“How’s the inside coming?”
“The floors are solid again, and the new drywall is mostly up.” He met her gaze. “You want to take a look? It’s still pretty rough, but you’ll get the idea of what’s happening.”
“I’d love to see,” she said eagerly. “I’ll have to take my time, though.”
“Forget trying to maneuver around on your crutches,” he said. “There are too many obstacles. Dad would have a fit if I let you try to walk around in there, especially without a hardhat. I’ll carry you.”
“Come on, Connor. There’s no need for that.”
“It’s my way or no way,” he said, his jaw set stubbornly.
Since she could see the sense of doing it his way, she agreed, even though being held close to his chest reminded her all too clearly of desires she thought she’d put behind her.
He carried her from room to room, pausing to set her on a chair in the kitchen so she could look around to her heart’s content. “It’s going to be fabulous, isn’t it?” she asked, delighted to see her dream becoming reality. “With all these windows, there will be so much light. I can already see the breakfast nook right over there and the sink with the view of the backyard.”
For all of her happiness over seeing how well Mick had translated her random ideas into a real home, she couldn’t help being saddened by the realization that she would never live here.
“Upstairs?” Connor asked, studying her closely.
She imagined seeing the master bedroom that should have been theirs and shook her head. “Not today. I should probably get home.”
He looked vaguely disappointed, but nodded at once. “Sure. Whatever you want.”
She lifted her gaze to his. “Thanks for bringing me, though. Tell Mick I think it’s going to be amazing.”
“He’ll be pleased you’re happy,” Connor said.
Heather bit back a sigh. Happy was a far cry from what she was feeling right at this moment. It was just a house, after all. What mattered was that she was alive after a terrible accident, that she had her son and had reconnected with her mother. She had her whole future ahead of her. There would be another house, maybe even another man, though the one she truly wanted was right in front of her.
Her gaze was drawn to Connor, who was looking at her with so much love written all over his face. She could have him, could have it all, but still she held back.
And the worst of it was, even she didn’t understand why.
* * *
It was the end of the day and Heather had spent the entire afternoon downstairs in the store. She hadn’t been able to do much, but it had felt good to see people for a change. It had also been a revelation to see how good her mother was at interacting with the customers. She was a natural-born saleswoman, especially when it came to fabrics and quilt patterns.
“We had a good day today,” Bridget announced as she closed out the register.
“I could tell,” Heather said. “You’re very good at making a sale. Several of those women walked out of here with a whole lot more than they’d intended to buy.”
“And they’ll be back for lessons,” her mother said. “I signed them up for the next session.”
“That’s fantastic.”
“I thought perhaps I could work with an advanced class and you could work with the beginners,” her mother suggested tentatively. “Or vice versa. What do you think?”
Heather smiled. “Does that mean you’re staying?”
Her mother nodded. “If you’re sure it won’t be an imposition.”
“Absolutely not,” Heather said. “You’ve certainly fit in here. You’ve been a huge help. And I’d love the company.”
“Well, you’ll have to forgo my company tonight. Nell and I are going to bingo. In fact, I’m already running late. We’re meeting at Sally’s first, so I’d better scoot.”
Heather regarded her with alarm. “What about little Mick? I can’t get him upstairs on my own.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Bridget said blithely. “Connor will be along any second.” The door opened and she brightened. “There he is now. Right on time. Enjoy your evening, you two.”
Heather stared after her with a frown.
“Don’t blame her for conspiring behind your back,” Connor said, guessing at the cause of her irritation. “Gram told me about bingo, then suggested I take you and little Mick out for dinner. Seemed like a great idea to me.”
“Yet you didn’t think to consult me,” she said irritably, though she had to admit she was surprisingly happy to see him. These impromptu visits might be disconcerting, but a part of her clearly looked forward to them. She’d missed talking to Connor at the end of the day, missed sharing a life with him. Seeing him now was a teasing reminder of what they’d had and of what they could have again if only she could believe he truly wanted it.
Connor gave her a solicitous look. “Would you rather stay in? We could order pizza.”
“Am I to assume that having dinner with you is the price I’ll have to pay in order to get back upstairs?”
He grinned. “Pretty much.”
“Then let’s go out. I’m tired of eating in so much, even though Mom’s cooking is a whole lot better than my own.” She met his gaze. “She’s staying on, by the way.”
“I thought she might be. How do you feel about that?”
“I’m sad about what’s happened with her and my dad, though not surprised. Still, it’ll be good having her here, I think, especially for little Mick.”
“And for your relationship with her,” Connor guessed. “You seem to have mended fences.”
“It’s true, we have. We understand each other much better now.” She gave him a wry look. “And she no longer hates your guts for leading me astray, so that’s a bonus.”
“One for which I’m eternally grateful, that’s for sure,” Connor responded.
Since Connor was making no move to leave and kept glancing
