these two were up to something. “Do you need to tell me something?”
“Uh, no, you’ll find out soon enough. Let’s just say we’ve taken care of everything and all you have to do is show up.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Lauren pointed out.
“What’s that?” Candace asked.
“The ‘we’ve taken care of everything’ part.”
Gwen laughed. “You worry too much, Lauren. Just go and have fun.” To Gwen, life was just one big party.
Oh, well, there was no use fighting them. Besides, Lauren needed to get out of town. Away from Jeff and Camilla. Away from the memories.
“Now, write this down,” Candace was saying. “Woodwards’ Bed and Breakfast.” She proceeded to give Lauren the address and phone number. “Your flight leaves at seven-ten tomorrow morning. One short layover and transfer.”
Lauren groaned.
“Sorry, that’s the best we could do. Grab a taxi and you’ll be there by early evening.”
“What about Nocchi?” Lauren asked, referring to her shih tzu.
“They said you could bring her.” Gwen laughed. “We checked.”
It seemed they had thought of everything.
Lauren was silent.
“You still there?” Candace wanted to know.
“Yes.”
“Are we all set?”
Lauren hesitated, then offered a resigned “Yes.”
“Whoo-hoo,” Gwen called from the line.
“Great!” Candace chimed in. “I’m going to London with Mom and Dad for a week. Should get back to the States during your second week. I’ll call you then.”
“Okay,” Lauren said, feeling none too sure about this whole thing.
“Bon voyage,” Gwen called with a laugh.
“She’s not going on a cruise,” Candace said dryly.
Showing her good-natured spirit, Gwen simply said, “Oh, yeah. Well, adios.”
Candace groaned. Being the more sensible one of the two, she too sometimes struggled with Gwen’s constant bubbling. “Have a wonderful time, Lauren. Who knows, this trip could possibly change your life.”
I could use a changed life, she wanted to say. “Thanks, Candace. Thanks, Gwen. You two are the best.”
After they all exchanged goodbyes, Lauren put the phone down and stared at it. Candace’s words rang in her ears. This trip could possibly change your life. Lauren wanted to believe that. Her life couldn’t get any worse.
She looked around her bedroom decorated with modern furnishings and deep crimson-colored walls with white trim. How long had she lived in this apartment? Three years now? As a two-bedroom, it wasn’t huge, but it was spacious enough for her. She liked the layout of the place and the fact that it was brand new when she moved in. With it being situated so close to work was a definite plus. She wasn’t sure what had held her back from buying a home, but given the current situation of living off her savings, she was glad she wasn’t tied to a mortgage. Besides, with her best friends living in other states, the bigger home would only increase her feelings of loneliness.
Lauren left her bedroom and headed toward the attic to retrieve her luggage, all the while praying her friend was right.
By Saturday afternoon four of the contestants had arrived. No one was sure if number five would show. Since they had lost her application, Macy and Molly seemed a little relieved.
After dinner, Garrett stepped outside behind their B and B. Twilight had just settled over Bliss Village, and he needed a breath of fresh air. Macy and Molly could take care of entertaining the guests for now.
Once outside, Garrett gazed at the evening sky. Was he crazy for trying to run this place? After all, the B and B had been his wife’s dream, not his. They’d only lived there, what, two years when she died? Hardly seemed possible that he and the girls had lived there five years already.
He walked over to get Bear, his black Lab, from his pen. He had never seen such a diverse group of women. Where in the world had his daughters found them—on weirdbadandugly.com? He sighed. Okay, he wasn’t being fair. They weren’t ugly, after all. But they were, well, a little weird. He kicked a rock out of his path. Maybe they weren’t strange at all. It might just be him—he didn’t know what to look for in a woman anymore.
Bear trotted alongside him as they took a pine-laden path in the woods behind his B and B.
Besides, Garrett had to admit Gracie appealed to him, with her lithe body, long brown hair that looked soft enough to wallow his face in and brown eyes that could match that of any doe in the county. It had been some time since he’d been attracted to a woman.
If only he could duct-tape her mouth.
There was something about her voice, or maybe it was the way she said things, or what she said. He didn’t know. But he had a sneaking suspicion if he was with her for very long, they’d have to put him in a strait-jacket. In fact, he figured the government could use her as an instrument of torture in times of war.
No wonder she lived on a mountain.
Maybe he should reserve judgment. Perhaps she was nervous. He’d give her the benefit of the doubt.
He’d try to give them all the benefit of the doubt.
Garrett came to the wicker bench he had placed on the rough trail and sat down. The air smelled damp and heavy with the scent of pine. This place calmed him like nothing else could. Birdsong whispered through the trees that cooled and protected him when he visited during the heat of the day.
Bear walked around, sniffed here and there, then strutted back. With the stance of a lawn ornament he sat at attention beside Garrett’s feet.
Brown cones and pine needles littered the area. Garrett sighed and ran a hand through his thick dark hair. He couldn’t remember such a stressful day. Oh, he knew his daughters meant well, they constantly nagged him about dating, but he had a feeling the next two weeks would be about as comfortable as wearing a suit and tie on a fishing boat. He leaned over and scratched Bear’s head. The dog leaned in for a good rub.
“What am I going to do, Bear?” Garrett kept scratching. “There’s not a woman there I can relate to. I know the girls have put a lot of work into this, so I have to follow through, but it won’t be easy. I have a feeling we’ll be making lots of trips out here, ol’ boy.” Bear looked up and Garrett was almost certain he saw a smirk on the hound’s face. Sometimes Garrett felt his dog was close to human.
He rubbed his forehead. Why did Susie have to leave him? He wouldn’t be going through this whole mess if she were still here. They had so many dreams for their future. He could still remember how her eyes used to sparkle whenever she talked about the B and B. She had such a passion
