Page 25 of Ash

A kitchen in the corner looked like it was the perfect size to cook dinner for one.

Or two.

With a smile she saw her bags sitting beside the dainty dining table with two chairs.

Since she'd packed her things, she knew exactly where to find her clothes and toiletries.

Another dress. Her practical albeit not so fashionable underwear.

Comfy socks.

And her work shoes. They weren't pretty, but they were well made and she could run marathon in them if she needed to. Well, if she were to run a marathon in sensible heels.

Smiling at her silliness, she turned back to the door just shy of the bedroom and pushed it open.

When she'd come into the house she hadn't needed to use the bathroom.

Well, maybe she'd just been too tired to do it.

Now she could see it and smiled at the simple tile pattern that climbed the walls and crossed the floor.

The tub at the end of the room next to the window was simple. Her dreams of a claw-foot tub weren't going to be realized here, but that was just the smallest of troubles. Not even a trouble. The tub and shower were bigger than her apartment and that was more than enough for her.

Setting her toiletries on the side of the sink, she moved to the bathtub and with a silent prayer she gave the brass knob marked H a twist.

The pipes were silent for a moment and just when Suzannah wondered if she'd have to become a polar bear and jump into ice cold water from the other knob on the tub, the pipes shuddered and sputtered and then a beautiful shower of warm water descended from the heavens!

Well, the shower head, but who was she kidding. It was going to feel like heaven!

Twisting the C knob to add some cold water to the mix, she lifted the underside of her wrist into the spray. Once she felt the warm coursing over her arm, she quickly stripped her clothingoff into a puddle on the floor, she stepped behind the curtain and into the spray.

There would be time later to luxuriate, she told herself. She had people to meet and information she needed to seek out. So she washed her hair and her body as if she had paid for the water by the minute. After all, she didn't know if she did.

She didn't know much of anything, but she knew that the last thing she wanted to do was meet everyone smelling like she'd spent a day on a bus.

Five minutes later, she was standing in front of the mirror over the sink, dressed, her hair pulled back in a pony tail. Wiggling her toes in her socks, she smiled back at herself.

This,she told herself,is my chance to be someone. To be myself. I just need to go out and figure out who that is.

Suzannah slipped her feet into her shoes just shy of the front door and when she opened it up, there was a man standing there on the step.

"Miss Miller." He adjusted a leather portfolio that had been in his hands, tucking it under his arm before holding out his hand to her. "I'm James Redding. I was your Great Aunt's attorney." He grinned at her and she saw the sharp smile and the squint of laughter in the corners of his eyes. "In a town this small, I guess I'm everyone's attorney."

Suzannah smiled right back. "Mister Redding-"

"James, please."

"James," she nodded and let go of his hand. "I was just going to head to the bakery and see if I could help out."

"Perfect!" James lifted his hand and gave her a little two fingered salute to the temple. "I'll go with you and make the introductions."

Suzannah hesitated. "I feel horrible. I should have been up earlier to help. Bakeries have to start early."

"This is Mystic Mountain, my dear." He tipped his head a little to the side and she thought she saw his nose twitch a little. "Things happen when they'remeant to happen."

When he said it, it sounded so reasonable, but Suzannah had always felt like she'd been waiting for something... anything to happen.

The idea that something would just happen to her now that she lived in Mystic Mountain, felt almost like magic.

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