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of him.
    Women had whined, cajoled, and tried all sorts of way to get him to care and be the prince charming they wanted him to be. But he knew he wasn’t a prince and never tried being one.
    “Mrs. Seymour will kill me if she finds out that I got you hurt, then let you walk back on your own.”
    “You didn’t get me hurt. I lost my footing.”
    “She won’t care.”
    She smiled ruefully as her gaze fell to the ground. “She reminds me of my mom.”
    “Then I’m sure she’s a great mother.”
    “She is.” Her grin softened into a small smile.
    “You’re close to your mom.”
    “Yeah, we’re a pretty close family.”
    “Are they visiting anytime soon?”
    She sighed softly. “No, I don’t think so.”  
    He watched as her brows drew closer, forming the etch between them.
    “And you?” she suddenly asked. “Are you close with your family?”
    “I haven’t seen my mom for years, and I never saw my dad before.”
    “Oh, I’m sorry.”
    “Don’t be.” He walked her up to the Seymour’s door. “How’s your ankle?”
    “Absolutely fine.” She tipped her toes down toward the floor and rotated her ankle. “See, perfectly fine.”
    His lips curled. “This is the first time I’ve heard that you can sprain your ankle so many times that you become immune to it.”
    “There’s a first time for everything.” She flashed another brilliant smile. “See you later.”

    A walk from Justin’s to Travis’s house would take at most five minutes, but Justin didn’t want to risk meeting someone along the way. He wasn’t interested in talking to anyone else in town.
    He parked his car outside Travis’s house and took the bag of muffins Mrs. Seymour had prepared for him.  
    “Breakfast?” Justin lifted the brown bag he was holding. “Mrs. Seymour’s muffins.”
    “Great. I was intending to settle it with coffee.”
    “How’s Amy?”
    “She’s fine, but the doctor is keeping her for a few days.” Travis took the bag from Justin and pulled out a muffin, taking a bite. “Just to make sure everything is all right. So, the haunted house?”
    “Lots of work. Bathrooms, floorings, kitchen cabinets.”
    “Good. Can she wait for a couple of days?”
    Justin strolled into the kitchen and Travis pointed at the pot of coffee before sitting by the dining table.
    He took a cup and poured himself some. “I think she wants to begin work immediately. I’ll help get things started and you can take over when Amy is feeling better.”
    “Are you serious?”
    “Yeah. I have nothing much to do anyway. Just looking at houses over at Cheyenne.”
    “She is hot, huh?” Travis commented and took another bite of the muffin.
    “Why is everyone thinking that I’m helping only because she’s hot?”
    Travis grunted. “You hate this place. Last night, I could tell you couldn’t wait to leave. Now, you’re volunteering to help.”
    “To help you .”
    “So this haunted-house-woman, is she hot?”
    “Her name is Paige. And you’re married.”
    “So she is.”
    He was tempted to ask Travis what he knew about Paige. Travis must have heard something; even if he didn’t, Amy would have.
    That was the thing about small towns.
    Everyone knew something, or so they would say. There were always some gossip, some hearsay, making their rounds around town.
    But he didn’t want to appear as if he was interested, which he wasn’t. He was simply curious.
    “Do you want to give the quote yourself or do you trust me to do it?”
    “You do it, and you keep the money.”
    “Don’t be an idiot. It’s your job.” He stood and walked toward the door. “I’m not taking the money.”
    “Just—”
    “Look, if things were the other way around, I’m sure you’d do the same for me. So shut up and concentrate on taking care of your wife.” Justin opened the door. “I’ll keep you updated.”
    “What? You’re not going to help me with the nursery first?”
    “I’m helping you keep your job. I can’t help you with