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“But Iris, you knew her?”

Abby nodded, tears clogging her throat She hadn’t realized howa connection to family until just now There was no one left She was the last direct descendant of Elijah Foster, and this toas her only link to her family For the first tial notification of her inheritance What Isabel Frost had given her today was a precious gift She’d given Abby history She’d given her life context Even if it wasn’t neat and tidy and happy, it was so

“Gras were better left in the past,” Abby ventured, when her voice was steady again

Isabel frowned for a one “Well, it’s a shaain “What are you planning to do with the house?”

The words “sell it” sat on the tip of Abby’s tongue, but she couldn’t see that as going through her er than her revised plans She couldn’t deny that she was getting caught up in it—not just the ro I’ to do is have it properly restored,” she announced Then, Abby pro to discover all the Fosters’ secrets

Saying the words out loud gave her a renewed energy Even though she’d already asked To to Art and Isabel ry She lifted her spoon and scooped up a mouthful of creaain, Abby asked, “I don’t suppose you have another piece of that pie back there?”

“With ice cream?”

What the hell A few days ago she’d been determined to breeze in and out of toith ain her heels, ready to uncover what she coul

d about the fay to get through it

“Why not?” she answered with a jaunty shrug

As she dug into the warht be biting off more than she could chew

And that the challenge made her feel more alive than she had in months

Abby got up at dawn and dug out her yoga pants and running shoes In the days since her arrival she’dhad provided a substantial calorie burn She’d been relieved to discover that both the fridge and stove worked and she’d cooked so out to eat every night, which had helped But sheand the rhyth, and the physical exertionand capable, co it seeear up for a new start

She jogged down the lane to the road and then turned left, starting up the winding incline The May ht rass and wildflowers that had yet to open A half-mile into the run, the paveate blocked the road from any traffic, just like Art had said, but she skirted around it and kept on going Legs burning, heart pounding, Abby could see the summit, not that far away now

The sun rose higher in the sky and the only sound on the air was the birds singing in the scrub bushes and trees She recognized the call of chickadees and the clear-as-glass song of the finches, s and crows Just when she was sure her legs would give out, the path leveled A gravel drive off to the right led to a rundown, abandoned barn It leaned precariously to the side, as if it could slip at any les