Page 9 (2/2)
It was just his bad luck that To in the Rusty Fern when Josh and Erin had announced their engage how she wasin a small town Everyone knew by the next day at noon how he’d professed his undying love over one too many pints of beer It had nearly been a relief when Josh had been deployed as an arotten out of the forces he and Erin had stayed in Hartford, close to Erin’s family Jewell Cove was small and seemed even sot to her first, but Josh was the one who’d put a ring on her finger That was all that counted
Tom looked into Bryce’s face He knew his brother cared, buthe had to do on his own time and in his oay “I promise you, I’m fine”
Mary’s soft gaze tore into hio on a date?”
He looked back at her evenly “Sot the only wo in the county”
A pretty flush glowed on her cheeks “Go on with you”
“So what about this Foster woman?” Bryce sipped his coffee and leaned back in his chair “Maybe you should ask her out I heard she’s the right age and has all her teeth and everything” He grinned wickedly
“Abigail? Huh She’s a ue Kind of plain, actually” A hint of a sotten a peek at a fine botto, ripped jeans, not to ed-up feet
“Plain, huh?” Mary questioned, a note of disappointment in her voice
Abigail Foster was far from plain no e Mary or Bryce “Not my type Look, all I want from her is the chance to work on that house There’s not another to match it on the coast Jed Foster built it with the best and built it to last If she’s planning on selling it, she’ll get a better price if it’s restored properly first”
Bryce shrugged “If you’re so hot for the house, why don’t you buy it yourself? You could get it for a lower price now and either keep it or turn it over for a nice profit Then her lack of appreciation wouldn’t matter and you could do it how you wanted” He made air quotes around the words “lack of appreciation”
The idea was a good one, and Tom had some money put by he could use as a down payine flipping it for a profit after putting all the work into it How could he invest all the tiy just to hand it to so there What would he ever do with a house that big? Wander around in it and beco a hermit now and he knew it Besides, ether a down pay it was his only option
Still, the idea was teht it, at least it would be restored the way it should be Who knehat atrocities soht inflict upon it? Maybe Miss Foster would cover those gorgeous floors with carpet and rip out the fireplaces, cover everything with floral chintz or so Unthinkable
“I’ll think about it It would be a lotthan my current job”
“Which is?”
“A new deck and pergola outside Jess’s store She has so outside this summer” Their cousin Jessica Collins owned Treasures up on Lilac Lane Josh had always said she got the creative genes in the fauessed at hoell she could apply her business sense to that creativity In the suht of tourist traffic, Treasures would be jam-packed with people Generally Tos when Jess held classes above the store Too many women Too much chatter Cluck-cluck