It was wonderful to be back with the Fosters again.
Chapter Nine
Alexa
Almost twelve hours later, I stood in the middle of what would be the reception area. The broken spindles on the top railing had been replaced, the walls were primed to be painted, and the musty smell had been replaced with fresh cut wood and cleaning supplies. All the major repairs were done except for the upstairs kitchen and the restrooms. The latter would have to wait a day or so, when the new plumbing would arrive. Kane was going to help Drake finish up tomorrow since Hayden had a flight. Old wallpaper had been stripped, and the walls were ready to paint tomorrow. Everyone but Drake and Hollis had left about twenty minutes ago.
This was happening. And we would open on time. All thanks to Drake. Without him, everything would have taken much longer.
Hollis came down the stairs looking exhausted. Throughout the day, I’d heard Ike teaching Hollis what he needed to know. But now his hammer was stowed in his tool belt correctly.
“I don’t think residency was this exhausting. I’m going to bed. Ike is a force to be reckoned with, and he’s twice my age.”
I gave him a hug. “Night, Hollis. You’re halfway there to being a full Alaskan.”
“I hope so. Stitches, setting bones, diagnosing illness… piece of cake. Sawing, hammering, screwing, leveling and every other ing word… I’m too tired to even be clever. Drake’s gathering his tools and will be down in a second.”
“Sounds good. Get some sleep. I’m meeting the church members and the quilting circle here at ten tomorrow for painting. You don’t have to come.”
“No, I want to. It feels good to accomplish this. I’m going to go soak, crawl into bed, and pass out—unless you need anything.”
“Nope, I’ll lock up with Drake.”
He threw up a hand and walked to his car. “Night.”
Although he was completely out of his element, Hollis had hung in there to the very end. When Ike had left, he’d given Hollis the tool belt to keep. My friend had more money than he could spend in a lifetime and could have bought as many tool belts as he wanted. But judging by the way he touched the belt, I knew he would treasure it for the rest of his life. Most things in Hollis’s life had come with strings. With the Fosters, friendship and kindness weren’t a bargaining chip.
The taillights of his SUV faded as he drove away, and I thought about my friend. He was desperate for a new start after his father’s suicide two and a half years ago. Hollis’s father had owned a medical equipment company, and about three years ago, his parents separated. One night, after his shift at the hospital, Hollis had stopped by for dinner only to find his father dead. In his office, a one-word note was left on the desk. Sorry. I think Hollis and I ultimately bonded quickly because we both lost our fathers in a tragic way.
I walked into the room on the right. This would be one of the exam rooms. If only we had this place when Dad got hurt. Things might have been different. The day of the accident, three men had died. The pistons from the log splitter had exploded, and Dad had bled out internally before the helicopter could get to him. If Skagway had had a surgeon, the bleeding might have been stopped.
The air charged when Drake walked into the room, and I felt his heat behind me. “Mom said everything is set to paint tomorrow.”
It was because of Drake and his family that this had happened. I turned, and we were so close our noses touched. “Thank you… for everything. You helped make one of my dreams come true.”
Dragging his nose along mine, he said, “And I will spend the rest of my life helping you achieve your dreams. Every one of them.”
“I want to do that for you, too.”
“You already have.”
Goose bumps erupted along my skin. It had been so long since I felt this alive. I ran my hands over his chest and felt him shudder from my touch. He was all sweaty. I missed the feel of him. Butterflies danced in my stomach in anticipation of his lips touching mine.
“Lex, I—”
“Yoo-hoo. Alexa?”
No. No. No.
I wanted to grab that moment between Drake and me back. It felt important, and I could have sworn he’d been about to tell me he loved me. I closed my eyes and let out a sigh as Raquel’s familiar voice—a sound not unlike a cat being strangled—drifted into the room. Drake stood up straight and muttered a curse. “Impeccable timing.”
That was an understatement.
Chapter Ten
Alexa
I turned to face the door, preparing myself to see my sister. We hadn’t spoke in the two years since I left, other than a few random emails to finalize Dad’s estate and her gushing about her fabulous life. She’d cashed out the plot of land Dad had left her almost immediately. I was a little sore she’d let it go without giving me a chance to purchase it, but Dad had left me the land with the cabin on it—the one with all the memories. Mom had gotten the B&B with the surrounding land. I took a deep, fortifying breath.