Colleen Coble Read Online Free Page B

How did you get here?”
    She looked up again, her blue eyes hopeful. “I came by the ferry. I have a job and everything. Just no place to stay.”
    “You’re too young to be out on your own.”
    “I’m eighteen.”
    When Amy lifted a brow, Heather grabbed her purse and dug out her driver’s license. “See—eighteen! Please, I need a bed. Even the attic.” Her eyes glistened with tears, and her soft mouth trembled.
    The desperation in Heather’s voice tugged at Amy’s heart-strings. And she wasn’t looking forward to listening for Ben’s footsteps and hearing echoes of his voice in these empty rooms. What could it hurt to give the girl a place to stay, at least until the festival was over? “I’ve got a spare room.”

    Libby and little Noah were just down the hallway, but the cottage still felt empty. Amy sat on the edge of her bed and listened to the sea wind whistle through the eaves. Her eyes burned and her muscles ached as she pulled on her short nightgown. She pulled back the comforter and sheets, and the faint scent of rose petals wafted from the bed.
    Tears moistened her eyes as she climbed onto the smooth cotton sheets. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the aroma of roses. Who knew it would be his last gift to her?
    “Amy?” Libby’s voice outside her door sounded panicked.
    Amy threw back the covers and sprang to open the door. “What’s wrong?”
    Libby wore a blue nightgown and held her sleeping baby. Tears rolled down her face. “I—I’m scared, Amy. I don’t know how to be a mother, and what if I hurt him?”
    Amy drew her into the room and guided her to a seat on thebed. “Oh, honey, you’ll be fine. Babies aren’t as fragile as they seem. All they need is lots of love. He’ll let you know when he’s hungry and needs to be changed.”
    Libby sniffled. “My mother was a drunk. What if I fail Noah somehow too?”
    “Every parent makes mistakes, but kids survive. Look at you. Even with the problems in your family, you turned into a caring, wonderful person. Trust yourself, Libs. Noah is lucky to have you for a mommy.”
    Libby’s smile came then. “You always know the right thing to say.” Her eyes sobered. “You doing okay? It’s your first night.”
    Amy blinked quickly but not soon enough to hold back the tear that escaped. “Smell the roses? Ben always put petals in the sheets when they were folded. Even when they’re shaken before making the bed, the fragrance stays.”
    “I wish I’d known him better. You loved him very much.”
    Amy nodded. “He was eight years older than me and I idolized him. And he knew me better than anyone. He was the one who knew I’d never make a good lawyer. He saw my love of children and told me to follow my heart.” She smiled and shook her head. “I don’t think he realized I would take it quite this far. I’m sure I drove him crazy when I was small. I followed him around everywhere until he went to college when I was ten.”
    Libby brushed her lips across Noah’s soft, dark hair. “Tell me more about him. I only met him a couple of times.”
    Amy loved nothing better than talking about Ben. “He was so smart. I don’t even know how many things he had on his plate, but he knew so much about business. I think he would have ended up richer than Dad if he’d lived.”
    “He was engaged, wasn’t he?”
    Amy nodded. “Poor Elizabeth was devastated by his death. She still isn’t dating.”
    “Such a tragedy. I’m so sorry, Amy. Did you get to see him a lot?”
    “Not nearly enough. Mostly just the two weeks we spent here every summer.” She fell silent. There had been plenty of times he’d begged off meeting for dinner or dessert, but she hadn’t faulted him for that. He had a lot of friends and was always on the go.
    And losing him wasn’t something she’d ever dreamed would happen, or she would have pushed harder to spend every minute with him.

    Curtis couldn’t remember the last time he’d been to Rosemary Cottage.