Read The House on Blackberry Hill: Jewell Cove #1 (Jewel Cove) for Free Online Page B

what atrocities some outsider might inflict upon it? Maybe Miss Foster would cover those gorgeous floors with carpet and rip out the fireplaces, cover everything with floral chintz or something. Unthinkable.
    “I’ll think about it. It would be a lot more challenging than my current job.”
    “Which is?”
    “A new deck and pergola outside Jess’s store. She has some new idea of displaying windsocks or something outside this summer.” Their cousin Jessica Collins owned Treasures up on Lilac Lane. Josh had always said she got the creative genes in the family, but none of them had guessed at how well she could apply her business sense to that creativity. In the summer, at the height of tourist traffic, Treasures would be jam-packed with people. Generally Tom tried to avoid it, especially in the evenings when Jess held classes above the store. Too many women. Too much chatter. Cluck-cluck.
    “A big project might be just what you need,” Mary said, putting a casserole dish in a low cupboard. Her smile flickered for a second as she gripped the edge of the counter for support.
    “Okay?” Bryce asked. Tom had gone cold seeing how Mary had swayed on her feet, but Bryce was cool as a cucumber. He hadn’t even shifted in his chair. What was wrong with the man?
    “It’s gone now. Just a head rush.” She looked at Tom and grinned. “Happened the last time, too. All the time.”
    “The last time…” His gaze dropped to her belly and back up to her wide smile. “Alice isn’t even a year old!”
    She shrugged. “We always said we wanted them close together.”
    An emptiness opened up inside him and he refused to fill it with jealousy. He was happy for them, of course he was. He got up from the table and gave his sister-in-law a gentle hug. “Well, congrats again,” he said, then backed up, giving Bryce a thump on the shoulder. “Another one past the goalie, huh?”
    He didn’t waste time over long good-byes, but alone in his truck on the way back into town, he let the feelings in. Maybe they were right. Maybe a big project was what he needed, because having too much time on his hands gave him too much time to think. And the truth was, seeing his brother so happy made him realize how empty his life had become.
    *   *   *
    The washer and dryer at the house hadn’t been used in so long that everything had calcified or rusted, and Abby had the persistent, icky thought that mice might have built nests in the dryer ducts. There were no clean linens on any of the beds; the gorgeous four-posters had mattresses but nothing else. A search of a linen closet revealed two sets of sheets coated with the ever-present layer of dust, but no blankets or comforters.
    Realizing there was no way she could stay here in the house’s present condition, she bundled up the sheets, got in her car, and started back into town to check into a motel for the night. Tomorrow she’d wash the sheets at a Laundromat and stop by the grocery store to stock up on cleaning supplies.
    Abby slowed as she got closer to the town limits. There was more than enough dirt at the house to keep her busy for at least the next few weeks. For a few moments she fantasized about using some of Aunt Marian’s money to hire cleaners to come in and do the work for her. And yet, despite her dislike for dusting and scrubbing, she knew she didn’t want anyone else going through the contents of the house. If nothing else, she owed it to her grandmother to find out what she could about this side of the family. Who knew what she might discover beneath the grit and grime?
    And once that was done she’d decide what needed to be fixed and contact a Realtor. She hadn’t planned on staying in Jewell Cove very long but plans changed. It wasn’t like there was a pressing need to be on any schedule. Or anyone waiting for her to return. She could afford a few weeks to take care of personal business. That’s all this was. Business.
    She didn’t want the intimacy of a