One Snowy Night (Sweet Home, Alaska #1) - Patience Griffin Page 0,76

Boomer on the head.

Hope was still staring at Piney. “I can’t go to Anchorage today. I have to take care of Ella.”

“Hogwash!” Piney exclaimed. “Ella will come here after school and help Sparkle. Have no worries, buttercup. I’ll stay at the lodge with Ella until you get home.” Piney smiled at Ella as if she had a secret. “Ella has me and her dog to keep her company this evening, right?”

“Mom, I’ll be fine. I don’t need a babysitter. Boomer and I can hang.” Ella had her hand out. “Now, can I have the keys?”

“They’re in the basket by the front door.” She turned to Donovan to see what he thought about Piney’s steamrolling, the impromptu trip to Anchorage, and his reaction to the two of them obviously being thrown together.

Donovan stepped into the fray. “Listen, Piney, I don’t have time to make a trip to Anchorage. Why don’t you take her? You and Hope can make a day of it. Besides, what do I know of curtains, fabric, and decorating?”

Piney dropped her hands to her hips. “I can’t traipse off to Anchorage. I’m going to recruit people to sew. And besides, I have the Hungry Bear to manage as well.” She peered at him sternly. “I’d think you’d want to do whatever you had to for the sake of Elsie’s Wines of Alaska wine tasting.”

He frowned at her for a long moment, an intense stare-down. Finally he caved. “Fine. For my grandparents.”

Hope, completely unhinged from the exchange, followed Ella to the front door. “Are you sure it’s all right if I go to Anchorage?”

“Mom, you do you,” Ella said snarkily. “I have to get to school.”

Hope was sure Ella didn’t approve of her and Donovan going off together. She wanted to shout that this wasn’t a date, not by any stretch of the imagination.

As Ella pulled on her coat, Hope said, “Text me when you get home from school. Come directly to the lodge so you can help.”

“Keep track of your hours.” Donovan had followed, too, and pointed his thumb over his shoulder. “There’s a notebook on the table where everyone is going to log in and log out. Just add your name to the list.”

“Sure.” Ella squatted down to give Boomer one more kiss on the snout. “I’m outta here.”

Hope felt a twinge of fear. What if Ella didn’t come home after school? What if she went out drinking instead?

“Don’t worry.” Piney squeezed in beside her and patted her back. “I’ll look after her. I’ll text her when school lets out and have her run by the store to get something for the lodge . . . like lettuce. Something that might freeze in the car. That’ll get her here quickly.” Piney wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Go. Have fun in Anchorage. You never let yourself do anything because of that sweet cabbage of a girl. But you ought to be able to get out of Sweet Home now and then.”

Yes, but this was different. Going to Anchorage with Donovan meant spending long hours in the car with him. Close quarters. She wasn’t sure her heart could take it.

Piney didn’t seem to notice Hope’s apprehension and the fact that she was rattled. “I know you value your self-reliance, but we’re all here for you. I’ve told you a million times that it takes a village, Hope. It’s time you tap into your resources. We love you and Ella.”

“I know you do,” Hope said. But the rest of Sweet Home could be a bunch of gossiping ninnies. Or at least that was what she’d thought at seventeen. But now—well, look how Sweet Home had pulled together for Donovan, the prodigal son. Momentarily, it made her heart full. “I better measure the windows. Donovan, do you have a tape measure?” she said over her shoulder.

“I can do better than that.” He went to the small desk in the corner and retrieved a stack of papers. “You won’t need to measure anything. Courtney did it in preparation for listing the lodge. She gave me a copy of all the measurements and a layout of the lodge so it will be easier to pick out furniture. I’ll have Rick call ahead to the furniture store so they can have an experienced salesperson ready.”

It was only eight o’clock in the morning but Hope already felt worn out. Plus her nerves were frayed at the prospect of spending the day alone with Donovan.

“Let me get ready.” She’d need an extra notebook and sketching