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"It’s so wet and cold right now I didn’t uncover the grill or deck furniture I thought I’d leave that to you You ht not want to sit outside in this weather"

Laine looked around for the first time It looked like she had a table and four chairs, a chaise and a rather large grill under the weatherproof drapes Laine turned and went inside again, taking note of the great room, divided from the kitchen by a breakfast bar The pictures had done the interior more credit than it deserved There was arattan chairs, a nice fireplace and zero hoe table with eight cane-back chairs There was a short hall that led to a laundry rooe door

"Bedroo her back toward the front door and up the stairs Laine and Devon followed along At the top of the stairs was a set of double doors that stood open to expose a rather s master bedroom Not a suite, but a bedroom One queen-size bed, one bureau, one bedside table and a fireplace But it had a triple-wide set of sliding glass doors and a s view Laine was drawn to it Her eyes nearly rolled back in her head at a vision of sitting against big pillows, looking out theat the clouds, only the fireplace lighting the rooht of the fireplace in the rooht on at night She never told anyone

"When the weather gets exciting, watching the lightning over the bay is like a fireworks show," Ray Anne said "Around here, it’s all about the view There are a lot of views in this town Some have the view in front, some in back, so houses and sometimes from little ones" Ray Anne stepped to one side "Bath," she said, indicating a very functional lassed-in shower, large spa-style tub and wide closet with built-in drawers and shelves

Laine ain Devon was oohing and aahing over the size of the master bath and closet space

"There are two bedroo thee is limited They’re small bedrooms but the sofa downstairs pulls out--the house can sleep at least eight The owners wanted a place for their children and grandchildren to visit Linen closet across the hall from the master Downstairs front closet under the stairs You have a two-car garage," Ray Anne said as she continued the tour

And only a few rather tacky prints on the walls, no little touches of ho tih--the carpet is shampooed, bathrooms and kitchen scoured, clean sheets on the beds, some towels on hand The carpet is fairly new I don’t knohat your plans are for the house, but it will accoroup"

Laine looked at her in some surprise "My plan is to live in it"

"Oh! Wonderful! Are you planning to work around here?"

She shrugged "I’ll probably do a little coovernment job but I can do some work from here--you know, clerical stuff I had a pretty serious shoulder surgery and with all ood benefits and--"

"I hope it wasn’t rotator cuff," Ray Anne said,her own shoulder up and down "That’s the worst! I had that surgery a few years ago and it’s hell, that’s all I can say It’s fine now but I thought it would take forever!"

Devon met Laine’s eyes, but didn’t comment She just stood in the master bedroo about other things, like what the place would feel like with a nicer sofa, with a throw on it for winter nights in front of the fire And how about sos on the walls, books on her own bookshelves? Her own sheets and towels and some of her favorite cookware and dishes? And her mother’s small kitchen breakfront, her treasure

She turned to Ray Anne "Did you ask the owners if they s and useand storing their things"

"They said that’s fine as long as their things aren’t daine how they’d ever know if anything was da as you pay your deposit and rent on time and put the place back the way you found it when your lease is up, there are hardly any restrictions in your lease You should read it over You can paint as long as you either stick to the colors or return it to the original" She wrinkled her nose "Which appears to be renter’s white No knocking out walls or redesigning the property" Then she lowered her voice as if to tell a secret "If you paint sohtfall, try not to inal color when you o take a look at that kitchen, see what the owners left fortruck is on the way--should be here in a day or two"

"Okay," Ray Anne said, "but there are plenty of places in tohere you can get a bite to eat until you get settled"

Laine was already on her way to the kitchen and when she got there, she started opening cupboard doors She found plates, a few pots, a frying pan, utensils, soned for a vacation rental But that was all right She closed the last cupboard door, turned and sood," she said "If you could just give ht the fire and make soup It looks like a soup day to me"

Eric Gentry sat at the counter in the diner having a late breakfast Next to hi the same Then the sheriff’s deputy walked in Mac pulled off his hat and took the seat beside Eric Mac’s wife, Gina, brought him a cup of coffee Then she leaned over the counter and collected a kiss

"I certainly didn’t get that kind of first-class treatment," Cooper said with a smile "And I ordered a wholetreat with a limp"

Eric chuckled, but he’d never make such a reht

"Mac," Gina chided with a laugh in her voice

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Mac asked Cooper "Get sick of Rawley’s cooking out at the bar?"

"Rawley doesn’t cook," Cooper said "Sos, but that’s just soood cook," Gina pointed out

"Oh, he cooks for Sarah," Cooper said of his wife "When she wanders into the kitchen he asks her right ahat she’d like Now that she’s packin’, Rawley takes real good care of her"

"Packin’?" Eric asked

"Pregnant," three people answered in unison