Rescuing the Bad Boy (Second Chance #2)(28)

Faith’s face scrunched further as they approached. “Really?”

“Busboy,” Sofie said, keeping her voice low. “I thought you knew who Charlie was talking about when she mentioned her handyman.”

Blankly, Faith blinked. Her friend’s disbelieving gaze tracked back to the sexy landscaper. “She didn’t do him justice.”

Swallowing a smile, Sofie addressed the “golden god” now regarding her guests curiously. “Mrs. Voss, this is Connor McClain. Connor, you probably remember Faith.”

A pair of reflective sunglasses prevented her from seeing where his eyes went, but Sofie bet dollars to dandelions they were not scoping out Ruby’s power suit. Faith, on the other hand, her mile-long legs and graceful gait, the sun glinting off her fair hair and illuminating her white knee-length dress… yeah. She’d bet his eyes were locked on Faith Garrett. And Faith’s were unmistakably glued to Connor’s… well… everything.

“Is Donovan here?” Sofie asked.

“Inside somewhere,” he answered, stabbing a mound of mulch with the shovel. He propped an elbow on it and nodded at Ruby. “Mrs. Voss.”

“Ruby, please.” She didn’t show signs of being flustered in his presence, but then, Sofie doubted much flustered Ruby Voss.

His head swiveled and his mouth split into a smile, dimples punctuating both sides of his face.

Voice dipping, he drawled, “I remember Faith.”

Faith bit her lip and smiled, twirling her long hair around with one finger.

“I… can’t place you,” she murmured, almost demurely.

“S’okay. It was a long time ago,” he said, his grin staying put. “I didn’t work there long, didn’t look like I do now.”

He didn’t. Sofie didn’t remember him well, but she got a flash of a somewhat scrawny kid shuffling around the restaurant.

“You look the same.” Connor’s chin dipped, as if he was taking in Faith from head to toe.

Beautiful, his low tone implied. He was not wrong. Faith was beautiful.

Sofie glanced at her friend and watched her lashes lower as she studied her shoes. Oh yeah. Chemistry burned between those two.

Not that Sofie could blame her. If Faith was in the market for a man, this man would be a good man to be in the market for. They bid the man adieu and headed inside.

In the foyer, Sofie stepped aside and let Ruby and Faith walk ahead of her. She shut the door, ensconcing them in darkness.

“The kitchen is through there,” she said, gesturing to her left. And is the nicest room in the mansion. “You can see where the kids will be helping prepare the food.”

“Well, the front of the house looks amazing,” Ruby said, her smile genuine.

“Gorgeous,” Faith chimed in, but Sofie was pretty sure the “gorgeous” part had more to do with Connor than the flowerbeds.

“Connor is very good at his job. It’s only going to get better.” The foyer was dim, and knowing what awaited them in the next room had Sofie holding her breath.

Red walls, brown carpet, dark furniture, the dining room was as warm and welcoming as Vlad the Impaler’s castle.

“We were thinking a coat of paint in here will brighten this room up.”

Sofie turned to Ruby, who was regarding the room with a look of uncertainty. From behind her, Faith mouthed the word “Paint?”

Sofie nodded. Yep. Paint. It hadn’t been in her original plan, but the gloom in here bothered her enough she was willing to suffer manual labor.

“Cream, or maybe a soft goldenrod. I figured we could take care of it ourselves”—at this, Faith’s eyebrow hiked up her forehead—“that way we wouldn’t have to pay a painter from the budget.”

“We.”

The voice came from over her shoulder and did not sound happy.

“Donny—er, Donovan.” She plastered a smile onto her face and turned around. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Lying,” he said. “That’s new, Scampi.”

She pleaded with her eyes for him to behave. Clearly, the chip on his shoulder had only increased in size.

“Mrs. Voss of Open Arms, the charity for abused children,” Sofie introduced, “meet Donovan Pate, Gertrude’s grandson.”

She licked her lips, suddenly nervous. What she needed was for him to cooperate. Sure, she hadn’t asked to paint in here, but if the place was becoming a future bed-and-breakfast, she couldn’t imagine the new owner arguing a color change. The space was ideal. But dreary.

Ruby took a step past Sofie and clasped both of Donovan’s hands in hers.

His eyebrows lowered in confusion. Or maybe discomfort.

“Gertrude was a shining example of the goodness in our town,” she gushed.

Sofie prickled on his behalf. If she hadn’t been sure of the strain in his and Gertrude’s relationship before, his creased face and drawn mouth made it loud and clear. Hopefully, to Ruby, the lines etching his brow looked like grief.

“When she approached us to give a portion of her wealth, I was overjoyed,” Ruby continued. “Open Arms has been helping abused children for years and finding new, excited sponsors is a gift.” She continued holding his hand in hers. “Your grandmother mentioned you several times. It’s an amazing honor to meet the grandson she was so overwhelmingly proud of.”