Page 5 of Lakehouse Mistletoe
He placed his elbows on the counter and studied her with a grin. “Oh yeah. So, you are the new caretaker.”
Helen nodded and took another sip of water. “You know that place?”
He nodded. “Sure do. It was a fixer upper when Rebecca and Kacey bought it. They put a lot of sweat and tears into that place. It looks great. They just need the right person to take care of it. Looks like they found her.”
She ducked her head and placed her hands on the counter. “I hope so.”
He cocked his head. “Have you run a bed and breakfast before?”
She chortled. “No. First time. Hope I don’t make a mess of it.”
He smiled confidently. “I’m sure you’ll do great.” His eyes landed on her left hand. “I’m guessing from your accent you’re from Tennessee?”
Self-consciously she covered the tan line from where her wedding ring used to be. “Arkansas.”
He gave her a serious look. ‘Are you sure? I’ve been known to be spot on when it comes to accents.” He grinned.
She relaxed at his playful banter. “I grew up in Tennessee but moved to Arkansas when I got married.”
He snapped his fingers. “I knew it.”
A waitress approached the end of the bar and got his attention. “Oliver, I need two gin and tonics.”
Oliver nodded and turned back to her. “Nice meeting you, Helen. I think you’ll find yourself right at home in Hopeton.”
She nodded and took a sip of water. Under her breath she muttered. “I hope so. It’s the only place I have left to call home.”
Chapter 4
Helen pulled into the driveway of Laurel Cove Bed and Breakfast, parked, and turned off the car. She was thirty minutes early. She had hardly slept last night, and ended up taking a shower at five a.m. She had to wait until six for the small motel to serve coffee. By the time she got into her car she’d consumed three cups.
To say she was a little jittery was an understatement.
Helen hiked her purse on her shoulder and slowly walked up to the front porch. She wrapped her scarf tighter against her neck to ward off the cold breeze coming off the lake.
The house was painted a charming green color and had a red tin roof. The porch was large and inviting with wicker furniture and lots of soft pillows for enjoying an early morning coffee.
The steps leading up to the porch were decorated in orange pumpkins and bright red mums.
The entrance around the door was beautifully decorated in the same color scheme. An autumn wreath hung on the door with decorative ribbon tying the ensemble together.
She glanced over at the lake. It looked smooth as glass.
It looked exactly like the ad.
Helen took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
The door flung open. A young woman in a robe looked startled to see her standing there.
“Did you get locked out? I told the owner she needs to make sure the key works correctly.” The young woman looked put out.
Helen shook her head and held out her hand. “No, I’m Helen Dunn. I’m the new caretaker.”
The girl arched her brow at her outstretched hand. “I’m not the owner. I’m a guest.”
A pretty woman with long brown hair and dressed in a black suit appeared holding a tray of donuts. “Thanks for getting the door, Jackie. I’ll take it from here.”
Jackie shrugged, snagged a donut, and headed back upstairs.
