Family by Design

Nick wasn’t sure whether to walk in as if he hadn’t heard a thing or whether to try to make it back to the stairs before she reappeared. He heard the sound of papers being shuffled and then a sniff. A sliver of guilt gnawed at him, but he didn’t get a chance to deal with it. Becca came out of the kitchen with her head down and ran into him.

His arms instinctively went around her to steady her when they collided. It was the wrong thing to do.

“I—I’m so sorry,” she blurted, attempting to take a step back, but unable to do so as he held her. “I have…I’ve had some bad news.”

Torn by a sudden urge to comfort her, but knowing it would only make matters worse, Nick released her. Stepping back, he did his best to ignore the glitter of tears in her eyes. “Do you want to talk about it?” he dared to ask.

“Yes. I mean, no.” She turned around, hiding her face. Her drooping shoulders lifted, and then squared as she took a deep breath. When she faced him again, there were no tears glistening in her eyes, and she wore a weak smile. “I’m sorry, Nick. It isn’t something I feel comfortable talking about right now. Suffice it to say that Mrs. Watkins is no longer my landlady. This place has just been sold.”

He swallowed. Hard. Here was his opportunity to tell her the truth. But he couldn’t. He’d freeze, walking back to town, and she’d have to be a saint not to toss him out the door, if he told her. Not to mention that he couldn’t add to her misery. Not right now.

Becca shook her head and walked into the living room, while Nick followed. “I never would have thought she would sell this house. I didn’t know she was even thinking about doing it. In fact, I thought she was happy I’d rented it—it stood empty for a long time after she moved into Katyville. And now she’s sold it to some corporation. I don’t know why. Maybe she needed the extra income. I still pay my rent to her, but she just told me that she forwards it on to the new owner. Or owners. I suspect they’ll tear it down.”

A tiny prick of guilt stabbed at him. Hadn’t he thought of doing just that? He opened his mouth to tell her that wouldn’t happen and instantly shut it. He couldn’t let on that he knew anything about this. Saying nothing would be best, until he was prepared to tell her the truth. Lying wasn’t something he did, as a rule. His parents had taught him that truth was always the best option, and the consequences for not telling it would be a lot worse than what the truth would get him. He knew he would have to deal with the consequences of this later. When the time was right—and it definitely wasn’t right at the moment—he would find a way to tell her.

“So what does that mean for you? And the kids?” he asked, hoping she had found another place to live by now.

Sinking to the sofa, she hung her head, her hands tightly clasped in her lap. “It means we have to leave. We have until the first Monday after the New Year to pack and find a new home.”

“A little over a month then.” An easy thing for him to say, since he’d been counting down the time when the house would be empty. “Where will you move?”

She shook her head, her lips set in a thin line.

“You don’t know?” he asked in disbelief.

She shook her head again.

He felt like the world’s biggest jerk. He didn’t need the extra money, but because he preferred that the sale remain anonymous until he was ready to make it known, his lawyer had suggested that the rent continue to be sent to Mrs. Watkins, who would then send it to his attorney for deposit. He sure hadn’t counted on the tenant being someone he knew, let alone Becca. In fact, he had been in such a rush to close the deal, and so busy making arrangements to move his very lucrative construction company to Katyville, he had left everything up to his attorney.

“I don’t mean to whine to you,” she said, her voice quivering. “But you did ask.” She sniffed again, and then looked up at him with a watery smile. “I truly am sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Right. He’d worry about it enough for the both of them.

“If only we had until spring.”

But by spring, Nick hoped to have most of the interior repairs done and be ready to start on the outside. He hadn’t taken into consideration that a single mother and her three kids might be homeless because of his dream. Knowing it was Becca didn’t make it easier, no matter what she had done to him in the past. Helping her sure wasn’t a part of his plan—until now.

“Somebody’s here!” Danny shouted from upstairs, relieving Nick from commenting or having to make any rash decisions.

“It must be Travis,” Nick said, more than ready to leave.

After thanking her for the coffee and the tour of the house, he said goodbye and hurried outside to the waiting truck.

Climbing in, he slammed the door. “I have you to thank for this mess I’m in.”

Tony looked at him. “I learned a long time ago to mind my own business, so don’t blame your troubles on me.”

Nick realized he was being unreasonable and let out a long sigh. “You should’ve told me Becca was single again.”

Putting the truck in gear, Tony grunted. “Why? It wouldn’t have made any difference.”

Nick considered it and wasn’t sure his brother wasn’t right. Over the past ten years, he hadn’t grown any fonder of Becca. Not that he hadn’t thought of her. But he had always resented the way she had so casually dumped him. By the time he heard she had married, he wasn’t in the mood to wish her well. After that, he did his best to forget her. And now this had happened.

“At least I would’ve known what I was up against,” he managed to reply.

“Nick, the thorough planner,” Tony replied with a touch of disgust, as he backed the truck down the drive and onto the road.

“It’s worked well to this point.”

“Yeah? What about—” Tony pressed his lips together and shook his head.

Nick knew he was thinking of Edie, his ex-wife. “There are some things you can’t plan for,” he said.

Tony avoided looking at him as they headed for Katyville. “So what do you do when something like that happens?”

Nick shrugged, thinking of how he had handled what he called the bumps in the road. “Regroup. Find another way.” And that was exactly what he would do now.

Chapter Three

“Mom?”

Becca turned from the window where she had been watching Nick climb into Tony’s truck. “Rest time isn’t over yet, Danny.”

He scrunched up his face and shrugged. “But I need to ask you something.”

Taking him by the hand, she led him to the sofa and pulled him onto her lap. “What is it, honey?”

“That…that man that brought you to Raylene’s last night…”

“Nick,” she prompted with a nod.

“Yeah, him. Well, you know, you always told us never to talk to strangers and I know you had to when he stopped to help you with the car, but isn’t that kinda danger…dangerous?”

Becca smiled. He was far too wise for his five years. From the moment his dad had left them, Danny had been her protector. The man of the house. He never stopped looking out for her and his sisters.

“You don’t have to worry,” she told him, brushing his hair away from his eyes. “Nick isn’t a stranger. I knew him a long, long time ago, when I was young.”

Danny tipped his head up and looked at her, his blue eyes serious. “You’re not old, Mom.”

She couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up inside her. “Okay. When I was younger. How’s that?”

For a moment, he didn’t say anything. When he looked at her again, she couldn’t read his expression. “Do you…” He ducked his head.

“Do I what?”

He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, then looked up at her. “Do you like him?”

Completely taken by surprise, Becca wasn’t sure how to answer. “Like him?” she repeated. “He’s a friend, I guess. Is that what you mean?”