There was a knock on the front door, which was still slightly open since she’d let Kate in. “Come in,” she shouted.

The door opened and she heard footsteps on the hardwood in the entry, and then in walked the man himself. The new owner of her libido. Who had rendered her mainly useless when it came to ogling. It was all very upsetting.

“Hello, Eli,” she said. “Is this your version of avoiding me?”

“Why were you avoiding her?” Kate asked.

“I’m not,” Eli said, lying neatly for a man with an honor complex. “I came looking for you.”

“How did you know I was here?” Kate asked.

“Your truck is in your driveway, but you weren’t, and your horse was in his paddock. You weren’t with Connor, so I thought I would see if you were here, and lo...” He looked past them both and out the window. “Are you kidding me?”

“We’re learning how to build a deck,” Sadie said, arching a brow and swilling her lemonade, the ice clinking against the glass. “By observation.”

Eli looked at Kate.

“The human mind is an amazing thing,” she said, on the verge of giggles.

“Just watching all the nailing and screwing,” Sadie said. “It’s so sweaty.” She took the glass and pressed it to her cheek, giving Eli a very meaningful look.

He swallowed visibly and shifted. Well, he’d obviously taken that innuendo on board. Good. He deserved to suffer. He deserved to suffer as she was suffering. He deserved to watch beach volleyball and get no joy from the bouncing. Which was mean-spirited, she knew. But she didn’t care.

“I was looking for Kate,” he said, his words very pointed as he turned back to his sister. “Carl Ames came by and was looking for someone who could possibly board a horse for his daughter. I said we had the space, but the thing is they might need someone to ride him on days they can’t make it out. And I didn’t want to volunteer you without asking. Of course, you would get the boarding money.”

“All of it?” she asked.

“Yeah. I mean, if you took responsibility for the horse, I don’t see why you shouldn’t get paid.”

“Paid to ride a horse. You know I have no problem with that.”

“Great. Well, here’s his number if you want to call. They’ll probably have him by next week.” Eli handed her a card and Kate smiled, set her lemonade on the sideboard, then waved at Sadie and dashed out of the house. Obviously construction workers still ran second to horses in Kate’s world.

Eli probably loved that.

“That’s going to leave a ring,” Eli said, indicating the glass Kate had just discarded.

Sadie picked it up. “How did she turn out to be thoughtless of coasters with you in charge?”

“I blame the missing coaster gene on Connor. Anyway, I see you’re being a bad influence on my sister,” Eli said, but there was no venom in his words.

“Your sister heard the work trucks a mile away and came running for her chance to gaze upon some prime, Grade A man muscle. Don’t blame me for her actions.”

“I don’t really,” he said.

He should leave because there was no reason for him to be there. Not when they were avoiding each other.

“So, you’re having a deck built?” he went on.

She nodded. “Yes. Connor approved that plan before I moved in. I’d seen pictures of the place in the online ad and knew I wanted something more than just the front porch.”

“Online ad. Liss must have helped him with that.”

“Was she the woman who answered the phone call I made?”

Eli lifted a shoulder. “I would guess so.”

“His...girlfriend?” Sadie asked, knowing it was nosy but not really caring.

“Friend. You met her at the poker game,” Eli said. “She’s one of the only people he listens to. Incidentally about the only person who can put up with his bullshit for more than a very short amount of time.”

“I see. And who puts up with yours?”

“No one. I put up with everyone else’s.”

“Right,” she said, looking back at the construction workers. “Men and tools are a marvel.”

“What about you? Ace putting up with yours?”

She laughed. “Uh...not currently.”

“Interesting.”

“Why?”

“I’m surprised he didn’t ask you out.”

Dammit. “He did,” she said. “But flannel isn’t really my thing. Beards are so...scratchy. You have testosterone, we get it. So much that hair is growing from your face!” She waved her hands, the ice clanking against the glass again. “Just so...obvious.”

“You prefer nonobvious men?”

“Just, you know, maybe I don’t prefer any man right now. Or any one man. I have a fine assortment right out there. Why would I tie myself down to a date with one bartender, when I could stand here and look at the variety behind the glass, so to speak.”

“You’re making an awful lot of excuses about turning down a date. To a man you profess not to like.”

“I don’t like you,” she said. “And may I say, you’re loitering a lot in the house of a woman that you profess to be avoiding.” She looked pointedly at him.

“I guess I am.”

“And so...”

“Nothing. I’ll go.” He turned and she felt instant regret, which was more annoying than anything else. More annoying than not being able to enjoy checking out other guys. More annoying than all the darn emotions this place made her feel.

“I just... I ran into Alison,” she said, not really sure why she was prolonging the conversation. He turned back toward her. “Used to be Brown. At the diner. She’s the one who makes the baked goods there. I was just wondering if you knew anything about her. Like...if she’s okay. I knew her in school and she seems...I don’t know. Something felt off.”

He nodded slowly, a shadow passing over his face. “Yeah. I know her. From the diner mostly. Her husband, Jared, is a logger. I know him because I’ve arrested him once or twice for after-work fights with coworkers. And yeah, I think something seems off. But she’s never said a thing to me, and I’ve never seen anything... There’s only so much you can do.”

Her stomach tightened painfully. The memories from ten years ago were way too close to surfacing. Such familiar words. Familiar regret.