She continued her mental pep talk all the way to the front door. With one hand on the doorknob, she rehearsed her line of interrogation. “Who are you and why have you been following me?”
Shoulders back, she threw open the door, poised and ready to confront her potential stalker.
Turns out, someone had beat her to the task.
Her eighty-nine-year-old neighbor, Verna Hoffstetter, who lived in the lavender Queen Anne Victorian across the street, chatted amicably with the stranger. Or rather, chattedathim.
Mystery Man was too preoccupied by the pudgy snout plastered to the toe of his work boot to make casual conversation.
“Oh, don’t mind him.” Verna gestured to the chubby English bulldog leaving a trail of slobber along the worn leather. “Mr. Bingley is harmless. Sniffing is how he gets to know you. Remarkably, someone’s shoes can reveal a lot about them.”
If only Bing could pass along his intel, Abby mused, observing the exchange from the front porch, so far undetected behind the large pot of begonias.
“Are you new in town?” Verna asked while Bing moved on to chewing the man’s laces. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”
“Just visiting.”
“Where are you staying?”
“Um, nowhere.” He shook his foot, but the movement didn’t deter the portly pooch. Bing clamped down even harder and shot the man a disgruntled glance. “I’ve been driving into town every day from Redton.”
“Goodness! That’s a three-hour drive, at least. More if you hit traffic on the highway.” Verna shook her head, tousling her short tangerine-colored curls. “That’s quite a slog.”
“I don’t mind.” He shrugged his slim shoulders, and Abby noted how frail he looked, as if he hadn’t eaten a decent meal in weeks. One of her hearty breakfasts would work wonders. At the thought, a new possibility occurred to her. What if he wasn’t interested in her at all, but simply needed a place to stay? Maybe he’d heard she ran an inn and wanted to check things out before booking a room. The possibility helped calm her wariness.
“What brings you to Blessings Bay?” Verna asked as if she’d read Abby’s mind.
“I don’t know, exactly. There’s just something about this place that calls to me, odd as that sounds.”
“Not odd at all! Blessings Bay has that effect on people. If you hang around long enough, you may find you never want to leave. Isn’t that right, Abby?”
Abby jumped at the sound of her name, stubbing her toe on the ceramic flowerpot. Her cheeks flaming, she stifled a whimper of pain.Who looks like a stalker now?
Verna’s pale blue eyes shimmered with bemusement, as if she’d been aware of Abby’s presence all along.
Mystery Man, however, didn’t look amused in the slightest. In fact, he looked as startled as Abby felt.
With a sheepish smile, Abby hobbled down the steps to join them. “Verna’s right. When I first arrived in Blessings Bay last December, I’d only intended to stay until the new year. Now, they couldn’t run me out of town, even if they tried,” she said lightheartedly.
The remainder of her apprehension vanished in Verna’s calming presence. Plus, in light of the man’s timidity around the squishiest and cuddliest dog in the world, it was almost comical she’d found him intimidating.
He cautiously offered his hand to Bing, who sniffed his fingers before giving them a lick. Abby made note of the pup’s approval.
“Abby also runs the best bed-and-breakfast in the area,” Verna added. “Possibly the country.”
“Verna’s my unofficial publicist.” Abby beamed at the woman who’d become her surrogate mother over the last several months. “I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
“Your place does look nice.” Mystery Man squatted to pet Bing. “Much too nice for a guy like me.” He met her gaze with a playful smile of self-deprecation, but something about his eyes struck her—something she couldn’t explain—and she couldn’t look away.
Somewhere in the depths of warm, chocolatey brown, she glimpsed a humble vulnerability, perhaps even embarrassment, as if he didn’t believe he deserved the finer things in life. What had he endured that made him feel unworthy of something as simple as boutique accommodations?
Compassion swelled in her chest. Maybe his eyes looked familiar because she recognized herself in them? A lost soul who’d experienced a string of unfortunate events outside his control who needed help finding a new path. She’d once been the wanderer who came to Blessings Bay in search of respite. And she’d found so much more than that—she’d found a home, a family, and a fresh start. Isn’t that why she’d opened the inn? To share the same blessing with others who may need a new beginning?
“Don’t be silly,” she blurted before she could think better of her impulsive idea. “Everyone can use a little luxury every nowand then. Besides, we have a special summer rate—first night free.” Okay, so it wasn’t an official promotion, but Logan would understand once she explained the situation, wouldn’t he?
“Really?” His gaze traveled beyond her to the inn, taking in its elegant features, from the gingerbread trim to the pristine white shutters. “That’s awfully generous, but even with a free night, I still don’t think I could afford to stay here.”
“Then stay the first night, at least,” Abby insisted. “If you’d like to stay longer, we can work something out.”
