Rescued by the Firefighter. Gail Martin Gaymer

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СКАЧАТЬ her uncle, a grin flew to her face.

      “Home from the hunt?” Ashley said.

      “The fox found a hiding place today.”

      “No luck?” Ashley sank onto the sofa. “You’ll find something. I’m confident. I’m keeping my eyes and ears open, and I’m sure something will come your way.”

      Paula nodded, managing an upbeat expression. “I know. Job hunting takes time.”

      The side door closed, and her uncle’s voice sailed into the room. “A job well done.”

      She had no idea what he meant, but she hoped it had nothing to do with her employment status.

      He ambled into the living room and stood near the archway. “Did she tell you?”

      Paula looked at him and then turned back to Ashley, not sure who he meant.

      “Dad, you’re more excited than I am.” She grinned at Paula. “I decided to sell my house. Dad helped me make sense out of what I really knew was best but what was hard for me to do.”

      “Selling the house.” Paula nodded, understanding her quandary. “I know it holds lots of memories, Ash. Good memories.” Her own mother’s home came to mind. That house held no memories she wanted to preserve. “But you’re making new memories now, and it’s best to let it go.”

      “You’ve all made sense. I thought renting it would work, but then Dad reminded me of the difficulties in renting a residence—maintenance, repairs and bad tenants. It hardly seems worth it even though the house is only down the street and Devon would have helped, but—”

      “It would be asking a lot of him to keep two houses in good order. When would you two have time for fun?” Paula looked past her uncle, noticing the two children were missing. “Where are Joey and Kaylee?”

      “Neely wanted to take them to the park.” Her mouth curved to a full grin. “I’m so happy Neely’s expecting. She and Jon wanted a baby from day one, and now she’ll have her own little Joey or Kaylee to spoil.”

      Though her cousins’ happiness made her smile, part of her envied Ashley and Devon’s big steps into marriage plus becoming a parent to each other’s child, especially now that Kaylee’s troubled mother had died from an overdose. It had been hard on Kaylee, but her awareness of her mother’s illness and unhappiness had softened the sad situation.

      Marriage had not made Paula’s list of desires, so the question of being a parent rarely entered her mind, but when it did, it sometimes stopped her cold, asking herself if she could be a good parent without having a role model. One thing she knew. Love was the key to so many things in life, and how could she not show love to a child? Ashley’s love for Joey and Kaylee, Devon’s daughter, guided her cousin’s every step, and Devon had an amazing natural knack for being a thoughtful and loving father to both children. They had become her parental role models. Late in her life to learn, yes, but she knew no one better.

      Ashley had grown silent a moment, a frown settling on her face, and Paula didn’t understand the problem. Paula turned to her uncle, wondering if he had something to clue her in.

      Finally, Ashley came back to life. “Sorry. I know this is the right thing to do, but I love that house and it’s hard to let go. Believe me, it’s not just my memories of Adam. It’s where I realized that I had the strength to stand up under pressure, where I learned to be a loving single mother and still hold a job, and where I awakened beneath the tree branches one day and looked into Devon’s face, a neighbor I’d seen but never met. That day changed my life.”

      Paula brushed moisture from her eyes, no longer trying to hide it. “You’re right, Ash. The house has a wealth of amazing memories. One day, I hope to have a...” Before she could finish her sentence, an idea struck her. She needed a place to live, and owning a house would provide a sense of permanence to a possible employer, but more than that she loved Ashley’s comfortable house and felt certain it had more than enough space for her.

      When she refocused, Ashley’s curious look caused her to confess her idea. “I have a thought.”

      “A good thought?” Ashley’s tentative response made Paula grin.

      “Very good, I think. My mother left me everything, and I need a house. I don’t want to go back to Roscommon. It’s a dead end for me there. Do you think—”

      Ashley jumped from the sofa and flew to her side, where she plopped on the chair arm. “Paula, that’s an amazing idea. Perfect. You’d be close to us, and I would know the new owner is someone who cares about the memories and, even better, is someone we love.” She turned toward Uncle Fred. “What do you think, Dad?”

      “You don’t need my approval, and I think it’s a good idea, except...” He turned his gaze from Ashley to her. “Would you feel restricted to make the house your own, Paula? If you’ll feel restrained, or Ashley...” He faced her. “If you’ll resent Paula redecorating or even renovating, then it’s not a good idea. You both need to consider that.”

      Paula knew how she felt, but her uncle’s question put the possibility into a new perspective. “That’s something we have to consider, and Ash, you need to talk it over with Devon.” Though the possibility thrilled her, a problem lay ahead, and the reality drowned her excitement. “But face it, I don’t know what I’m talking about. I don’t have a job yet. I need to put a clamp on my enthusiasm. I can’t make payments without work, and I’m not sure how long it will take to settle the estate. Mom had savings, but I’ve used some of it to live on these past weeks.” The situation crushed her spirit. She wasn’t a kid facing life for the first time. She knew hopes were one thing. Reality was another.

      “But Paula, we can—”

      “Ashley, I couldn’t get a mortgage right now.” Her excitement died a quiet death. “I don’t even have a down payment without nearly wiping out my mother’s savings, and I don’t know how long it will take to sell her house. I hope it’s soon, but I have no guarantee.”

      Ashley shook her head. “We can work that out, and we’re not in a hurry. A sale by owner doesn’t restrict us resolving that issue, either. You’re right, though. I’ll talk with Devon, but I’m sure he’ll have no reservations.” She leaned over and kissed Paula’s cheek. “I love the idea, and even thinking about it, I’m relieved.”

      Ashley’s positive attitude should have lifted her spirit, but a woman of her age didn’t go off the deep end. Her old resentment returned. She’d allowed Vic too much leeway, and while she wasn’t looking, her own savings had dwindled to little. He’d walked away, leaving her in his dust with nothing but empty hopes and an empty bank account. How could she have been so stupid?

      “Hold on, Ash. Really, I need to take time. I’d love the house, but I have to use common sense. I contacted a Realtor and mother’s house should be on the market now. I’ll call them and check the status.”

      Ashley’s excitement faded. “Okay, but we’ll still give it thought and I’ll talk to Devon and see if he has any ideas.”

      Ideas were fine, but she had to keep her head. Having a home of her own tempted her to take chances, but getting a grip on her overexuberance, wisdom needed to come first. She’d been stupid once. Let it only be once.

      They gave each other a playful handshake, and though it was lighthearted, СКАЧАТЬ