The House on Blackberry Hill: Jewell Cove #1 (Jewel Cove) by Donna Alward

Author:Donna Alward [Alward, Donna]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2014-04-29T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

It didn’t make sense that a rundown mansion that she’d occupied for less than a month should feel like home, but it did. Abby braked her car partway up the drive and simply looked, marveling at the changes only a few weeks had wrought. The white exterior seemed whiter somehow, perhaps because of the roof, the new black shingles shining in the June sun. The trim around the windows had been painted a creamy tan that mimicked the original colors, and the front columns had been treated to white paint while a darker stain had been applied to the porch floor. Even the overgrown ivy had been trimmed back, and already it looked far healthier. All in all the house was looking rather grand and even a bit welcoming.

Abby let off the brake and drove the remainder of the way to the house, anxious to get inside and see what other changes had taken place while she was gone.

The front lawn was freshly mowed, and as she parked and got out of the car she saw a huge urn of spiky grass, begonias, and trailing lobelia taking up one corner of the floor of the veranda. Climbing the steps, she spied a plastic stake in the planter holding a card. Curious, she plucked it from the holder and opened the tiny envelope.

Welcome home.

That was all it said but Abby knew in an instant who’d put it there. Tom. The realization sent something strange curling through her. She hated what he’d done. She’d told herself a hundred times that any fanciful thoughts she’d had about him were over. She supposed the urn was his way of apologizing for the party. A garden planter wasn’t exactly romantic, but it was thoughtful and suited the corner perfectly. It was better than flowers. It was … personal. What was more disconcerting was that he’d somehow known she’d prefer it. She stared at the card again before tucking it into her pocket, where it rested warmly against the denim of her jeans. He was making it hard for her to stay mad at him.

She’d texted Tom to say she’d be back today, just to make sure that there wasn’t any renovation going on that required her to be out of the house. In a way she’d half expected him to be here when she arrived, but this was better.

It gave her time to just be alone with the house. To allow herself to feel whatever it was she felt about it. Fear? No. Even with the unexplained occurrences, there was no fear. There was a sense of restlessness—no surprise there. She usually felt like she had one foot out the door no matter where she lived. She didn’t want to stay anywhere too long, or get too attached. At least now she recognized why. She’d had a chance to think about it during her trip home. It was too easy to get emotionally invested. It wasn’t worth the heartbreak in the end when things went sideways, which they always did.

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.