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sure.” She shook her
head in weary confusion. Too much had happened entirely too
quickly. She suddenly felt like Dorothy after having landed in Oz.
As if she had been swept out of her comfortable life and into some
strange place where nothing was as it should be. Home, but not
where she belonged. Surrounded by friends, yet a stranger to those
around her. Now if she could only find the yellow brick road that
would take her to Dianne’s.
    “ Of course, she’ll still be
here on Monday,” a familiar voice boomed from the still-open
door.
    Caroline lifted her gaze to
meet the newest arrival to her Ozian adventure. Henrietta . Sweet, kind Henrietta.
Grandma Colleen’s oldest and dearest friend. A widow and with no
children of her own, Henrietta had claimed Caroline as a niece of
sorts. The caring woman had been Aunt Henri for as long as Caroline
could remember. Affection rushed through her chest, propelling her
to her feet. Firm, yet gentle arms engulfed her as they had
hundreds of times while she was growing up.
    “ Sweet Jesus, little girl,
it’s good to see you,” Henri murmured against Caroline’s
hair.
    For the first time in eight
years, Caroline wanted to cry. To cry for the loss of her parents,
for being an only child, for God taking away her grandmother when
Caroline still needed her so. And for Chase. Caroline closed her
eyes and forced the pain and tears to retreat. She couldn’t do this
now. She simply could not break down like this in front of
him.
    “ It’s really good to see
you, too, Aunt Henri,” Caroline whispered. She drew back and looked
into the dark eyes of the last remaining soul on earth she could
even come close to calling family. Churning emotions made her weak
with regret. “I’m sorry it’s been so long. I should have
called.”
    Henri smiled, the beauty of
it peeked past the marring lines of age. “Yes, child, you should
have.” She pulled Caroline against her once more. “But you’re here
now.” Keeping one arm around Caroline’s shoulders, Aunt Henri
turned to Felix. “Leave the girl be and give her some time to
think, Felix,” she scolded. “Can’t you see our Caroline’s been
through an ordeal? She’ll give you an answer on Monday.” Henri gave
Caroline’s shoulders a loving squeeze.
    “ I’ll call on you on Monday
then, Caroline,” Felix offered, visibly deflated that he couldn’t
have his answer sooner.
    “ Come on over to our place
for breakfast Monday morning,” Henri piped up. She smiled at
Caroline. “Our little girl certainly can’t stay at Colleen’s old
place. There’s no electricity or water service. She’ll be staying
the weekend with us.”
    Us? Caroline wondered.
Behind her, Caroline heard Chase groan. Us? That couldn’t
mean...
    Caroline’s eyes widened in
disbelief.
    No way .
     
     
     
     

Chapter Three
     
     
    Caroline took a slow,
calming breath as Chase braked his Jeep Wrangler to a stop in front
of the two-story home in which the Garrett family had lived for
five generations.
    Pristine white siding with
classic black shutters dressed the exterior. An array of blooming
flowers and shrubbery decorated the wide verandah as well as the
landscape. Brimming, green ferns hung in strategic locations for
eye-pleasing appeal. Pretty clay pots of begonias and impatiens sat
here and there, showing off their vibrant colors. Wicker chairs
lined the shaded verandah, and a wide, matching swing hung across
the far end. Thick, striped cushions boasted an almost irresistible
invitation to sit a spell. Caroline remembered spending lazy summer
afternoons in that swing sipping lemonade.
    She shook off the lingering
nostalgia. When, she wondered, had Henri moved into Chase’s home?
Henri had lived alone on her family farm forever. Maybe alone was
the key word here. Henri had always appeared so happy and full of
life to Caroline. But time changed everything. Maybe Henri simply
got lonely after losing Colleen. And
me . Regret mounted a little
steeper.
    Still