Page 1 of Letters From Home

Chapter one

Nick

Nick Butler glanced aroundthe construction site and frowned. This house wasn’t just old—it had obvious problems. It would need work to be livable again. “There’s a lot of water damage. I’m not sure we’re the right guys for the job.”

He nudged his hammer into a nearby windowsill, then drew back when the rotten wood crumbled under his touch. The windows must be leaking worse than they’d thought.

Nick’s boss, Grant Danielson, shrugged his shoulders. “We need the job. It’ll help build our reputation. Besides, I’m doing it as a favor for Mom. The owner’s got a young kid, and doesn’t have enough money for repairs.”

Nick whistled as he looked around the living room. The plaster was cracking and bubbling underneath the windows, a clear sign of water damage. There might be more issues lurking behind the walls—electrical problems, rodents, or even mold. Fixing up this house wouldn't be cheap.

Frustration surged through him as Nick thought about the family living here. “Didn’t she have the house inspected? We should have a list of issues from the realtor and the inspection report. No kid deserves to live in these conditions.”

“She bought it without an inspection. I guess it’s all she could afford.” Grant sighed and pulled out his notebook, flipping through pages of notes. “It’s tough being a young parent. If we’re lucky, we can get these windows replaced before the next snowstorm. Today's job is to measure for the new windows.”

Nick nodded and picked up his tape measure. Grant was the owner of Grant Construction, so he set the schedule for each project.

At twenty-two years old, Nick and Grant were the youngest contractors in the area. They’d spent the past four years learning the trade with larger companies. Now they hoped to break out on their own and build a reputation as honest workers.

They’d both tired of working for supervisors who cut corners and overcharged customers. When Grant suggested starting a business in their hometown of Sunset Cove, Nick had jumped at the chance.

He glanced out the window. Grant was outside now, checking the porch's structural soundness.

While they were busy building a new business, most of their friends were finishing college degrees or starting a life somewhere new. Nick wasn’t interested in college, and Grant had stayed in town to take care of his mom.

Guys their age were usually worried about having fun. Nick had other priorities.

Nick had grown up in a single-parent home. Maybe that’s why the idea of family and stability had always fascinated him. He’d become the class matchmaker in high school, finding classmates that fit together and giving them a little push.

Nick chuckled, shaking his head as he considered his teenage antics. He’d never found the perfect match for himself. One girl had come close, though—a friend named Jessica Moore. She had a smile that lit up the room.

While he loved pairing up couples, he’d never asked Jessica out. Then one day it was too late—Jessica disappeared from Sunset Cove without saying goodbye. If the rumors were true, she had a little boy now.

Nick found himself thinking about Jessica as he walked through the dilapidated house. He hoped she was in a better place than this, especially if she had a child. No one deserved to live in a house like this.

Nick knew he should be grateful for what life had given him. He might be lonely, but he had the skills to rebuild lives. Even if it took him a decade to find the right woman, he’d use that time to help other people.

That would be enough for now. He wouldn’t start dating random women to ease his loneliness. Nick needed patience.

He finished his notes on the living room and moved to the kitchen. The view wasn’t perfect, but this window would catch the breeze from the bay. This space could be a great breakfast nook once it was fixed up—the owner and her child wouldn’t need a large seating area.

Nick sighed as he took in the warped kitchen floor. It would take work to create that cozy breakfast space. He stepped cautiously over the flooring, testing his weight before he stood in front of the window. The floor seemed solid enough. The damage to the window and wall was a real shame, though. A little maintenance would have gone a long way toward preserving this house.

Nick put his tools on the windowsill and braced his hands against the wood, gazing out the window. Snow blanketed hisquiet hometown right now, but the house would be tucked away from the summer tourists.

This would be a great neighborhood to raise a family. There was lots of room to run around and make noise without disturbing the neighbors. All the home needed was a two-person swing on the front porch—a place for the parents to unwind after the kids were asleep.

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts as he leaned closer to the window. This wasn’t his house, and he wouldn’t decide how to decorate the front porch. He’d find his own family one day. This project was someone else’s dream.

But that tree over there, almost out of sight from this window, was perfect for a tire swing. It wouldn’t cost much to treat the mom to a play area.No kid should grow up without a tire swing, he thought, leaning further to check out the tree’s sturdy branches.

There was a CRACK as the wood underneath his hands splintered. Nick held back an oath as the windowsill split from the wall. He knew better than to lean on rotten wood—Nick was so caught up in daydreaming that he’d lost all common sense.

As Nick propped the sill against the cracked wall, he examined the damage more closely. They would rip out the wood and surrounding plaster when they replaced the window, but there was something else here—a small gap, just big enough for his hand. He peered into the space between the window and wall and saw a thin stack of yellowed, aged paper.

He reached out and tugged on the stack. They were stuck tight. With a few wiggles and one last pull, the papers finally fell out of their hiding spot.

Nick stared at the papers, dumbfounded. They were made of thicker material, which was a good thing—they’d clearly been exposed to the moisture from the window. He carefully unfolded the stack.

---