Davenport eyed the counter, then Ryder. “Let’s hope so. For your sake. You get your business by referral, and I’m not going to sugarcoat what I think of your work. Diamond or not.”

“I stand by my work and my crew. The Hall will be finished the way you wanted, and on time.”

Davenport lifted his chin and eyed Ryder. “All within budget?”

“Of course,” Ryder said with the best smile he could muster. Because if it took him every waking hour he had for the next week, he’d fix the damn cabinet himself. There was no way in hell he’d leave this job without a stellar seal of pride and workmanship.

“Good,” Davenport said and turned to walk away.

Ryder knew right then that he was staring down the barrel of a long few days.

The week passed in a blur. After having girl time with Penny and Lily, Whitney thought more about Kacey and how much she missed her. How things could have been different if she’d survived. Maybe that was a sign she was settling too comfortably in Diamond. Because the point of her moving from place to place was to experience life and live for adventure. Not to get caught up in thoughts of her sister, and all the sadness and guilt that came with them.

Yet the thought of splitting didn’t spark excitement the way it should.

But she would leave. She had to.

She wanted to see Ryder at least once more before she left. From the gossip she’d picked up, not to mention Penny flat out telling her, Ryder was working long hours over at that old building on Main Street. There was some kind of event coming up the next weekend, and between Penny running over bags of food to the crew, and everyone talking about this extravaganza like it was the second coming of Cinderella’s ball, Whitney knew it was a big deal for the town.

The hell of it was, she was missing Ryder. She’d been working a lot as well, to keep herself busy, and it was adding up to a nice chunk of change. So nice that it was looking like she wouldn’t need the whole summer to reach her money goal. And that was shitty since the thought of moving on should invigorate her, but it was making her pause. Mostly to think of a pair of gray eyes that gave her goose bumps.

The truth was, she could have taken lunch or dinner to Ryder on one of the nights Penny offered the job to her, but she hadn’t. Because she didn’t trust herself that she would be able to turn down another invitation from Ryder for a date. Or worse, face the disappointment if he didn’t offer again.

It was stupid and silly, and she shouldn’t even be thinking in these circles. But there was something about him that went deeper than people saw. He wasn’t just thoughtful and determined. There was a heart bursting with affection for the people he loved, but he held that part of himself under such tight control that it almost never came out. But for some reason, he let that part out when he was in private with Whitney.

Every time she was with him he delivered an experience, but he’d iced the cake with the heavy machinery. Not to mention, she’d never gone skinny-dipping like she had with him.

That was so far beyond awesome it should have its own name. Like Ryder-dipping.

He got her hackles up, all while making her wet with a single glare. She didn’t want to ruin the time they had with good manners. She wanted more of his wild, impulsive side. But he’d been clear those encounters were numbered. Hell, if he’d had his way, even the skinny-dipping would never have happened.

She wiped down the bar just as Lily came through the door with Alex and sat down.

“You okay all alone in here?” she asked.

Whitney poured her a Diet Coke and tossed in a cherry—Lily’s favorite, she’d learned over these past weeks.

“I’m good,” Whitney replied, but Lily didn’t seem to be buying it. Before that questioning blond brow was followed by an actual question, Whitney looked at the cute kid climbing up on the stool next to his mom. “You must be Alex,” Whitney said.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said.

Whitney’s heart about melted. He was missing his two front teeth, and the little lisp in his yes was most adorable thing she’d ever heard.

“Quite a gentleman,” she said. “Can I get you something to drink? A chocolate milk, maybe?”

When his eyes shot wide and he bounced in his chair, Whitney realized she might have made a mistake. She glanced at Lily.

“If it’s okay with your mom, that is.”

Lily just smiled and nodded. “Of course.”

“Yes!” Alex’s little fist shot in the air like he’d won the gold in the summer Olympics.

Whitney set to making the milk and squeezing the chocolate into the glass, and Alex’s eyes got even wider.

“You enjoying your break?” Whitney asked.

“Yes, I’m going to go with Uncle Colt and Aunt Jenna on the circuit soon!”

“Wow, that sounds fun.”

A small groan left Lily, and she stifled it with a sip of soda. She was obviously trying really hard to let Alex go, but two weeks to herself would be good.

“How are you?” Whitney asked quietly to Lily when Alex’s was distracted by the cartoons playing on the TV hanging in the opposite corner of the bar. “You getting excited for Alex’s trip?”

“Don’t remind me,” Lily said. “I still have time to get used to this idea. Not much. But some.”

Whitney nodded. Lily was an amazing mother. She was raising a young man and doing it while playing both parents. Whitney had never come out and asked about Alex’s dad, but from a few hints dropped here and there she’d learned that he’d been some city guy that left as soon as Lily found out she was pregnant.

“It’s pretty dead in here. You can take off early if you want,” Penny said, coming from the kitchen to stand by Whitney. She gave Lily a half hug across the counter.

“Hey, Aunt Penny!” Alex said, his eyes back on Whitney, now pouring milk and stirring his cup.

“Hey, kiddo. I see Whitney is fixing you up right.”

Alex took the glass of milk. Now that Whitney looked at it, it looked more black than light brown. Maybe she’d used too much chocolate. But Alex sighed, a milk mustache over his top lip, and said, “Best. Milk. Ever.”

She smiled, the compliment making her feel beyond wanted.

“You have to work here forever,” Alex said.

That made her eyebrows rise and her throat close. Between Alex’s toothless smile, and now Penny and Lily beaming at her, she didn’t have the heart to remind all of them that forever wasn’t in the cards for her.

“I’ll come see you every day,” Alex said, and took another drink.

“I’d like that,” Whitney said, leaving out the “for as long as I’m here” part.

“Looks like you have another man crushing on you,” Penny said with a nudge. Alex was just smiling at her and enjoying his drink.

Whitney was about to say that she could stay a little longer when the bell on the front door rang, and in walked Ryder Diamond in all his handsome glory. Only instead of sporting the usual dusty T-shirt and tool belt, he looked freshly showered. He was wearing dark blue jeans, a white button-down, and a Stetson that made him look like the sexiest cowboy she’d ever seen.

Excitement overtook her. She walked around the counter and straight for him, then stopped dead in her tracks. What the hell was she doing? She was acting like he’d come to see her. Like she had a right to just waltz on over and hug him—maybe kiss him—in front everyone, like he was her boyfriend or something.

Except he wasn’t.

And she wasn’t anything to him other than a cordial, platonic date. Right? That’s what he wanted. And she just wanted sex, not romance. So there could be no public displays of affection, because that didn’t fit into either of their end games. Just like working at the BBQ long-term, or making friends with anyone, wasn’t smart.

His eyes remained on her and turned hard when he registered her stiff stature. He took a step toward her, then was cut off by the melon-hating woman Whitney had met her second night on the job. What was her name? Clara. That was it. Clara.