Discovered by Love Omnibus Edition by Carla Laureano

Author:Carla Laureano [Laureano, Carla]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Laureano Creative Media LLC
Published: 2022-11-30T07:00:00+00:00

Meg was reaching for the space heater on the top shelf of the master bedroom closet when the lights abruptly blinked out. She tilted precariously on her tiptoes, momentarily dizzied by the sudden darkness, her fingers grasping for the heater before she became completely disoriented. She just about had it—and then the entire contents of the closet shelf came tumbling down.

Meg screamed as the heater, half a dozen blankets, and what felt like a pile of books dropped onto her head and back.

From down below, Declan’s voice drifted: “Meg? You all right up there?”

She rubbed her scalp gingerly before replying. “Yeah! I’m okay.”

“Good! Dinner in five.”

She pulled her cell phone from her back pocket and flicked on the flashlight to review the carnage. She’d gone in search of a space heater once she realized it was going to take all night to get the house to a comfortable temperature, but this power outage made the whole search moot. She knelt in front of the mess and attempted to fold all the blankets as they’d been before. Not only had she and Declan raided Eleanor Gratz’s pantry, but now she was rooting around in her closet as well.

She gathered up the books on the floor before she realized that they were leather-bound photo albums. Some were filled with color photos of trips abroad—she recognized the Eiffel Tower and the Trevi Fountain—but the other was filled with creased black and white photos. She flicked through the pages, angling her phone’s light for a better look. Gradually, she realized that the photos had been taken at this very house, though not in its current iteration. All the interiors had the look of an English country manor with dark paneling, staid antiques, and fusty draperies. She must have gotten distracted by trying to pick out details in the background, because Declan’s voice carried to her again: “Meg? Dinner!”

She quickly shoved the other photo albums onto the shelf, then hurried downstairs with the house album under her arm. She charged into the kitchen, invigorated by her find, then stumbled to a halt. Two plates of delicious-smelling pasta sat on the island counter along with glasses and a bottle of mineral water, the whole thing illuminated by the flickering light of two tapers in stone candlesticks.

“This looks very …” Romantic, she wanted to say, but she was afraid he would take that as a positive thing.

But he seemed to read her mind, because he looked abashed. “I know. It was all I could find. I’m sure there are some lanterns somewhere around here.” He gestured to the empty chair in front of her plate. “Sit. Eat while it’s hot.”

Reluctantly, Meg sidled over to the island. He’d left a chair between them, she saw. Apparently, he wasn’t any more enthusiastic about this arrangement than she was. Declan poured her some water while she took her first bite.

“It’s … it’s really good!”

“Again with the surprise.”

“Sorry, I just …” She took another bite. “If this is what you did with pantry items, I can’t imagine what it tastes like with fresh.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.