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I squeezed my eyes shut with a surge of relief. She would not be this cheerful if there was anything wrong.

“I’m home today and I thought I would check up on you,” she said.

“We spoke last night,” I reminded her, though she didn’t need any reminding. “I’m good, busy at work. How are the kids?”

“Good, they’re upstairs in the games room.” Ivy’s house was huge but she and her husband ran their own law firm in Rogers, Montana.

“Great,” I continued. “I’ll call you guys in the evening, okay?”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked, “I can send you something to tide you over.”

“I’m fine, thanks.” I hated to ask for help from my family and she was already doing enough keeping Ethan while I settled into our new lives here in Paradise.

We hung up and I continued my drive. Google maps told me to take the next left. I thanked God for technology. I was fine with a voice on my phone telling me which direction to go, but if you gave me a physical map, I was lost.

I took another left turn and followed the driveway that cut through a well taken care of lawn. Coming to a stop in front of a neat single-family home, I cut the engine and went to the back to grab the crate. I carried it to the house and gently deposited it at the front door.

Before I could ring the bell, heavy footsteps sounded and a second later, the door swung open.

“Hello. You must be the new delivery lady,” an elderly woman said, a smile on her face.

“I am,” I said, smiling back. “Do you want me to carry these in for you?” The instructions were to leave the delivery at the front door but there was no way I was leaving the heavy crate for her to carry.

“Yes please, that would be lovely,” she said, holding the door open for me.

I lifted the crate and stepped into the house. I waited for her to lead the way into the kitchen.

“My name’s Dorothy,” she said, “and my husband’s name is Rory.” Her gait was slow as she led the way through an open plan space to the kitchen beyond.

“I’m Savannah,” I told her.

“You must be new in town,” she said, coming to a stop in front of the kitchen counter. She patted the space she wanted me to place the crate.

“I am but not so new. My Aunt May lived in Paradise and I came to visit her over the years. I’ve moved into her cottage.”

“I knew May. She was a lovely woman,” Dorothy said. “It’s a small world. I always say, be kind to everyone you meet, you never know who they might be.”

“Very true.” I could see that she wanted to talk and I felt bad as I inched away from the kitchen. I really needed to get a move on since my next delivery was quite a distance away. “It was nice to meet you Dorothy. I’ll see you next time.”

My heels made a clicking noise as she followed me to the front door. “It was lovely to meet you too. Are you headed to Cameron’s? Like us, he gets his deliveries done twice a week.”

“Yes, I think that’s him. How far is it to his house?” I opened the front door.

“Twenty minutes if the weather is good,” she said. “Pass our regards. He’s got a heart of gold, that Cameron.”

“I will,” I called out cheerfully as I made my way to my van.

I loved how people in small towns looked out for one another. It was one of the reasons why I’d decided to move into the cottage Aunt May left for me, rather than sell it or rent it out.

Dorothy’s estimation was correct and in twenty minutes, I had reached my destination.

“Wow,” I said aloud when I stopped the van in front of the two story, gorgeous, rustic house. My gaze swept over the landscaping which looked as if it had come straight from a postcard.

The views. If I lived in that home, I would have my groceries delivered too, as well as anything else that I needed. I would never leave it unless I absolutely had to. I gingerly got out of the van and went around to get the delivery.

I took my time walking to the front door, enjoying the views and the absolute peace that surrounded me. The house itself had windows which covered entire walls. The owner had brought the natural surroundings into the interior of the house. If by some miracle I ever became rich, that was the kind of house I’d live in.

I rang the bell twice but there was no answer. I deposited the crate on the ground. The temptation to look around was too great to resist and I walked around the house, following a gravel path. The garden surrounded the house, all the way to the back.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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