“I talked to the loan officer about the second mortgage again while I was out,” he said, turning around to face me.

“We need to clean up the title history on the house.”

“Vance told me a quitclaim deed takes my name off the property completely,” I said.

“It just frees up forty-two thousand dollars in cash equity so we can finish the nursery upstairs,” he said, coming closer until he was right in front of me.

“If you sign on Friday, the contractor can start Monday morning.”

He reached out and took my right hand, folding both of his warm hands around my cold fingers.