“Does it come with coffee?”
Jackie laughed. “By the gallon.”
“Then I’m in.” She flung the blankets off the bed and swung her legs over the side. Twenty minutes later she was showered, dressed, and stepping into the kitchen. “Oh man. It smells amazing in here.”
“Thank you.” Alice pointed to the table with her nose where Jackie was already cradling a warm coffee.
Katie poured herself a cup and settled into a seat beside her best friend since college.
With a spatula in her hand, Alice scooped out a hefty portion of the breakfast casserole, added a few strips of bacon and set the plate in front of Katie. “I hope you were comfortable last night?”
“Very.” She took her first sip of coffee. Heaven.
“I know we thought you’d be able to use the new guest suite but Kade has a buddy who will be staying here while he recovers from an accident and Kade said going up and down stairs wouldn’t be advisable.”
“Oh, my.” Katie set her mug down. “Of course I don’t mind. That room upstairs is perfect and probably the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in, but I do hope it’s not serious. Kade’s friend.”
Alice shrugged. “Not sure yet what we’re getting into. Kade was pretty tight lipped.”
No sooner had the words left Alice Sweet’s lips than the sound of a car door slamming, followed shortly by another, echoed through the house.
Her head lifting, her gaze riveted to the front door, a smile to outdo a kid on Christmas morning took over Alice Sweet’s face. After only a few minutes, the smile was replaced by a frown and Alice crossed the room quickly, swinging the door open and pretty much marching out onto the front porch. Her jaw dropped slightly open, ready to say something, and then sighing heavily, she snapped her mouth shut, her gaze fixed on something in the distance.
Suddenly feeling in the way, Katie decided to find something to make herself useful in the kitchen. Something she couldn’t muck up. Glancing around, she wondered how the Sweet matriarch would feel about her sweeping the floor? Surely that couldn’t be a problem. Everyone likes help cleaning house—didn’t they?
Only halfway to the kitchen, the back door swung open and Cassie appeared, stomping mud off her boots. “Are they here? Thought I heard a car pull up.”
“It seems so.”
Cassie practically flew past her to the front door making Katie wonder how long had it been since she’d seen her husband. Next thing to cross her mind was wouldn’t it be nice to feel that way about someone. She was still standing in the middle of the hall daydreaming about the perfect love when she spotted Alice Sweet slowly making her way up the porch steps, her arms openwide as if ready to catch a flying football. The sight was odd enough to have Katie inching forward herself. Not toward the kitchen but toward the front of the house.
Alice led the way back to the house. Cassie walked at her husband’s side, tucked under his arm.
“You’re doing great,” Alice encouraged the man walking behind her.
“Mom,” Kade almost whined from behind his friend, “he’s not a toddler learning to walk. He’s fine.”
“I really am, ma’am.” That voice washed over Katie like a warm blanket on a winter’s night. She stood rooted to the floor, curious to see if the man matched the voice.
Another moment and Alice hurried inside, a tall sandy blond man with broad shoulders and twinkling eyes crossed the threshold. If this was the wounded buddy, he looked awfully healthy to Katie. If she were honest, he looked absolutely delicious.
“Take a seat. Make yourself comfortable.” Alice waved to the living room sofa. “You’ll be inaugurating the guest wing. Kade will get your things.”
“Thank you, but I can grab my bag.” His head whipped around to point at the front doorway when all of a sudden, his eyes went wide, his arms sprung out sideways and he wobbled like one of those children’s toys that wobbled but didn’t fall down. Until he did. On her.
Chapter Three
What a way to make an entrance. Not only did Josh lose his balance—again, but like a line of dominoes, he fell on the woman standing in the hall, who fell on Alice, who landed on Brady. The dog had magically appeared out of nowhere as if he knew Alice would need a soft landing because Josh was going to make an idiot of himself and fall after only minutes in the house.
“Oh my.”
He wasn’t sure which woman had said that, but Josh did his best to raise himself before he completely crushed everyone beneath him. If only the stars dancing before his eyes would go away.
“Easy.” Kade’s fingers curled around his arms, easing him upright.
“Never mind me.” Very, very slowly, he turned his head to see Alice and another woman lifting themselves up from the floor with Jackie and Cassie hovering over them.
“Anyone going to check on Brady?” Josh was teasing, but the way Alice’s eyes flew open wide and she spun around, almost losing her own balance, to check on the retired K9, he wished he hadn’t been so cavalier. “I’m sorry about that. Is everyone all right?”
