One Snowy Night (Sweet Home, Alaska #1) - Patience Griffin Page 0,75

the lodge, though, felt as if Donovan would do anything to keep from being near her. But he wasn’t wrong. The hardware store was a mess. To begin with, it needed a new roof, according to what Leaky Parks had told her a while back.

Hope grabbed the notepad on the counter and took it to the table to start the grocery list. Unfortunately, instead of helping with the repairs, she would be spending her morning cooking for the crew.

There was a knock at the door and then a “Hello.” It was Piney and Sparkle laden with grocery bags. “We come bearing gifts.”

Rick hurried to Sparkle and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, but instead of lightening her load, he relieved Piney of her bags. Clever move.

Sparkle blushed.

“What’s in the sacks?” Hope asked.

“Lunch for the workers and food to stock Donovan’s pantry. I figured since he was gone for a week his refrigerator would be empty.”

Hope’s ears perked up. Piney sounded as if she knew where Donovan had been. Hope would be doing some arm-twisting later to find out what she knew.

“Can you help me put everything away?” Piney asked.

Hope asked her own question. “Who’s watching the store?”

“Bill is manning the cash register,” Piney said.

In all the time that Bill had been in Sweet Home, Hope had never known him to work at the store.

“I’m headed right back but I needed to speak to you first,” Piney said.

“Oh?”

“You need to measure all the windows for new curtains here in the lodge and the cabins. Then look around and decide what furniture would look best.”

Hope was torn. On the one hand, she had a definite vision for the lodge, but it might not match Donovan’s, which meant working closely with him. She dreaded being near him . . . and at the same time, she longed for it.

“I see that look on your face,” Piney said. “But you’re the best one to bring this place into the new millennium. You’ve always had such great decorating sense. Look how you’ve kept the Hungry Bear’s front window looking so charming and up to date all these years. You yourself have said how much you’ve always loved this lodge.” She looked beyond Hope. “Donovan, what do you think?”

He came into the dining room. “I agree. I can’t do it all, Hope, and it would be great if you oversaw the decorating.”

“The lodge is yours,” Hope protested. “It should reflect who you are and what you like.”

“My taste isn’t the issue,” he said quickly. “I just want to spruce up the lodge to sell it. Don’t forget, I’m not staying . . .” Was she imagining it or did he look a little uncertain? Conflicted, too? Her heart fluttered.

Stop it! Hope told herself. She needed to make He’s not staying her new mantra. He probably wished he’d never even brought up the Christmas Festival to the council. Well, she didn’t need him here. What she needed was Donovan gone so things could get back to normal. But maybe she shouldn’t rush him; without him here, she would be without a job and no place to stay.

Boomer looked up at her with big sad eyes.

“I bet you’d like some breakfast, wouldn’t you, little guy?” she said.

Donovan pushed away from the counter, but she held up her hand. “I’ve got it.” She poured Boomer’s dry food into a dish and filled his water bowl.

“All I care about is that the lodge should look Alaskan,” said Donovan. “And not old Alaskan like it does now.”

Piney nodded. “Then it’s settled. You and Hope will work together to put the lodge and cabins to rights. Take your measurements, and then you both need to head to Anchorage. After you pick out furniture, hit the quilt shops for fabric for both the window treatments and the quilts.”

“What?” Hope’s brain was buzzing as she tried unsuccessfully to block Piney from shoving a pad of paper at her.

“Bill and I put together a list of possible quilts and the amount of fabric needed for each.”

“Quilts? Seriously, Piney, you and I barely have enough time to make curtains.” And you’re nuts if you think I’m going to Anchorage with Donovan!

“Good lands!” Piney said. “We won’t be doing this alone. We’ll enlist the help of the others in Sweet Home who can sew.”

Hope knew her mouth was hanging open. “Well, I can’t—”

Ella rushed in with her backpack dangling from her hand. “Mom, can I take the car to school?” She knelt down to kiss