same.”
“Mommy!” Ben called. The little boy raced toward her. “Did you see me hit the home run?”
“I did.” She caught him in her arms and hugged him tight. “You did an amazing job.”
“Sure did,” Grant echoed. He ruffled Ben’s hair. “I was so impressed. You kept your eye on the ball.”
“I remembered what you said at practice last time.” Ben beamed up at Grant, then turned to Sara. “Mommy, can we get ice cream to celebrate?”
“Definitely. Let’s find Aunt Rachel and ask if she and Michel want to join us.”
“They don’t. Aunt Rachel said Uncle John is coming home early tonight, so they’re going to see a movie. She’ll call you tomorrow.” He grabbed Grant’s hand. “Do you want to come with us for ice cream?”
Grant grinned. “Sure. I’d love to.”
Ben wiggled with excitement and gave a shout of joy. They took a few minutes to gather his sports bag and put it in the trunk of Sara’s car. Then the three of them decided to walk to the ice cream shop. Ben tucked himself between Sara and Grant, holding both their hands. He kept up a steady stream of conversation, giving a play-by-play of the entire practice.
They passed by the car mechanic shop, and Grant paused on the sidewalk. He glanced at Sara. “Do you mind crossing the street for a second?”
“No, of course not.”
It was his father’s old shop. The three-car garage had an office and a storage area. Glass entry doors leading to the tiny waiting room were smeared with dirt. One of the panes was cracked, and weeds grew between the cracks of the concrete drive. A large FOR SALE sign hung on the door, accompanied by a phone number.
“What’s this?” Ben asked.
“It’s a car repair shop. My dad used to own it.”
Grant stepped forward and ripped off a piece of the peeling logo. The previous owner had simply pasted his logo over the old one. Underneath was the familiar red and white logo Grant’s dad had used. The letter W appeared from EDWARDS CAR REPAIR.
Grant traced it with his finger. “I hate that the place is rundown like this, Sara. Pop built it before I was born. It would kill him to see it like this.”
He took out his phone and typed in the number on the FOR SALE sign.
Sara’s breath hitched. “Are you thinking of buying it?”
“I don’t know.” He peeled away another strip from the newer logo, revealing more of his dad’s. “I have money saved up. I could purchase it as an investment. It’s annoying to drive into the next town for parts when I want to work on the truck. I bet the Hidden Hollows residents think so too.”
Disappointment stabbed her. An investment property meant Grant wasn’t thinking of moving to Hidden Hollows permanently.
Why was she even thinking of that? Maybe because a part of her wanted him too. Sara’s feelings for him were growing by the day, and, although they were only flirting friends, she wished they could be more. A lot more.
It was terrifying to admit that. Even if it was only to herself. No matter how hard she tried to keep her heart out of the equation, it didn’t want to listen.
But of course, Grant’s job as a Navy SEAL was important to him. He was used to adrenaline and excitement. It was silly to believe he’d ever want to settle down and live a quiet life in Hidden Hollows.
“What do you think?” Grant asked. “Do you think it’s worth buying?”
“The residents do find it annoying to drive all the way to the next town for parts,” she said. “A simple oil change eats up a lot of time. And forget it if your car breaks down or needs something more serious.”
Ben peeled away his own strip of the old logo. “Where’s your dad now, Coach Grant?”
“He’s in heaven.”
Ben nodded solemnly and slipped his tiny hand into Grant’s. “My daddy’s in heaven too.”
Sara’s chest squeezed so tight it hurt to breathe. She couldn’t have edged a word past the lump in her throat if she tried. Ben rarely spoke about Jared, probably because he didn’t remember him. Not really. He’d only been two when Jared died. Sara had pictures up in their home, and she told Ben stories about his dad, but it wasn’t the same.
Seeing Ben holding Grant’s hand was a stark reminder of everything her little boy had lost when his dad died.
Grant knelt so he was eye-level with Ben. “I knew your daddy. Very well. He and I were best friends.”
“You were?”
“Yep. We met in kindergarten.” Grant’s gaze lifted to Sara before focusing back on the little boy in front of him. “In fact, I have a lot of stories about your daddy to share. Would you
