She missed breakfast, but she’d wander downstairs in a little while in search of leftovers. Mrs. Addy usually had extra muffins and scones leftover, especially on the weekends since she made more. If not, lunch was around the corner, and Jessa also kept a bin of snacks in her room for when she had the munchies. Mrs. Addy didn’t mind as long as they were kept in a sealed, plastic storage that wouldn’t invite critters.
Sitting up, she decided she ought to get moving. Sleeping until ten was one thing, staying in bed ’til whenever was another. One fantastic benefit of living at Addy’s was the lack of housekeeping. She only had to do her own laundry and keep her room tidy, but Mrs. Addy had employees to take care of the rest.
Beatrix, her youngest sister whom everyone called Trixie, referred to Jessa’s housing situation as only a step up from a college dorm. Jessa disagreed entirely—if so, why would people spend hundreds of dollarsa nightto stay here. Sometimes she wished for more room, but at this stage in her life, the arrangement suited her well. She passed Trixie’s comments off to jealousy, as her sister lived in a rundown, one-bedroom apartment not much bigger than Jessa’s entire room at the bed and breakfast.Had lived. No one knew where she lived now.
She stretched her arms and stood to her feet after sliding her feet into a pair of slippers. Even with the upgraded central heating system, the hardwood floors were chilly in the mornings. She grabbed the elastic tie from her nightstand and pulled her hair into a quick ponytail until she got to the shower.
Continuing her morning routine, she unplugged her phone from the charger and checked for any messages. Memories of yesterday surfaced, and she envisioned Landon standing by the gas pumps. It had to be Providence that put them in the same place at the same time. He’d looked good, happy and peaceful, unlike the first two times she’d seen him. He’d also gotten a haircut, and the tighter trim fit him better than the shaggy style.
How’d he fared overnight? Perhaps he’d exaggerated how irresponsible and provoking his parents were, and this time with them had opened his eyes. Or maybe she wanted to see his family situation through rose-colored glasses in hopes she could transfer that same optimism to her family. They’d once been happy—she couldn’t understand how so many things went wrong in such a short time. Her upstanding, role-model citizen family, had been shattered by events of the last year.
Everyone told her God had a lesson somewhere in there to be learned, but she wasn’t so sure. Couldn’t life be a perfect storm of heartache without God making it a teaching experience? Because truth be told, she’d rather not learn the lesson.And bypass all the trials too.
Unwilling to ruin her Saturday-morning-sleep-in good mood, she purged her mind of thoughts regarding her family. Why let them lease unpaid space in her head? Instead, she sent Landon a text, wishing him good luck today. She understood family dynamics and how quickly they could sour. With the background he’d given her, she could see an argument break out of the blue.
Probably over something dumb at that, like a missing straw at the restaurant. Goodness, that night had been a mess. She could laugh about it now, but it hadn’t been funny at the time. Other families had suffered falling-outs over less ridiculous arguments, right? She shook her head, chuckling to herself as she walked to the shower. One day she’d write a book about all the crazy events in her life recently.
Landon hadn’t replied by the time she finished her shower.Probably out sightseeing with his family. She hoped they made it to Theodore Magnus’s cabin. There was a short hike to get there, and the path was paved, but she didn’t know his grandmother’s physical condition. Landon had said she was in good shape for her age, but that left much room for interpretation.
Instinctively, she knew Landon would find a way to make it happen no matter what. He had that go-get-’em personality, evidenced by his willingness to invite his parents on a trip he didn’t want them on just to make his grandmother happy.
She ran a brush through her hair and went downstairs. When she came back, she’d blow dry it, but if she took the time now, she’d risk missing lunch as well. A slight exaggeration, but it did take her upwards of thirty minutes to blow it dry. The only way she could get out of it was keeping it in a ponytail for a day, which didn’t sound like a bad option.
Mrs. Addy met her on the steps. “We missed you at breakfast.”
“I needed a slow morning.”
“Don’t we all at times.” Mrs. Addy winked with understanding, though Jessa wasn’t sure the older lady had ever slept passed five a.m. a day in her life. “I saved you a blueberry scone. It’s wrapped in a napkin on top of the stove to stay warm.”
“You’re the best landlord a girl could ask for.”
“Now you’re breaking my heart. Is that how you see me?” Mrs. Addy’s eyes twinkled.
“Among many other roles, such as another grandmother.” She gave the lady a brief hug.
“That’s more like it.” After giving her cheek a kiss, Mrs. Addy continued up the stairs, likely heading to her private residence on the third floor.
Jessa found her scone where Addy had left it, then poured a glass of milk. Due to her long slumber, she felt plenty rested and didn’t need coffee to get moving. Instead of eating at the main table, she carried her brunch to the breakfast nook and ate there.
She cupped her hands and wiped the crumbs from the table and dumped them into the trash bin, then went to the kitchen and washed her cup. Her phone vibrated in her back pocket. She dried her hands and pulled out her phone.
Landon replied! She tried to squelch the giddiness that bubbled from her heart, but it was useless. She knew better than to let the instant attraction she’d felt toward him grow, but she was helpless to stop it. Even reminders of Chris didn’t send enough warning to fizzle her bubbliness where Landon was concerned.
That said, she wasn’t completely naïve. Landon barely counted as a friend, let alone a boyfriend. He only stopped by Jasper Lake, and that hardly qualified him as significant other material. Regardless, she’d enjoy whatever time she had with him.
The message…get back to the message. She held the screen up to see what he’d sent and immediately cringed. It didn’t sound good.
—Still willing to be a listening ear?
—Of course. What’s up?
—Dad and I had a blowup this morning. Not pretty. At all.
Just as she’d feared once she’d viewed his situation through realistic glasses.—What happened?
—Too complicated for texts. Gran goes to bed around eight. Any way you could meet up tonight?
—Come to Addy’s, and we’ll have a coffee nightcap.
