Torin (Hope City #9) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,41

an opportunity to seek her out privately. Tara had offered a heartfelt hug as well as the acknowledgment of knowing how difficult it had been to face the family with her trauma. Sean and Kyle had wanted to make sure she knew they were there for her, while Harper and Kimberly were eager to spend more time with Erin now that she felt more like joining the land of the living. Caitlyn had invited her to come by so the two of them could have time together the way they’d used to years earlier. And Rory, who’d taken her news the hardest of all her siblings, continually called or texted until Sandy finally convinced him that she was going to be fine.

She’d decided to share the rest of her story with her parents, both holding her tight as they assured her of their love and support while sharing her grief for the man they’d never had a chance to meet and the child she’d never had a chance to deliver. Pushing those last thoughts to the side, she focused on her excitement of the day as she drove to Caitlyn’s apartment.

Her youngest sister was a high school English teacher, a career that was undervalued, underpaid, and yet was the only thing Caitlyn had ever wanted to do. Pulling up in front of her building, Erin glanced around. The same appreciation she always felt when she came to visit flowed through her. Caitlyn was saving money so that she could buy a place of her own but for now was satisfied with renting. She’d never wanted a bland, typical apartment in a bland, typical apartment complex. What she’d found instead was a huge, old Victorian house that had been divided into four apartments.

As Erin looked up at the almost-burgundy brick, white trim and shutters, and huge bay windows, she could not help but think of Torin’s apartment in the same old building as the pub. There was something about living in a slice of history that was so different than living in something modern. Caitlyn had always laughed, saying that she felt connected to all the people who’d ever lived in the house since it was built over a hundred and fifty years ago.

Entering through the front door, there were two apartments on the bottom floor, stairs directly in front of her, and two apartments on the top floor. She jogged up the stairs and turned to the right, lifting her hand to ring Caitlyn’s doorbell. Not surprised since she was expected, the door flung open just as she arrived and Caitlyn swooped out, her arms thrown open so the two sisters could hold each other tightly in their greeting.

“Come on in! I’ve got the wine ready to pour and snacks on the coffee table,” Caitlyn enthused, leading the way.

Sunshine poured into her apartment, and Erin sighed in pleasure. The renovations included a wide living room facing the front corner with windows on two walls. The small dining room was just to the right of the door, and it was separated from the large kitchen by a wide counter. A door led from the kitchen to a combination pantry and laundry room. A hall led to a guest bedroom and small bathroom, ending with a larger owner’s bedroom and bathroom, including a clawfoot, soaker bathtub.

Caitlyn’s decorating was simple but kept with a green and burgundy theme for the curtains, sofa, and chairs in the living room, creating a warm, inviting space. Plopping down onto the sofa, Erin leaned forward, anxious to pop a piece of cheese from the snack plate into her mouth.

Bringing the wine over, Caitlyn said, “I figured you had to skip lunch with your finals.”

Chewing, then swallowing while nodding, she reached for a puff pastry filled with something that looked like cream cheese and crabmeat. Groaning over the taste that exploded on her tongue, she reached for another.

After the two snacked and drank for a few minutes, Erin leaned back and held her sister’s gaze. “I think when I finally move out I’d love to have a place like this.”

“Well, I heard my landlady say that one of the apartments might be vacant in another month.” Caitlyn’s eyes sparkled. “I’d love to have you live here, too!”

“Let me know if one becomes available. Depending on what’s going on in my life, I might be very interested.”

“I suppose the only thing you can think of right now is the marathon, isn’t it?”

“Pretty much,” she lied, not quite sure how