The Single Dad Next Door. Jessica Keller

She wiped the countertop with the rag but only succeeded in spreading the flour.

      Kellen raised his eyebrows. “That sort of thing seems to be going around.”

      She moved to block the hallway. “Why don’t you let me clean the office first? Come back next week.”

      “The inn is my responsibility now.” Clearly the office was down the hallway. Kellen eased closer. “I’d rather have a look-see and get started on coming up with the best plan of action for moving forward.”

      Her eyes grew wide. “Plan of action?”

      “Just point me in the right direction.”

      “Okay.” She pointed to the right. “It’s through the hall. Second door on the left. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

      Kellen stopped to hug both of his girls before heading to the office. The wooden floor creaked with every step. Was the whole house like that? Guests wouldn’t enjoy or return to a place with floors that creaked like mad. He’d have to walk the whole place with a pad of paper and a pen and document everything that needed to be updated.

      He opened the door to the office, and his mouth dropped open.

      Paper stacked a foot tall covered the floor except for a small walkway that led to the desk. And what was the point of a desk if he couldn’t even see the surface of it? Kellen entered the room and turned in a slow circle. If this signaled how Maggie kept—or didn’t keep—records, the inn was in worse shape than he’d thought.

      He laced his fingers together around the back of his neck.

      He’d manage. Didn’t he always? Casa Bonita had been a wreck, too, when his buddy hired Kellen to manage the restaurant. He knew nothing about the restaurant business when he started that job, and now Casa Bonita had one of the best revenue streams in the greater LA area.

      Kellen would figure out the bed-and-breakfast industry, too.

      Maggie peeked into the room. “I got the girls settled down in my living room with fresh brownies and a Disney movie. I hope that’s okay.”

      “It’s fine. Thanks for taking care of them this morning. It sounded like they were having a lot of fun.”

      “Anytime. Seriously. They’re a blast to have around.”

      “On that note.” Kellen took two steps toward her, which in the small room brought them within a stride of each other. “I wanted to thank you for saving my life last night.”

      Maggie toed the floor. “You wouldn’t have been stung if I had gone and talked to you like you asked.”

      “Who knows? The past isn’t worth worrying about or reliving. I say, keep moving forward without thinking about the could haves or should haves. You know?”

      “Some of the past is worth reliving.”

      And that was really the crux that divided Kellen and Maggie. She wanted to stay connected to the past. So much that, for what he’d seen of the inn so far, she filled every nook and cranny with half-broken antique junk. Whereas Kellen wanted to leave the past as it was. Reliving his past meant seeing every mistake he’d made over and over again. No, thanks. He’d rather focus on the future. On who he could become instead of the man he once was.

      Keep moving forward.

      “Yes.” He pressed his palms together and touched the tips of his fingers to his chin. “Take, for example, when you decided to start piling up all these documents—why don’t we relive that moment right now?”

      “Are you going to get rid of me?” Her voice dropped so low he had to lean forward to hear her.

      “No.” He answered honestly but decided to leave out the fact that even if he wanted to he couldn’t fire her. “But I am about to change every single aspect of this inn. I hope you’re ready for that.”

      The fire blazing in her eyes said she’d never be ready.

      Too bad.