The Cottage on Juniper Ridge. Sheila Roberts

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      “The sofa’s a sleeper,” said Jen’s would-be landlord.

      “Mmm,” Toni responded diplomatically.

      Jen knew what she was thinking. The ratty, old brown couch would have to be fumigated before she’d let her children sleep on it.

      They stopped at the first bedroom, furnished with twin beds covered in ancient brown bedspreads with big orange flowers that must’ve been hanging out in there since the seventies. “I suppose this is the guest room,” Toni said, her tone of voice speaking volumes.

      “It’s not bad,” Jen insisted.

      “The other bedroom is here,” Garrett said, leading the way to the next room. He was beautiful to follow, broad-shouldered and tall with a stare-worthy butt.

      He opened the door and Jen peeked into the room and got a pleasant surprise. Lace curtains hung at the windows. Yes, they needed washing, but they were pretty, nonetheless. There, in the middle of the room, sat a double bed with a carved headboard and a beautiful quilt, done in shades of pink. Matching oak nightstands flanked it. Against another wall stood an antique oak dresser complete with beveled mirror.

      “This is so sweet,” she said.

      “The bedroom set was my grandmother’s,” Garrett told her.

      “Did she make the quilt?”

      “As a matter of fact, she did.”

      “Is she still alive?”

      He shook his head. “No. But my other grandmother is. She lives here in Icicle Falls.”

      “It’s important to be close to family.” Toni gave Jen a meaningful look.

      “This isn’t that far from Seattle,” Jen said.

      “But it’ll feel like it is if you get snowed in,” Toni retorted.

      “Most of us manage to get around okay in the snow,” Garrett said.

      Jen thought about how poorly she drove in the stuff. Only the year before she’d slid backward down Eleventh Avenue in Seattle’s Queen Anne Hill neighborhood after a rare snowfall. She’d been afraid to venture out in her car ever since. But it was all level around here. Surely she could handle that. Anyway, they seemed to keep the roads clear.

      “This is charming,” she said, glancing around the room, which was paneled with cedar. Two pictures of flowers hung on the wall. Everything about the room said family and love. If she moved into this cottage, she was sure she’d be embraced by the warm memories haunting it. “In fact, this whole place has potential. I’ll take it.”

      Her sister stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. “What she means,” Toni began.

      “Is that I’ll take it,” Jen said firmly, pulling out her checkbook.

      He nodded. “I’ll have to do a routine credit check.”

      “No problem. My credit’s good,” Jen told him.

      “Which is more than I can say for your brain,” Toni hissed as they preceded him out of the room. “What are you thinking?”

      “That this place is perfect for living the simple life.”

      Toni groaned.

      “If you need time to decide...” Garrett said from behind them.

      “Yes, she does,” Toni said even as Jen said, “No, I don’t.” They glared at each other.

      Jen wrote him a check for a deposit and gave him her contact information, and he said he’d be in touch.

      Then there was nothing left to do but say goodbye and go back to the car. With her disapproving sister.

      “You have lost your mind,” Toni said the moment Garrett and his gorgeous behind were back inside his truck.

      “That’s probably what they told the Wright brothers when they invented the airplane. Or Walt Disney when he came up with the idea for Disneyland.”

      “You’re not inventing anything. And this idea isn’t practical. What if your condo doesn’t sell?”

      That was an unpleasant thought. Jen pushed it resolutely away. “Then I’ll lose my deposit.”

      Toni’s angry expression softened. “Jen-Jen, I’m not trying to rain on your parade. You’ve got to know that. I just don’t want to see you jump from the frying pan into the fire. I worry about you.”

      That made Jen smile. Yes, her sister could be a bossy pain in the patootie. But she cared. Jen reached across the car and hugged Toni. “And I love you for it.” She drew back so they were face-to-face. “I realize this seems crazy to you, but I’ve got a feeling that it’s going to be good for me, that it’s exactly what I need. Maybe I’m wrong but I’m willing to take a chance. I can’t keep going on like I’m doing. I hate my life.”

      Toni sighed. “I know. I’m worried you’re going to wind up hating it even more.”

      “If this doesn’t work out, I can always move back to Seattle. And if it does work out, you can come up for the chocolate festival and stay with me,” Jen added with a grin.

      “After you get those beds fumigated,” Toni said with a shudder.

      * * *

      The image of Jen Heath accompanied Garrett Armstrong as he drove to his mom’s to pick up his son who’d been staying with Grammy while Garrett worked his shift at the fire station. With her strawberry-blond hair and those freckles, Jen was about the cutest thing he’d seen in a long time. A woman who wanted to do old-fashioned stuff like make applesauce? Man, he didn’t know that kind of woman existed anymore.

      His ex sure hadn’t been interested in anything domestic. And she’d proved it by letting Garrett be the custodial parent while she settled for having their son every other weekend.

      When he’d first met Ashley, he’d found her party-girl attitude exciting. She was a huge flirt and she’d dance anywhere at the drop of a hat—the dance floor of the Red Barn, tabletops, his lap. Oh, yeah, the sex had been incredible. She was blonde, beautiful and the hottest thing he’d ever handled and he’d just had to have her. He’d rushed to marry her before anyone else could steal her away.

      His dad hadn’t told him what to do since he turned eighteen, but his mother had been a different story. “That woman’s going to break your heart,” she’d cautioned. “Don’t do it.”

      Of course he hadn’t listened, because he’d figured that by twenty-six he knew everything. So he and Ashley had the big blowout wedding and a honeymoon in the Caribbean that ate up all his savings and then came home to settle down in Icicle Falls. Only one of them had settled down, though. Ashley never quite got the concept of home, sweet home. She’d much preferred to make herself at home at a restaurant or club. And she’d never let Garrett’s work schedule keep her from going out. That was what girlfriends were for.

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