“People, we take this cottage down in ten minutes!”

The rallying cry of the production assistant competed with the thundering crunch of bobcats and dump trucks on gravel.

Demolition day.

Eli Zorn’s muscles might be burning by the end of it, but it was always a good ache.

Besides, he needed a distraction.

Mom’s okay. You need to let it go.

The construction crew of Handymen milled around the Muskoka cottage, discussing the impending demolition. Their hard hats and equipment looked out of place among the pine trees and lapping water down at the dock. The camera guys checked their equipment while director Lacey Styles gave directions to the lighting team. Attired in his work boots and his favorite Levi jeans, the ones stained with the dirt of a hundred landscaping jobs, Eli was eager to get started as well.

The makeup ladies hovered around his brothers and co-hosts Michael and Nick, applying some kind of goo to their faces. When the show had started, they’d all used to fuss in the makeup chair, but they’d grown accustomed to wearing it. Besides, Rochelle and Naomi took no grief.

When Michael winced, Rochelle aimed her brush at his nose. “You guys are TV stars. You don’t want to look sallow on camera, do you?”

Naomi fixed Nick’s mop of hair. “There’s nothing wrong with a confident man wearing a little foundation.”

“But, Naomi,” teased Nick, “I’m always less confident around you. When are you going to put me out of my misery and have dinner with me?”

Naomi, a formidable woman of about fifty, rolled her eyes. “Nicholas, lover, you wouldn’t know what to do with me. I’m too much woman for you.”

“Don’t I know it?” Nick closed his eyes as Naomi dabbed some powder around his brow, but then cracked open one eye. “Hey, Eli. I see you skulking over there.”

“I don’t skulk.”

“Don’t you worry,” said Naomi. “Your brother’s next.”

Eli chuckled. Not if he could outrun the women for once.

“Hey.” Lacey snuck up behind Eli. “I hope you don’t think you’re getting out of makeup.”

“Nope. I’m waiting my turn.”

“Because I know how you Zorn men get around lip gloss.”

“I don’t have a problem with lip gloss,” called Nick. “But I prefer to nibble it off the woman who’s wearing it.”

Anyone else might think his little brother was a player, but Eli knew Nick just talked a good talk. Those close to them knew he didn’t always walk the walk.

Stress did funny things to people. In Nick’s case, it made him act like Casanova. In their older brother Michael’s case, it made him withdraw.

In Eli’s case… Well, it didn’t matter. He’d dealt with his stress and it was time to move on.

Lacey pulled Eli aside. “I’ve already spoken to Michael and Nick. I wanted to check in with all of you before the demo starts and we begin filming. Are you okay?”

“Sure.”

“It’s just you’ve had some time away from work and this is the first demo we’ve done since…your mom’s situation.”

“It was a cancer scare. It’s okay to say the words.”

“I don’t want to upset you.”

“You won’t. She’s fine. I’m ready to work.”

“Your brothers said the exact same thing. Well, Michael said it with fewer words.”

“Awesome.” Eli softened his tone when it came out a bit too loud, too enthusiastic. “Let’s do this thing.”

She gave him a funny look, sort of how his mom eyed the melons in the supermarket, appraising them for strange lumps.

Lumps.

Why couldn’t he stop thinking about that goddamn lump for five minutes? His mother had gotten a clean bill of health, but Eli still worried. He’d always been a worrier. He swallowed the ball of itchiness in his throat and pasted on a smile. “I appreciate you looking in on me. On us. I really do, but could we not talk about it? I’m okay, I promise.”

“All right, then,” said Lacey. “This project is an important one and I want everyone at their best. We have a lot of eyes on us right now.”

“I know.”

On Handymen, the Zorn brothers and their team usually renovated homes for families, regular folks who applied to be on the show. This time, they were embarking on an ambitious demolition and rebuild for Peter Nolan. Not only was Peter Canada’s most famous landscaping expert, he had once been Eli’s mentor and the man who had given him his first real job in the business. Peter’s gardening tips had been used by Canadian gardeners for over thirty years and his TV show Peter’s Backyard had been a hit for much of that time.

At least, until the day Peter had arrived drunk to a live appearance and had a very awkward, very public outburst. He’d called his co-host every name in the book, before someone finally switched to commercial. His show had been canceled after that.

Eli had felt badly for his old mentor when he’d heard about the incident. He didn’t excuse his bad behavior, but it was clear the demands of fame had worn on Peter. Anyone could crack under that kind of pressure.

Although Peter had been out of the public eye for the last few years, he’d remained a behind-the-scenes force in the landscaping world. As publisher of the magazine Canadian Gardens, he was still easily the biggest name in the business in Canada. His appearance on Handymen was his return to TV, and a highly anticipated one at that. Their executive producer had made it clear he wanted the project to go off without a hitch.

“Okay,” said Lacey. “As long as everyone understands we can’t afford to do this half-assed.”

“Lacey.” Eli stifled a groan. “Have we ever done anything half-assed?”

“No, of course not. I am concerned about the landscaping piece, though. Don’t forget about Canadian Gardens.”

Eli bit his tongue. He needed no reminders that the magazine planned to do a spread on his work here. “I haven’t forgotten. Remember who designed this garden? Believe me, I haven’t lost track of our timeline.”

“Yeah, but our timeline is tight. According to the weather guy, the ‘storm of the century’ is supposed to hit in a couple of days. I want the demo done before the rain starts.”

“There’s no reason we can’t demolish this building today. It’s going to be okay.”

Lacey grimaced. “I’m wigging out, aren’t I?”

“You’re entitled.” Eli didn’t blame Lacey for worrying. Everyone looked to her. If they messed anything up, it would be her butt in the executive producer’s office.

Plus, with Peter on set, his keen eyes always appraising, the stress level was high for everyone.

“So we’re good?”

“We’re great.”

“Perfect. See you in five.” Lacey marched toward one of the cameramen, no doubt to tick another box on her to-do list.

Breathe. Lacey’s the director. Checking on you is her job.

Rochelle released Michael from his makeup dungeon and crooked her finger at Eli. “Baby boy, sit yourself down. Let’s cover up those dark circles.”

Eli sat dutifully in the makeup chair. He might be thirty-four, six-foot-three and the middle Zorn sibling, but Rochelle persisted in calling him ‘baby boy’. She had since day one of their show, but he’d never pointed out the discrepancies. It was meant as a term of endearment and he didn’t believe in raising a stink over little things.

As Rochelle dotted some sort of potion under his eyes, his mind drifted. For a second, it meandered back to the dark places it had inhabited for the past couple of months.

As a contractor, he’d spent the better part of his life fixing things. Even as a kid, he’d always been a fixer.

When their mom had had her cancer scare, he’d realized with aching clarity there were things he couldn’t fix. The sense of helplessness still kept him up at night.

Enough. You need to stop obsessing over this thing. The lump was benign.

As long as it stayed that way.

There was no time for worrying now. He had a big job ahead of him and, goddammit, he would do it.

Handymen was a popular show, but as Lacey liked to remind them on a regular basis, the viewing audience was fickle. Some might say they’d already scored a place in the big leagues of Canadian TV, but Peter Nolan’s collaboration would ensure they stayed there.

Aside from the buzz, this build would showcase Eli’s skills better than any he’d ever done. Once they demolished the old cottage, they would create a fantasy cottage worth millions of dollars, complete with a sprawling garden and multilevel deck.

As the landscaping expert on Handymen, this was where he would shine. He could already envision the design he’d spent hours perfecting. The pergola would stand in that shady spot at the far end. Morning glories and clematis would hug its beams and eventually become part of its architecture. Lilac bushes would act as focal points along the meandering walkways. Although he’d put thought into where each tulip and daffodil would go, they would appear unplanned, as if the bulbs had been deposited at random. There would be an intricate water feature, of course, a pond built on slabs of gneiss, the iconic rock of Muskoka and Ontario’s Georgian Bay. By the time he was done, it would be the cottage garden of any Canadian’s dreams.

Not only would it be captured on Handymen, it would shine from the pages of Canadian Gardens magazine as well. When the magazine had approached Eli months ago, wanting to spotlight his garden, he’d had to pick his jaw up off the floor.

He’d done special events and home shows with Michael and Nick before, but this was the first time someone had wanted to concentrate on his work alone. The Canadian Gardens spread would be the greatest honor of his career thus far, and he had Peter to thank for it.

Rochelle stepped back and admired her handiwork. “There. Handsome as ever. Go get ’em, baby boy.” With a quick squeeze, she released him, her eyes crinkling with sympathy.

When would people stop looking at him like that?

They mean well.

His throat tight, Eli slid off the chair and headed over to his parked pickup truck to get his work gloves. He needed to get his game face on.

Peter emerged from his trailer, beaming. They didn’t normally offer their guests trailers, but when Peter had requested it, they’d figured they couldn’t begrudge him a bit of VIP treatment. The gardening icon rubbed his hands together in excitement, his blue eyes sparkling. As he approached Eli, Michael, Lacey and Nick, he opened his arms wide.

“Well,” said Peter, gesturing around the expansive property, “wasn’t I right? Isn’t this the perfect job for Handymen?”

“Yep,” said Michael.

Peter clapped Eli on the shoulder. “Eli, I can’t wait to help you in the garden.”

Eli chuckled. “It’s always been the other way around. If it hadn’t been for you, Peter, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

“Now, now, son. Don’t be modest. You’ve got talent and I always knew it. That’s why I picked you for my team all those years ago. I’m proud to have you and your brothers tackle this mess of a property. It’s about time this old junkyard came down.”

“To be honest,” said Eli, “I hate to see it demolished.”

“I don’t understand,” said Peter. “Second thoughts?”

“Not at all. It just has so much character.” Eli could understand why Peter wanted stainless steel and granite counters. For all his time digging in other people’s yards, Peter liked nice things. Hell, he was a Member of the Order of Canada. Eli didn’t imagine he wanted to entertain his friends in a rustic cottage. Anyone in his situation would want a shiny new cottage, one with all the modern conveniences of a city penthouse.

And yet Eli still felt some sadness at taking down the modest building. Sure, lots of people now built enormous mansions in Muskoka. Even Hollywood celebrities had property in the region. But there was something to be said about this cottage and its homey dimensions. Comprised of weathered wooden beams, gingerbread detailing and huge windows that looked out over the lake, it had all the hallmarks of a DIY build.

“My grandfather bought this land and built this place himself,” said Peter. “It’s been passed on to the eldest son of each new generation. My younger brother Jerry, God rest his soul, loved this cottage. To me, all I see is a burden. Because I was always so busy on Peter’s Backyard, I didn’t have time to replace my own chipped floor tiles and sagging gutters. When Jerry was around, he handled most of the general upkeep for me, but now he’s gone. I’m glad the Handymen team can come in and turn this place around. I don’t want it to feel like a burden anymore. When the cottage passes from me to my son, I want him to appreciate it.”

Eli wasn’t about to argue. For this project at least, Peter was their client, and an influential one at that. If the man told him the sky was falling, Eli would probably have ducked and run for cover.

“It’s too bad we can’t at least incorporate some of the old features.” Michael cast a discerning eye over the strong frame. “This place has good bones. It just needs some work.”

“Guys,” warned Lacey. “We’re about to tear the place down. This isn’t the time to start fantasizing about renovating it.” She turned to Peter, worry in her eyes. “Unless you’re having second thoughts too.”

“Not me,” said Peter.

“You’re sure?” she asked. “I don’t want to be the one who took away your only chance to preserve some valuable family memories.”

“This old dump holds no charm for me. Take it down.”

Eli thought he detected a mercenary tone in Peter’s voice when he talked about the cottage, almost as if he had something against the place. It had been a surprise to hear about the cottage at all. In his time working with Peter, he’d never once heard him mention it.

Of course, Peter had never been the sort to discuss his private life at work. All these years, and Eli didn’t even know much about the man’s family. He knew Peter was divorced and had a grown son, but that was about it.

“Then it’s settled,” said Lacey. “I want to take one last look inside, in case any mama raccoons decided to hole up there overnight.”

They walked up the stone pathway to the front door. First in line, Eli pulled open the door and walked in. The tiny entryway, lined with a worn carpet, led to the large living room. It housed a few leftover bits of old furniture, ones they would soon deliver to the charity shop.

Also inside was a woman.

Where did she come from?

She sat cross-legged in the middle of the room on the carpet.

And she was wearing handcuffs. One of the rings was attached to her wrist, while she kept her other hand free. The cuffs were attached to a chain which was secured around the supporting middle pillar of the cottage.

“What the…?” Eli stopped short and the others plowed into him.

“Hmm.” The woman smirked. “Entering without knocking. Not very polite, Handyman.”