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THE CONTRACTOR ARRIVEDtwo hours late then made up for it by spending three hours checking out the house, caretaker’s cottage, and barn, making detailed notes on repairs. Leaning on her elbows braced on the kitchen counter, Nicole glanced at the list and estimated price tag, rather surprised it wasn’t higher. She’d donated the proceeds from selling Tony’s house to various charities, but about half of what he left her remained in a savings account in Chicago. She’d kept enough to stay out of debt buying the property and covering the expenses of repairs, putting in five indoor/outdoor kennels, updating and furnishing the house and cottage, and saving some for the rescued dogs’ vet and food expenses. The home inspector had assured her both living quarters were solid, with updated plumbing and electric, and only needed a cosmetic facelift, which helped her finances.
Glancing up, she nodded at Jim who stood across from her, finishing a glass of iced tea. “Okay. Slade Kincaid vouched for you, and this looks good. When can you start?”
“I can get a construction crew out here in about ten days. Maybe a little sooner if a smaller job gets finished by the end of the week. In the meantime, I’ll order supplies and give your preferences for the house and cottage interior redos to my interior design assistant who will call you.” He jerked a thumb out the window. “The Kincaids are good people. Did Slade build the fence for you?”
She normally didn’t care for bragging, but, darn it, she’d also worked long and hard on it. “Along with his brothers and myself.”
Lucky for him, he didn’t appear surprised or even impressed. Setting the glass down, he picked up his hat and said, “Feel free to stack anything you don’t want from the barn and cottage in a burn pile, anywhere out in the open, away from the woods. I’ll call you with a more definitive time schedule.”
“Thanks,” she replied, walking out with him.
Sam came trotting out from the bedroom as soon as the door closed. With tail wagging, all happy now that the stranger had left, he nudged her hand for attention.
“What’s with you? Jim is a nice man, yet you run off without even checking him out. And this is after you cozy up to Slade, who’s bigger, gruffer, and well, annoying.” All true, which didn’t explain why every time he popped into her head, she grew warm in places that had no business getting hot and bothered over the man.
“He issonot my type,” she told her dog with a final scratch behind his ears. “You better learn to like Jim. You’ll be seeing a lot more of him than the neighbor soon. Come on. Let’s go for a walk.”
Nicole had planned on checking out the mercantile this afternoon, but one glance at the clock and she decided to wait until morning. There was still enough daylight left to find the place, but she didn’t relish driving the long stretch of unfamiliar highway in the dark. At home, there was always traffic, day and night, to light up the roads, and no wild animals darting out of nowhere. She was still acclimating to the odd howling, hooting, and screeching night sounds that were either calming or nerve-wracking as opposed to the ruckus from neighbors on the other side of her walls.
Taking advantage of the last hour or so of daylight, she and Sam explored more of the property, believing Tony would approve what she was trying to do here. He’d been crazy about Sam and had accompanied her to donate time at the shelter, always insisting on loading up with food and toys for both dogs and cats. They strolled by the barn, and she looked around for the two stray cats who, so far, had resisted all efforts to allow her close. She figured they kept the mice under control, but put out food and clean water anyway, hoping they would learn to trust her.
They came across a narrow trail veering into the woods around the same area where she’d first seen Slade. Peering through the dense trees, she couldn’t glimpse a house or barn but was close enough to hear the gurgling stream. Another day, she would take Sam down to the water where he would love to splash and romp, not because she was curious how close Slade he was. Not that she would admit anyway.
“Come on, boy. Let’s head back and find something to eat.” All this outdoor exercise had stirred up her appetite, and the air had turned cooler with the sun dipping.
The next day didn’t go as planned, either. The designer, Taylor Schmidt, brought out a van full of samples, from flooring to counters and catalogs to browse, which took hours. They walked through the house making choices, then the small cottage, taking a break to eat the fresh muffins Taylor had picked up from a bakery in Eagle’s Nest on her way here from Casper. With her head swimming with colors and textures, Nicole spent what was left of that afternoon drawing for one of her children’s books contracts, her dream job both fun and soothing.
Allie called first thing Wednesday morning to ask about lunch, and, since that fit into her plans, Nicole agreed to meet them at the restaurant. All her plans in initiating this move had been centered around the need for solitude, an ache that intensified every time the press found and hounded her for an interview or Natalie showed up at the shelter or work to harass her. She enjoyed the girls’ company, but all she wanted today was to show her appreciation for their thoughtfulness the other day by accepting their invitation.
Sam didn’t look happy when she left, but he’d enjoyed a long romp that morning while she flagged the area to fence in behind the house for a large yard. He always obeyed her, coming as soon as she called to him, even if he was chasing a rabbit or squirrel, but she would never leave him unattended outside. There was no telling what he would do with her gone.
The shopping center was about half a mile off the highway but easy to spot by the crowded parking lot. Nicole found a place in the middle, close to the mercantile which sat between the restaurant and a small laundromat. She would have brought a load had she known about it as her washer and dryer wouldn’t arrive for another week. She walked toward the restaurant thinking she should have thought this move through more thoroughly. She’d spent more time and effort getting acclimated to her new environment and making preparations to take in needy dogs than mourning Tony’s death and her hand in ending his life.
The two sessions with a grief counselor her parents had suggested were not much help. The guilt still lingered, just under the surface, and with it the unanswerable question – had there been another option? She realized the futility of asking that, but for that reason alone, she could look at her scars and be grateful for the reminder of how far gone he had been in those final moments.
Nicole heard her name and glanced toward the door, seeing Lily waving. Shoving off the past, she focused again on the here and now, returning her greeting. “Hi. Sorry, my head was in the clouds.Oh, what smells so good?” she asked as they entered and the aroma of fresh-baked goods hit her.
“Mmm, Ina’s baking. Pies and bread, her specialties. That’s her behind the counter.” She returned the older woman’s wave. “Her husband, Howard, is one of the cooks. We’re over here.”
“Popular place,” she commented, eyeing the row of customers seated at the long counter and the number of occupied tables. A tall pie stand loaded with decadent desserts sat next to the register, tempting people to add one to their tab.
“It is, with good reason.”
The ends of Lily’s mahogany hair swung around her upper back as Nicole followed her through the filled tables to a corner where Allie waited. Each of the blonde’s white nails sported a fall icon — leaves, pumpkins, witches, turkeys — that covered the upcoming holidays.
“I love your jewelry and nails,” Nicole told her, taking a seat. “But with all the work I have to do, it’s best to stay Plain Jane.” She held up her bare nails and wiggled her fingers.
Lily grinned. “She’s tried to talk me into going with her to get mine done. I prefer clear polish.”
“Boring.” Allie rolled her eyes, handing a menu to Nicole. “Everything is good. I’m having the chicken melt. Save room for pie.”
“There’s always room for pie, but that bread smells too good to pass up. I’ll order some to take home. All this fresh air and the physical labor I’m not used to sure keeps the appetite stirred up.”
“What are you used to?” Lily asked, setting aside the menu and reaching for her water glass.
Nicole waited until the waitress took their orders before replying. “The big city. Crowds, traffic, constant noise, and stuffy air unless the wind is gusting. Once I get a few dogs, it will be nice keeping them outside for a while each day without having to walk them. But I could use help with hiring a handyman who likes dogs.”
“I’m glad you asked, and, if you’re open to giving second chances, I may have someone for you.”
