One Snowy Night (Sweet Home, Alaska #1) - Patience Griffin Page 0,16

bear, but Piney loved him. She’d spent all these years, happy as a clam, without a man. But the last two years with him had been the happiest she’d ever known.

“Just give me a second. I’m going to run downstairs for a minute.” She handed him the remote. “Turn on the news and I’ll be right back to watch it with you.”

He grunted something close to okay.

Piney hurried downstairs and grabbed one of her three grocery carts, filling it up with anything and everything nonperishable, as she suspected Donovan might not have the refrigerator running yet. The grapevine hadn’t reported that the utility company had been out there.

She added up the amount and stapled a note to one of the bags: On credit. So he’d know that he wasn’t getting a free lunch.

There was a knock on the store’s door. It was Hope.

Piney turned off the lights, grabbed the bags, and unlocked the door. She walked out quickly. “Open the back.”

“What’s the rush?” Hope said.

Piney didn’t want her to see which bags she’d chosen for this delivery. “I just want to get back to Sparkle.”

Piney tried to ignore Hope’s dagger-filled eyes. Okay, she’s not happy, but it’s for her own good.

Piney hurried to put the bags in the back and closed the hatch quickly so Hope wouldn’t see them under the streetlight. It had been a long time since Piney had experienced this much fun.

“Isn’t that Bill’s pickup?” Hope asked, pointing to the evidence parked across the street.

“Bob Brewster picked him up and took him out to his place to fix one of the dogs’ runs.” Piney might be going to hell for lying so much in such a short period of time.

“What groceries could Donovan possibly need that he didn’t buy an hour ago?” Hope appeared agitated with both her and Donovan.

Piney only wished she could go along to watch the fireworks. “Make sure he doesn’t stiff you on the tip. He’s loaded, you know.”

Hope rolled her eyes, making her look exactly like her teenage daughter. She walked to the driver’s side and opened the door. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Piney would be eager to hear all about it.

But the truth was Hope never talked to anyone about Donovan. Not when he left. Not when she found out she was pregnant. There had been some speculation that the baby wasn’t Donovan’s at all. Hope went to stay with her aunt in the Yukon for a few weeks following Izzie’s death. Over the years, Piney had overheard Ella tell her friends that her dad had been a Yukon oil worker who’d died on the job. But Piney never believed it. Ella was the spitting image of Donovan—his hair, his eyes. Ella even paced like Donovan did when she was telling a story. Piney would have liked to be there when Hope broke the news to Donovan about his daughter.

She chuckled as she went back inside the store. Yes, with Donovan back in town, interesting days were upon them. Piney would make the most of them, especially since Ella’s bright future hung in the balance.

Chapter 3

HOPE STARTED HER vehicle and the trunk-open light flashed on. Grumbling, she hopped out to see what was wrong and found one of the bag handles hanging out. She opened the trunk to shove it back in and caught sight of which bags Piney had selected. One was made from Hope’s favorite blouse from high school. The other from one of Hope’s skirts. What was Piney thinking?

More accurately, what was Piney up to? She’d saved Hope from having to check out Donovan’s groceries, but then did the ol’ out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire bit. Hope did not appreciate it.

She started the car and sat there for a moment, stalling. She’d been so relieved the awkward encounter was over, and now she was driving out to the lodge for round two?

Wasn’t it just last week she’d decided to make a conscious effort to put the past behind her, and only look forward going forward? It was one of the reasons her favorite clothes from high school had been made into bags.

But now, her past was at the lodge. She put the car in gear, anxious to get this over with.

It started to snow, just a dusting, as it had seventeen years ago, when she’d driven Donovan and Beau to the New Year’s Eve party. Donovan’s car had been in the shop, giving Hope the rare opportunity to drive them. She wished now that his car had been fine, or even