“I’m so sorry about the job, honey,” Tammy whispered.
“Are you?” One glance into the woman’s puppy-dog eyes and Lauren regretted her harsh tone.
“Oh, sweetheart. As much as I’d love to keep you here forever, I want what’s best for you even more.”
The woman’s authenticity made Lauren feel small and petty. In all the weeks she could remember, Tammy—the whole family, really—had been nothing but kind and gracious. Lauren’s background had made her distrustful and cynical. It hadn’t been as obvious in Boston as it was here in this small town where people were so nice and accepting.
She glanced at Tammy. The woman had been more of a mom to Lauren than her own mother had been. It wasn’t nothing. “I appreciate that, Tammy.”
Her arm circled Lauren’s waist. “You know, honey, I’d be happy to put in a good word for you with Olivia. She owes me one—the debt goes all the way back to college, and I’ve just been waiting for the chance to collect on it.”
Lauren’s heart seized at the thought of securing that position. Surely if Olivia was on the fence about Lauren, she’d listen to her friend. With one simple phone conversation, Lauren’s dream job could be salvaged. It was so tempting. And yet...
Lauren cleared her throat. “Thank you, Tammy. I appreciate the thought. But if I get that job, I want it to be on my own merits.”
Tammy’s eyes shone with something like pride as her lips tipped up in a smile. “Very admirable. You’re a fine young woman, Lauren, and an excellent manager. She’d be crazy to turn you down.”
“Miss Tammy, I can’t make the teeth look right.”
“Well, let’s see what we can do about that.” Tammy gave Lauren one last squeeze, then moved around the table to help the younger girls.
Tammy’s beaming smile and vitality added a wonderful energy to the affair. And her generous affection with every guest was heartwarming. If she was a little overbearing sometimes, Lauren could forgive that.
She realized belatedly that in offering to rescue Lauren’s job, Tammy would’ve ended up hurting her own son. Did she care that much for Lauren? How was that even possible when her own mother had left her so easily? She wasn’t sure she understood that kind of sacrificial love.
The rest of the event Lauren went through the motions, but she struggled to tame her troubling thoughts.
Chapter 26
July 8
Lauren was relieved to have the busy Fourth of July weekend behind her. The place had been packed—not only the resort but the entire town. She’d had about one free waking hour the entire weekend, and she’d spent it watching fireworks over the lake with Jonah and his family. At the end of the night, Jonah walked her back to her cabin and kissed her slowly, deliciously. She’d come to anticipate those lingering kisses.
The past four weeks together had been filled with fun and banter. They’d taken short trips on her days off. They’d gone to Laconia for the annual motorcycle week, Weirs Beach for the kitschy atmosphere, and the darling town of Littleton to visit Chutters—home of the world’s longest candy counter. She was still enjoying the bags of jelly beans and red licorice he’d bought her.
His family had been accepting and also curious about their relationship. Both Tammy and Meg had tried to pry for information, but Lauren insisted they weren’t serious.
Those amazing kisses notwithstanding.
When she wasn’t managing the property or kissing Jonah, she was making plans for the barn’s renovation. Because, yes, she and Jonah had talked Tom and Tammy into the project. She’d worked hard on her presentation, and the whole family was on board and excited aboutthe additional revenue the venue would bring in. They wanted to start simple—only renting the place for events. Later they might add seating and catering and planning packages.
As eager as Lauren was to get started, it would take a while to clean out the interior and remove the vines and underbrush that practically swallowed the barn. She and Jonah would do that themselves.
But right now Lauren had another job on her agenda. She walked the property with a trash bag, tidying the grounds around the cabins. Most of the holiday guests had checked out yesterday. The afternoon heat made sweat bead on the back of her neck as she worked. She fished an empty water bottle from a bush in front of Willow, then found a Snickers wrapper outside the laundry facility. She was heading to the firepit—a premium trash area—when movement caught her eyes.
An unfamiliar scruffy yellow dog sniffed around the pine log seating.
She approached slowly. “Hey there, friend.”
The dog didn’t stop its sniffing until it found a piece of graham cracker and scarfed it down. That’s when Lauren noticed the dog’s ribs undulating beneath its coat. “Oh, honey.”
The dog finished the cracker and began scavenging again. Burrs were caught in its matted fur. It had been quite some time since this dog had been cared for. A closer inspection turned up the dog’s sex.
“Hey, buddy.” She held out a hand and the dog sniffed it, looking up at her with brown eyes that told a sad story.
“Let’s go to the lodge, huh? We have some food for you there.” They kept pet food on hand for guests to use in a pinch. She patted her leg and the dog followed. “Come on, sweetheart. It might not be as good as the snack you just found, but I think you’ll be pleased.”
He followed her all the way to the lodge, right on her heels, as if he’d been trained. Or maybe he was just that desperate for his next meal. She opened the door and he followed her inside.
