Page 12 of Sweet Home

“That’s okay,” she told him. “I don’t need a lot of sleep.”

Like fun you don’t,he thought to himself, but didn’t say it out loud.

“If you wake up in the night and you need anything, I’ll be upstairs in the room across from the one with the sign that saysElizabeth,” he told her. “Obviously, feel free to eat anything in the kitchen, and just generally make yourself at home. Okay?”

She nodded and he wasn’t sure, but her eyes were glistening, almost like she wanted to cry.

She probably wants to yawn,he scolded himself.Let her get some sleep.

But she insisted on helping when he moved to clean up her bowl and plate. They washed up the pan and the few dishes together—nothing but the clink of the silverware and the hush of the running water to interrupt the companionable silence thatfell over them.

It reminded West a little bit of being married. He had always liked those small moments of peace in the evenings after getting the baby off to sleep. Even though they usually just spent the time cleaning up or planning the next day’s tasks, there was something nice about sharing that quiet hour.

When they were finished, she dried her hands on the Christmas towel hanging from the stove. He wanted to walk her back to her room, but somehow that felt too intimate now that they were alone downstairs. He cleared his throat.

“I’m going to head up to bed,” he told her. “Don’t be shy about waking me if you need anything.”

“Thank you, West,” she said softly, turning to look up at him with those big, serious eyes.

Beautiful,he thought without meaning to, immediately feeling like a monster.

“Sleep well, Dulcie,” he told her before turning and heading upstairs.

She needs help,he reminded himself firmly.She doesn’t need me noticing that she’s pretty.

5

DULCIE

Dulcie awoke in a cocoon of warmth and comfort after an amazing sleep. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she’d woken up feeling so good.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to snuggle back in to get a few more minutes of precious sleep.

Until she realized that she wasn’t in the car.

Her eyes flew open to take in West Lawrence’s spare bedroom. The pale, gray light of dawn glowed in from the two walls of windows, and she could see the wooded hillside through the sheers on the back wall. The side windows showed her nothing but white—likely that snowy meadow she had seen on the way in.

Sitting up, she pulled the comforter around herself again and closed her eyes, pretending for just a moment that this was her regular life.

What if she and Delphine lived here? They would wake up every morning feeling warm and rested, and on a dairy farm, there would be plenty to eat all the time.

She grabbed her phone from the bedside table and tapped out a message to her little sister.

morning, d

i think i’m in heaven!

grandaddy was right about this place

i’ve already got a job

It had been forever since she had heard back from Delphine, but it felt nice to message her anyway, especially with good news.

And things felt like they were looking up a little for her. Everyone she had met since arriving in Vermont had been friendly, or at least decent. Even the grumpy mechanic didn’t seem to want to take advantage of her situation.

She sighed as she remembered that situation in cruel detail.

Not having a car was a serious problem—it meant she had neither transportation nor a temporary home. And finding a cheap car that ran was challenging. She would probably end up working this whole season just to buy another one and get back to where she started.

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