Page 82 of Second Chance at Sunshine Inn

But what if she stayed in Coral Cove and built a life here? Then she’d be close to her family, the inn,andCade...

She slammed her eyes shut. What was her problem? Cade had made it clear he didn’t want her around. She had wrecked their relationship. He was done.

“Everleigh,” Trevor began, “please talk to me.”

She rubbed her eyes. Cade’s family issues weren’t her business to share. “I tried to help a friend, and instead, I made a mess. Now he’s angry with me, and I feel terrible.” Then she lifted her head andtried to smile. “But we’ll work it out somehow. I’m sorry for being such a blubbering mess.”

“Is your friend Cade?”

Was it that obvious? She met his knowing look and nodded.

He stretched his arm over the back of the bench behind her. “Are you and Cade a couple?”

“No, no, no.” She tried to laugh, but it sounded like a croak. “We’re... partners. Business partners. I’ve already explained how we own the inn together.”

He looked out toward the road and then turned toward her. “Have you gotten any offers on the inn?”

She frowned. Why was he asking about the inn? “Yeah, a few, but all of them are investors who don’t want to run the inn. They want to put up luxury condos or cram a few dozen townhouses on the property to take advantage of the beautiful view of the bay. But that’s not what my godmother would’ve wanted. Cade and I can’t in good conscience sell to them.”

He seemed to consider her words as he tapped his fingers on the edge of the bench. “Don’t you think your godmother’s legacy can live on without the inn? I mean, you could find another way to memorialize her. I’m sure you have some ideas.”

Everleigh studied his earnest expression. She wondered why he would say something almost identical to what Valerie Rhodes, the Realtor, had said about Alana. What were the odds they would have the same suggestion?

But his face seemed full of concern for her—genuineconcern. Then Cade’s warning about him echoed in her mind:

“I can’t put my finger on it, but I felt like he wasn’t telling me the truth about why he moved here and what he does for a living. It almost sounded like he was making up answers as he went along.”

She almost laughed out loud at herself. Why would she worry about Cade’s hunches after the way he’d treated her earlier? He was the most stubborn, moody, hurtful man she’d ever met. After the way he yelled at her, why would she trust his view on anything?

Because despite everything, I’m starting to care for him... deeply.

“I’m sorry, Everleigh.” Trevor shifted toward her. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” He pointed toward the Roast Shack. “Why don’t I buy you a cup of coffee and a snack, and we can talk?”

Everleigh felt her stomach start to settle ever so slightly. “Thank you,” she said, wiping her eyes. “I think that’d be really nice, Trevor.”

Chapter 20

Cade paced in the kitchen at the inn later that evening. A steady cadence of rain drummed the kitchen windows and the roof. He cupped his hand to the back of his neck as anger whirled through him.

After snapping at Everleigh, he had sat in his truck for a while and contemplated how terribly the day had turned out. He had enjoyed his talk with his brother, getting to know more about him and his family, but he was hurt and disappointed that his mother had given up on Declan the way she did. He’d almost called his dad and asked for his advice on how to get through to Mom, but even that seemed like a lost cause.

Next, he considered going back to his apartment to cool off—but despite how furious he was with Everleigh, he felt like a real jerk for leaving her without a ride. So instead of driving himself home, he had wandered around the festival for more than an hour looking for her.

When she was nowhere to be found, he decided it would be better to just go home and cool off after all. Considering the stress-filledevents of the day, he didn’t want to risk losing his temper with her again. So he drove home and sulked in his apartment. He tried working in his shop and then streaming a movie, but he couldn’t concentrate on either thing.

After a while, he went to the inn and sat on the porch and waited for her to get home. When it got dark, he headed inside and sat in the kitchen. He pulled his phone from his pocket and stared down at the screen. It had been several hours since he’d fussed at her, and he was starting to get worried. He pulled up her contact information and considered calling her, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He was still too irritated with her for butting into his life. He believed she truly cared about him and his family, but this time she and her antics had taken a step too far for anyone’s good.

He growled out his annoyance and locked his phone before dropping it into his pocket. Headlights swept across the front of the inn as a pickup truck steered down the driveway. Cade reached the porch just as Everleigh climbed down from the passenger seat.

“Thanks,” she told the driver. “Good night.”

Cade recognized that black Toyota Tacoma. It belonged to Trevor. His hands balled into tight fists.

Everleigh started toward the porch. When her eyes locked with Cade’s, her gait slowed, and her pleasant expression dissolved.

“Hey,” he said, his tone hesitant.

She stopped at the bottom of the steps and remained silent, her face a mask of uncertainty.

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