He sent up a prayer for strength. Somehow he had to take care of Lainie and her children, and keep the past at bay, because he needed all his focus on the job. Too much was at stake.
After hauling in several suitcases and bags from Lainie’s car, there was nothing else to distract him from the real problem—telling Lainie that her job wasn’t going to start this week. Or the week after. While the residents of Dover were grateful for the donation made by the anonymous benefactor, the many strings attached had caused problems. One of the biggest was the rumor that beloved former head librarian, Millie Tedrow, wasn’t going to return. Shaw wasn’t sure how the townspeople would react when they learned Lainie got the job instead. He had to prepare her for what she might be facing, and it would be up to him to stand between her and the town. If she’d accept his help.
Lainie was still sitting at the computer when he returned. She shifted in her chair and her thick, dark hair brushed across her shoulders like a curtain of brown silk. She wore ankle-length sand-colored pants and a bright yellow top that skimmed her curves. He shut down his observation.
He hated to interrupt, but she needed to know the situation. She glanced at him and he looked into her warm chocolate eyes, feeling momentarily disoriented. He didn’t remember her lashes being so long or her eyes so expressive. He could read her every emotion, and right now he read fear and anxiety. She was waiting for the next shoe to drop, and he was about to drop a big one. “How’s it going?”
She nodded, chewing on her thumbnail. “Almost done.”
She tapped a few more keys, her intense concentration evident in the rigid lift to her shoulders. He stepped to the back door, watching her little girls play. They resembled their father with their blond hair and blue eyes. Shaw rubbed his forehead. Funny, he only remembered one child.
“All done.” Lainie came to his side, looking out at her daughters. “They needed to run and play. It’s been a long day for them.”
The weary tone in her voice concerned him. “You, too.” She shrugged without looking at him. “Lainie, I need to tell you something about your job at the library.”
“What?”
The fear that flashed through her eyes filled him with dread. Best get this over with. “You won’t be starting work at the library this week.”
“You’re wrong. Mr. Ogden said I would start on the eighth. That’s this Thursday.”
“The library isn’t finished.” The confusion in her eyes made him want to hold her close, the way he had outside the police station when she’d nearly collapsed. His nerves still vibrated from holding her in his arms, inhaling the strawberry scent of her hair, feeling her tremble against this chest.
“What do you mean it’s not finished? I don’t understand.”
“The project is three weeks behind.”
“Project? I thought this was a new building.”
Shaw dragged a hand across his jaw. “The old Webster House was donated to the city for use as the library, along with the funds to remodel it, and provide books and staff.”
She crossed her arms, and frowned. “What happened? Why isn’t it ready?”
“We ran into unforeseen problems. It happens. Especially in old buildings like this one.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What do you have to do with it?”
“I’m the contractor.”
Lainie’s eyes widened in shock. “Why are you so far behind? Why didn’t you stay on top of things?”
Her words scraped like a steel rasp across his old guilt. She had every reason to think he was at fault. “There were foundation problems, and we uncovered asbestos in the walls, then—”
She held up her hand to stop his explanation, then rested her fists on the sides of her neck as if protecting herself from more bad news. His heart ached. She looked so defeated. She’d been through so much and he was piling on more.
“Why didn’t Mr. Ogden let me know?”
“I don’t know. I’m only involved with the construction phase.”
Shaw saw the full realization sink in. Her shoulders slumped and she leaned against the wall. “What am I going to do? I have to have a job.”
He stepped closer, catching a whiff of her strawberry scent. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. It’s the least I can do.”
A flash of anger sparked in her brown eyes. “Because you owe me?”
He winced at the truth of her comment. “Yes. But I also want to help. None of this is your fault.”
“No, it’s not.”
Shaw clenched his jaw. Her inference was clear. It was his fault she was a single mother. “But I can take care of things until you’re squared away.”
“Like that?” She pointed to the opening in the wall.
He grimaced. He should have thought about the opening. But then he hadn’t been expecting his past to slap him in the face. “I’ll fix it right now.”
She leveled her gaze at him, then walked through the opening to her side of the house. With her back straight and head high, her posture told him he’d better fix it. If he wasn’t so tied in knots, he would have found her attitude amusing.
In his garage workshop, Shaw inspected the extra lumber and other leftover materials he kept at the back. He moved a few pieces of scrap wood aside and picked up the single French door and leaned it against the workbench. It wasn’t the best solution to the hole in the wall, but it would have to do. His gaze fell on the coil of rope at the end of the counter. It would be the perfect size and length for a swing. He dismissed the idea. Lainie and her kids would be here for only a couple of days. Once she had her business settled, she’d be gone.
He hooked his tape measure onto his belt, shoved a few shims and screws into his pocket, then picked up the door and headed to the house. In the hallway, he rested the door against the wall, took some measurements, mentally calculating the best way to secure the door in the opening. Giggles and footsteps sounded overhead. Lainie’s girls.
They were two little cuties, for sure. Natalie, with her long curly hair and deep dimples was full of sparkle. She smiled and bounced every moment as if happy with life. The little one was more serious, with straight hair pulled back into a ponytail and wispy strands falling around her face. Tiny glasses perched on a button nose added cuteness to her already-sweet face. It must have been hard raising them alone. How had they managed these past five years? Who had Lainie turned to for help? Family? Friends?
He’d tried to offer his help right after the accident, but she’d refused his calls, and at the funeral, she’d ordered him to leave, making it clear she blamed him for her husband’s death. He could still feel the hot sting of her last words to him that day. “I don’t need anything from you. Ever.” But now she did, and he wasn’t going to let them down. He’d protect them and provide for them until they were safe and settled. As long as they were under his roof, he’d make sure they had everything they needed. They were his responsibility now.
Shaw channeled all his energy into securing the door into the opening. He was stooped down, driving in the last screw when Lainie appeared on the other side of the door. She glared through the pane, a deep frown on her face. He knew what was coming.
“It’s glass.”
Her words were muffled. He nodded and shrugged. She pursed her lips and pivoted on her heel. A few seconds later, she pushed through his back door and stopped at his side.
“You can see through it. Don’t you have some wood or something to cover this opening?”
“Not here at the house. I’m sure you can find something to hang over the door to maintain your privacy.” He pushed to his