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mentioned a time or two that I was a disgrace.” He grinned. “You weren’t wrong.”
    To Mick’s dismay, Kevin was right about that. It had been a sad day when he’d realized that neither of his sons knew one end of a hammer from the other and, worse, didn’t care. They couldn’t even paint a room without making a mess of it.
    Still, he said optimistically, “You’re not too old to learn. A lot of volunteers aren’t experienced.”
    “But won’t it be embarrassing when the son of the great architect Mick O’Brien puts up a wall that falls right back down?”
    Mick chuckled despite himself. “You have a point.” He studied his son with a worried frown. “So, what are you going to do with yourself?”
    “Today? I thought I’d hang out here for a while with Davy, then maybe run some errands.”
    Mick barely managed to keep his irritation out of his voice. “You know I’m not just asking about today. What’s your long-term plan, Kevin?”
    “No idea,” he said succinctly and without remorse.
    “There are paramedic openings here in town,” Mick said.
    “So I’m told,” Kevin admitted. “I’m not interested.”
    “Then what does interest you?” Mick asked impatiently, then could have bitten his tongue. He’d vowed to build a bridge with his son, not destroy the rare bit of peace between them.
    At his raised voice, Davy looked up, his chin wobbling precariously, his eyes filling with tears. The look tore at Mick’s heart. He bent down and scooped up his grandson.
    “Hey, big fella, what about you? You want to come with Grampa today?”
    Kevin frowned at that. “You can’t have a two-year-old running around a construction site,” he objected.
    “I’m only going by for an hour or two to check a few things. I have a hard hat somewhere around here that’s just his size. I won’t let him out of my sight. You could ride along with us, if you’re worried about him.”
    “Nice try, Dad, but contrary to whatever impression I gave you earlier, I actually do have things to do.”
    “Such as?” Mick pushed.
    The simple question seemed to throw Kevin. Clearly he needed time to invent an excuse.
    “I’m going into town,” he said eventually.
    “For?”
    “What difference does it make why I’m going? Isn’t the goal to get poor, depressed Kevin out of the house?” He stood up and stalked off.
    Mick stood, staring after him, and sighed.
    “Daddy go bye-bye,” Davy said sadly.
    Mick gave his grandson a hug. “That’s okay, pal. We’re going bye-bye, too, and something tells me we’re going to have a lot more fun.”
    And, truth be told, knowing that ripped him apart inside.

3
    D espite his resolve the day before, Kevin found himself on Main Street in front of the bookstore. He was only here because he was so annoyed with his father, and he might have walked right on past, but his sister chose that moment to step outside of Flowers on Main, the shop she’d opened over a year ago.
    “Well, well, look who’s here,” she said cheerfully. “You came to help Shanna, after all. Good for you.”
    “Maybe I came to help you,” he muttered, embarrassed at having been caught anywhere in the vicinity after making such a big show about his determination to steer clear of the town’s new bookseller. He watched anxiously to see if his sister would buy that he’d come to see her.
    Bree regarded him with a speculative expression. “Okay,” she said eventually, as if taking his claim at face value. “What did you have in mind?”
    “I could deliver flowers,” he offered impulsively, seizing at straws.
    “You could,” she said agreeably, “but I already pay someone to do that.” She seemed to be fighting a smile.
    “Maybe your place needs to be swept out. I could do that.”
    She laughed then. “You are so pitiful, big brother. Go inside and give Shanna a hand. She’s the one who could really use some help today. Being a Good Samaritan to a newcomer in town will make you feel better. Who