"Wouldn't mind it. If you want to get on, I can lock it up for you."

"It's okay." He led the way.

w.i.l.l.y B ducked in, swiveled his head side to side, up and down as he walked the s.p.a.ce. "Justine, you got some imagination."

"It's going to be fabulous. My boys won't settle for less."

"She doesn't give us a choice. We got material coming first thing in the morning so we can start on the new roof."

He talked roofs and windows with w.i.l.l.y B, then let Justine drag w.i.l.l.y B around, pointing to the rough s.p.a.ces that would be locker rooms, a little cla.s.sroom, reception s.p.a.ce.

"I expect you to join up."

"Oh now, Justine."

"Don't 'oh now' me." She wagged a finger, then patted w.i.l.l.y B's arm. "I'm going to give you a discount since we're going to be in-laws."

He grinned at that. "That's something, isn't it? My girl and your boy. Wouldn't Tommy do a dance over it?"

And that was it, Ryder thought. What made w.i.l.l.y B w.i.l.l.y B. He would think of his friend, always.

"He really would. And he'd've told me I was crazy for buying this place. Then he'd have strapped on his tools. Oh, I tell you we're going to have such a pretty place here, nothing like it around. I've got big plans for the locker rooms."

"Your mom mentioned the lockers and such," w.i.l.l.y B said to Ryder. "I know a guy, they do good work there."

"Owen's been looking into it some. Maybe you can give him the name."

"I'll do that. We're going over to Vesta in a bit. I'll give it to Avery."

"Owen's there."

"Perfect." Justine nodded. "We want to go through the new restaurant s.p.a.ce before we get some dinner."

"Owen's got the key. He'll take you through."

"Buy you a beer," w.i.l.l.y B offered. "And pizza if you want."

"Not like this." Ryder spread his hands. "The Health Department might shut her down. But thanks."

"When this place is finished, you can take a shower and a steam." Justine smiled at him. "I hear you're hitting on our innkeeper."

"Oh now, Justine," w.i.l.l.y B murmured as Ryder scowled.

"I am not."

"Was it someone who just looked like you kissing her out in the lot yesterday?"

"That was just ... nothing."

"It looked like something to Mina Bowers, who was driving by, and who told Carolee, who told me."

He'd known it would get around, but he hadn't expected it to get around to his mother so quickly. "People should mind their own business."

"Well, that never happens," Justine said cheerfully. "And oddly enough I heard firsthand from Chrissy Abbot, who was walking her dog, the two of you had another 'just nothing' earlier. A little digging and I found out the man in the fancy suit who was here at the time was that Jonathan Wickham."

"Yeah, he came by to try to steal her back for his hotel, and try to talk her into sleeping with him again."

"I thought he got married," w.i.l.l.y B began.

"Oh, w.i.l.l.y B, don't be so naive. That b.a.s.t.a.r.d," Justine said, with considerable heat. "Why do I hear about you kissing Hope and not knocking that b.a.s.t.a.r.d on his a.s.s?"

Ryder's smile covered his face, and came straight from the heart. "I love you, Mom. Seriously."

"That's not an answer."

"Because I didn't know until he was out of range. She set him straight."

"I'd expect no less. If that son of a b.i.t.c.h shows his face around here again, I want you to kick him right off our property. Or call me and I'll do it myself. I'd like to do it. I should go in and talk to her."

"She's got people in there."

"I'll talk to her tomorrow then." She took two long breaths to calm down. "If you want to hit on her and not have people talk about it, do it in private."

"I'm not hitting on her."

"If you're not, I'm disappointed in you. Meanwhile, you go on and clean up, get some rest. I'll talk to you later. And, Ry, it's good work here. You can see it already."

She could, he thought as they left. She always could see. Sometimes more than was comfortable.

"Hitting on her. Jesus. Disappointed if I'm not. You just can't figure women, even mothers. Maybe especially mothers. Come on, Dumba.s.s, let's go take a shower."

He knew the word, wiggled in antic.i.p.ation, trotting out as Ryder followed.

After he locked up, he turned and saw Hope, with another pie plate, crossing to his truck.

Why the h.e.l.l were they always meeting up in the d.a.m.n parking lot?

"You just missed my mother and w.i.l.l.y B."

"Oh. I wish they'd come in."

"I thought you had people in there."

"I do." She gestured at the two cars in the lot beside hers and Carolee's. "And I bet they'd have loved to meet her. Your pie."

"Appreciate it."

"Carolee's serving wine and cheese to the guests, but I should get back in and help. I wanted to ask you something first."