“Nothing wrong.Just a smell remembered from a past that is no more.A good memory just the same.”
He looked as if he wanted to say more, but the moment passed.He crossed to the table and tapped the notebook with his finger.“This is Tori’s long list of all the things you need to know and some you don’t, but she is a politician after all… She gets carried away.”He grinned that lovely grin again and she found how easy it was to respond with one of her own.
“I am sure it will all be helpful and it’s so very thoughtful.I’ll study it cover to cover.”
“Follow me for the quick and yet expensive tour.”He led and she did as she was told, admiring the beauty of wood and wainscoting and the furnishings that were heavy yet lighter-colored wood and with so many touches of colors here and there in pillows and rugs—and after the dining room and living room areas, came the kitchen at the back of the house and she stopped in the doorway.She felt she had stepped into one of those heavy coffee-table books on the art of country decorating.It was bright, large, filled with touches of copper and bright white granite cabinet tops and shipboard walls…and green ivy plants that were real and not fake.The windows were wide and looked out on the lawns and what appeared to be a gazebo and rose garden that was dormant at the moment.Double doors of glass panes opened onto another wide expanse of porch.
As if that wasn’t enough, two barn doors opened onto what she could assume would be a sunroom…floor-to-ceiling windows went down both lengths and there was a highly polished floor and more tables and settees and inviting chairs with taller plants in the corners.
“I can’t decide which room is more amazing—each one is better than the one before.”
“This is a room that we added after Cassie’s wedding.It serves as a nice large space for a reception or if the inn wants to add more visitors to any of the five bedrooms upstairs.This can become a dining room for meals to be served.”
“Your sisters have thought of everything.It’s all perfect.I don’t quite understand why it isn’t still used as an inn?”
“Tori never planned on having an inn to run when she found Destiny’s River.But that is what happened and that was what it was for a few years.Then she ran for office, met and married her husband.Then my other sister followed much the same road and added another husband to the family, and it just evolved into being a home place for all our growing family to gravitate to for special holidays and celebrations and such.”
He smiled and his gaze stayed longer on hers.“And I think this has been quite an eventful morning for you and you need some of that rest that the doctor prescribed for you.You will find your suitcases and boxes are in the bedroom suite at the top of the stairs and to the right.You have both a view of the front yard and the back.Nice breeze in spring but not now.It’s a bit too chilly in the evening now.You have all of our numbers.The code to the front door…and one more thing…” He rummaged in one of his pockets and drew out a key fob.He handed it over to her.
“There is a car in the garage for your use while you are here and for any of the errands you must run with Jillie and for shopping and whatever.It’s yours to use however and whenever.”
“That is so nice of you.And is Jillie’s schedule in the book also?”
“It certainly is,” he replied.“Along with maps marked of the various places you will become familiar with.And you won’t have to begin with Jillie until Monday.Her schedule is there for each day.I am certain you will see Tori and Jillie at some point this weekend.But please don’t be afraid to shoo them out and get that rest you need first and foremost.That is an order from the head law officer of this county.And people are wise to obey him.”
“I see how you tried to keep a straight face there, but you might want to work on that little twitch at the corner of your mouth… It’s a dead giveaway.People might not take you all that seriously with that going on.”
The smile disappeared and she felt a bit sad to lose it.
“I can see I underestimated you.You need to be watched.A pretty, smart city girl is in our midst.”He couldn’t help it as that twitch appeared again.She had to smile.
“Thank you for everything you have done since I went airborne on your lovely county road.You and your family and so many others have done their best to help and welcome me.I’m not used to that, but it is very nice indeed.”
He tapped his two fingers to the brim of his hat and allowed a grin to appear.“Get some rest and call if you need anything…and I mean anything at all.”He walked down the hall, and she felt a bit of a letdown that he hadn’t looked back just before stepping outside.But he probably had his mind already on his real job.And she was just a temporary employee that he had delivered instructions to and now she was on her own again.But she slowly retraced her steps and then went up to discover her room.
If she was a temporary employee, she would still feel like a princess thanks to the grand old house.She hugged Annie in her heart.She had a feeling she was smiling at that moment for her, too.
Chapter Nine
“Are we boringyou, Sheriff?”
The question was innocent enough, but given that it was from the mayor, his sister at that, it didn’t exactly make him feel all that bad that he had been caught daydreaming out the window.He didn’t look a bit contrite as he returned his attention to the four people around the meeting table.“Sorry all, but my mind was on another problem.And even then, I did hear your argument against the budget for the new drainage ditch along the east side of the football field, Mr.Walters.But given the amount of time my department alone has put in trying to redirect traffic around that part of the school and the adjacent neighborhood each time we get even a regular amount of rain, it will save money on that score alone.Plus, the fences along Mr.Jeffers’ pasture go down with the onslaught of runoff and that allows his cattle to get to the stadium grounds, which again needs my office to become cowboys and round them up before anyone gets hurt or any damage is done to the field or to cars in the lots.It’s a regular nuisance that has cost this county already several thousand dollars with no end in sight.”
Tori smiled at her brother.Nice save on that one.But she secretly hoped his mind might be on other things…like Ally Jones.It wasn’t a meeting that had kept him from picking Ally up at the hospital and taking her to Primrose.She had a feeling her brother had figured that out by the way he shot her a look when he walked inside the door of her office for the meeting they were in at the moment.But she wasn’t contrite either.She knew her brother better than most and there was something in the way he looked at and spoke to Ally Jones.She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it was there.So it was up to her to help matters along if she could.
The discussion continued with the group agreeing to reconvene the following week and make final arguments and take a preliminary vote.“In a hurry, Sheriff?If you wouldn’t mind staying for a minute or two?”
“A minute or two is about all I have, Mayor.”He waited for the others to leave and then spoke up.“Yes, Ally Jones is settling into Primrose as we speak.She loved the house, and the cookies were a hit.She has the schedule and is studying it and will call with any questions.End of report.Now, I really do have work to do.”He moved toward the door, but she was faster and stood in front of it.
“Thank you for handling that today…helping her get settled and all.She is really a sweet girl and Jillie seems to really like her, too.Maybe she’ll like it so much here in Destiny’s River that she’ll want to stay even longer.Wouldn’t that be nice?”
“You know why we never liked playing poker with you…my brother and sister and I?”
“Well, that was an unexpected response but I’m game.Why?I figured it was that you all were afraid I would beat you.”
“We didn’t want to beat you, big sister.You have a rotten poker face.We could tell in a heartbeat what you had in your hand and what you were up to—just like now.”
“What do you mean?Now?I have a very good poker face.I’m a politician after all.”
